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Epilepsy Dog

by landauvet - September 18, 2009

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the Captain Bupleurum label. I am getting my T-shirt made as soon as possible.

I have been treating an 8 year old mc Rottie pretty successfully for the last year for seizures. He always seizes at breakfast when he lowers his head to eat. I just saw this dog for the first time in 3 months yesterday after his first seizure in 8 months.
In an attempt to understand his examination findings better and come up with the ideal formula based on acupoint exam, here are his findings.

Pulse: Strong, superficial and wiry
Tongue: pink, sl red

Calm well conditioned, nice coat very mellow dog. Historically flatulant with a tendency towards diarrhea. Improved with SRT.
Points:
Bl-18 Screaming hot temperature-wise
ST-37, ST-41 both pretty hot

I acupunctured Bl-18 (sedated) and the pulse softenned
St-37 I tonified which again helped the pulse.

St-37 has a dorsolateral location (yang ming location) Tonification puts dryness into the body, eliminating damp? Am I thinking about this correctly.
My hebal therapy choice was Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin based on reputation and ability to calm the liver yang and expel wind, depressurizing the system.

I guess my question is how do I take the 6 heavenly influences into account in treatment and herbal choice here. I am trying to encorporate the 6 heavenly influences.

Kevin Landau (Cap'n B.)

by naturevet

September 18, 2009

Hi Kevin,

Has a chiropractic issue been ruled out here? The positional trigger of the seizures makes me wonder if there is a problem at the atlanto-occipital joint, or even perhaps the dens. I know you do body work, so I'd check that out if you haven't done so.

There's another interpretation to ST 37 and ST 39, which I always think of when there are Liver points (BL 18). Both these points are 'Sea of Blood' points, along with BL 11. ST 37 is the most common of them. When you tonify it, you are increasing Blood, presumably by stoking the fire under the pot.

So, we have Blood deficiency, Liver Qi or Blood Stasis, a need to disperse the blood outwards (given the tone in the vessel wall). This would suggest formulas like Xiao Yao San and Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang generally. The latter could potentially treat seizures if they were due to Blood stasis lesions, since it treats the upper burner. Otherwise, TMGTY is a fine choice, since it addresses seizures due to Blood deficiency, and de-powers the Liver a little. Probably the latter is the place to start.

A long explanation just to end up agreeing with you.

S

by marneemadsen

September 22, 2009

Steve,
What about the superficial pulse here?

M

by naturevet

September 23, 2009

As long as the pulse feels wiry, there is still some peripheral vasoconstriction and therefore Stasis in the interior. It would only be if there was a lack of vaso-tone that we could truly call a pulse completely superficial. Even the 'floating tight' pulse of Wind Invasion is still slightly internal in most patients, and is therefore still able to be effectively treated with aromatic dispersing herbs that move the Blood and Qi more exteriorly.

S

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