View Question

Difficulty Eating And Drinking Due To Tongue Atrophy In A Dog

by barney - June 18, 2018 View Case Report

10 yo GSD presents with a 2 month hx of difficulty eating and drinking. Normal stools,. No change in thirst or appetite, but has difficulty. Has muscle atrophy in rear legs and now starting over spine. Normal neuro exam on head except for tongue. Does have decreaed to absent CP's on rear feet. There is no weight loss, but her tongue atrophy continues to progress. On exam, Pulses soft, weaker on left. no ASHI points, tongue is very small, shriveled and deep red and the tip of the tongue folds over the body of the tongue. Weakness in rear legs to the point of falling over and crossing rear legs. Has been treated with Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang for the past year which has helped her rear end weakness. I dx her with Sp Qi Def and Yin Def and started heron Rehmannia 11 two weeks ago. CBC, Chem, UA, T4 all wnl. Rads reveal bridging spondylosis from thoracolumbar spine to sacrum with some of the bridges broken. Does not act painful and no reaction on palpation. I am very worried about this dog and do not know what else to do.

by naturevet

June 22, 2018

Hi Darlene,

Unexplained muscle mass loss when stools and appetite are normal is almost invariably due to Yin deficiency. In this dog, it may be bordering on Empty Fire, in which case the warming and partially drying ingredients of Rehmannia 11 may have been mildly aggravating, or at least inhibiting any sort of improvement. Blood and Yin deficiency is also usually signaled by a response to DHJST

Yi Guan Jian is the basic unexplained weight loss formula. Where there is a suggestion of perhaps neuropathy occurring in response to Yin deficiency and Empty Fire, I reach for Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan. I'd probably start there, or you can use the two in tandem. If you're on the right track, you should see some return of strength over the next two to three weeks

Hopefully that helps you out!

Steve

by barney

June 22, 2018

Thank you so much for your response. I will try those formulas and see how she does.

Darlene

You must be logged in to reply

CuredCases.com