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Itchy GR With Hip Dysplasia

by leeyeelin - September 28, 2009

Hi there,

I have a female, spayed, 12 yr old golden retriever that has chronic skin irritation and otitis externa. She also has severe hip dysplasia and has been starting to limp on her right forelimb as well for the past 2 months.

She had a case of pyometra just about 6 months ago, and therefore, the OVH was performed then.

Recent few weeks, the owners have noticed that she seems to be losing her sense of hearing as well.

She is currently on a homecooked diet and joint supplements (glucosamine, chondroitin, msm).

Her coat condition is poor and her coat sparse. She seeks cold and prefers to sleep on the concrete floor. she has a purplish-pink tongue and a very slushy pulse.

Owners are basically trying to go with tcm but I am not really sure which formula will be the best for this poor golden retriever at this point in time. Please help!! :)

Thank you!!!

by naturevet

September 28, 2009

Hi there,

You didn't mention where the skin lesions are. Are they more dorsally or ventrally distributed?

I'm also not clear what 'slushy' would mean, at least to my fingertips. I'm going to assume I would call it slippery or rolling.

The first thing I would do is remove any grain from the dog's home-cooked diet. If you have the Manual of Natural Veterinary Medicine, the 'paleolithic' diet listed in the appendix on home-cooked diets is what we use for dogs and cats.

With the history of chronic inflammation and pyometra, I would first try Si Miao San (Four Marvels Powder). It was first developed for patients prone to urogenital infections such as vaginitis, and is also a powerful antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. In addition, it starts to repair the source of the inflammation from both a Chinese and western perspective. From a Chinese perspective, it warms and dries the Spleen, which is the origin of the Damp that turns to Damp Heat and inflammation. From a western perspective, it promotes insulin sensitization that reduces fat accumulation tendencies that have now been associated with a marked tendency to inflammation.

Lastly, Si Miao San is a quite well balanced formula, that can be modified if need to be, to suit the patient as the case unfolds. It's safe for long term use where benefits are seen.

Hopefully that helps you out. Please let us know how it goes and if you need any more help.

Steve

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