Question Details
Atopy In A Dog
by Dreudog - January 13, 2020    View Case Report
Hi Steve and group,

This case is our family dog, a 3 yr. old MN Golden retriever. We acquired him at age 1 &1/2.

His history:

- Pruritic ; 2/10 winter, 4/10 spring and early summer, 7/10 last summer. He was uncomfortable enuf, I gave him 2 successive Cytopoint injections in July/early Sept. He has mild erythema last summer, mild chronic yeasty ears. Sl. seborrhea . Antihistamines help some. Raw cooked diet helps some.

GI issues; intermittent nausea and vomiting, soft stools -every few months he'll have an episode. No season or circadian pattern. He has vomited food 6-8-9 hours post meal. Soft stools; a little mucous, no blood or straining. Profile and CBC are normal, have not done GI panel or ACTH stim. (his energy level and appetite are normal during nausea episodes , unless really ramped up).

-Temperament is sweet, social, calm but a bit stubborn (confident on his own).
- Iris cyst age 2
- Good energy AM, wears out towards evening and puts himself to be by 9:00 most nights.
-Overheats easily in summer

Currently Tongue: pink, sl. moist, Pulse: middle, toned, normal rate


Herbs used over the 2 yrs we've had Owen:

- Si miao san; caused a little nausea at first, was sedating. Used for several months anyway spring/summer of 2018. Mod. seborrhea improved, itch did not. GI signs ~ same.
- Xiao Yao san; also nausea on introduction, used several months, no change itch or GI signs.
- XCHT: nausea, did not use long.
- CSWLT; nausea, did not use long


So I feel he is : spleen qi def (damp signs, nausea, soft stools), has mild damp heat (worse summer , sl. yeasty sl. pink ears, somewhat better cooked diet). Also?

On these more frustrating cases, I always go back to your "Hot/Cold" (for him, hot) and "Excess/Def". Hmmm....... probably both. So clear the excess first, yes? That's where I think of SMS/CSWLT.


Thoughts?


Thnx,



Cathy L
Replies
by naturevet
January 21, 2020
Hi Cathy,

I find myself wondering about a Stomach Yin deficiency. The tie that binds the formulas that have upset him are that they are both drying. Now SMS and antihistamines have an astringing action, and he was a teensy bit better on them, so a Wei Qi deficiency is also a possibility. It fits the energy pattern you see over the day, too. The gastric symptoms, though, also could fit Yin deficiency, especially Yi Guan Jian. Shao Yang disharmonies also cause gastric stasis and can be accompanied by Yin deficiency. If the Stomach was Yin deficient, then XCHT would be poorly tolerated, even if it otherwise seemed a good fit, which it does.

The pulse fits a Liver Qi stagnation pattern such as either Spleen Qi sinking causing a Wei Qi deficiency; or a Liver Stomach disharmony, causing the nausea and gastric stasis. It also fits Shao Yang disharmony. A partial response to raw fits Blood or Yin deficiency, as does that early spring onset. If you try YGJ and he gets too Damp, then you could add a small amount of Huang Lian or something. Many Shao Yang cases appear slightly Damp despite also being dry.

It's possible that XCHT used with either one of the above two formulas might be better tolerated and allow a deeper and more rapid resolution. BZYQT cases respond to sedation of SP 4 and BL 18; GB cases respond to needling of BL 19 and points like GB 25 or GB 34. ST 37, BL 17 or SP 6 might be helpful in either case and in pure Blood and Yin deficiency.

Hopefully that helps. Let us know how it goes! I'm pretty sure the answer is in that group of formulas somewhere - either BZYQT + XCHT, or XCHT plus YGJ (or even SWT).

Steve

Steve
by Dreudog
January 24, 2020
Wow; thanks for the meaty response! have to sit down and study half of this.

I feel like the YGJ and for sure SWT will be too heavy for him and irritate his nausea (or not, if you're correct on St. yin def....) So with GI issues seeming to worsen recently, I'll try the XCHT and BZYQT together.


I thank you, our carpet thanks you ,


Cathy
by Dreudog
March 20, 2020
Pruritus is ^ w/ melting snow. Still mildly yeasty ears, very mild seborrhea. Itch level is 3-4/10. Thoughts on a more heat- clearing herb? (see history; several have caused nausea @ low doses).

Thnx,


Cathy
by Dreudog
March 28, 2020
Steve,

Owen is on LJZT 2 BID and BZYQT 2 BID (70 lbs). XCHT caused nausea at any dose. Pruritus has ^ some w/ snow melt (4-5/10). Has mild yeasty ears, mild seborrhea. Lower energy in general for age. See herb history; most of the more heat- clearing herbs have caused nausea. Do I need to focus more on clearing dampness, and the heat will take care of itself? He definitely gets into a more excess state in summer allergy season. He remains on raw cooked diet. His energy is always best in the AM, seems to wear out thru the day, exercised or not. T: pink, moist. P: middle, normal to slower rate, normal to sl. wiry.

I'll start Quercitin/nettles and maybe Histaminum 30C.

Thnx again,


Cathy
by naturevet
April 8, 2020
Hi Cathy,

Given his consistent nausea on all things drying, I still feel we need to try out a Yin tonic of some type. If allergies worsen in the spring months, then often Blood deficiency is the cause. In spring months, Blood is released and gets scattered if deficient, resulting in inefficient flow of Qi and Blood, allowing inflammation to stay unresolved. I would suggest the gentlest Yin and Blood tonic we have for the Stomach (so as to mnimize nausea), which would be Yi Guan Jian.

Can you give it a try, at a low dose at first? His response may tell us what we are missing in the event it doesn't help

Steve
by naturevet
July 29, 2020
Hi Cathy,

Did you try Yi Guan Jian? I don't see it listed in his case write up

S
by Dreudog
July 29, 2020
Oooops; I did start him w/ YGJ on 4/9 for a couple days and he was nauseous again. (licking lips, eating grass, extending neck, grumbly stomach). Last night he had these symptoms for a few hours, no herbs and no obvious cause. But those are rare events these days and it's much more common for him to show nausea/heartburn signs from a new herb.

Thnx
by naturevet
July 30, 2020
Okay, well maybe try a low dose just once a day, maybe in the mornings, and work your way up. We need to rule Blood and Yin deficiency out and that's really the only way

S
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