Question Details
Dog With Lipomas
by Cbecker - May 15, 2020    View Case Report
I have a patient who is a 5-year old, FS, Pit-Lab mix who is developing lipomas along her trunk. She has a bright pink tongue, with pulses that are deep and normal width. BCS= 4/5, on a mostly processed diet. Besides the lipomas, the O is mostly concerned about possible lower back/hip OA because Bea sits with her "butt" tucked under her and both of her rear legs are extended forward. (She looks like a human sitting on the floor). She is greying prematurely in the face, rest of PE appears normal. I would say she has Kid Qi Def (poss OA) or maybe Kid Jing Def (premature aging) with Phlegm (lipomas). What formula would you recommend for this middle-aged dog, with mild clinical signs? Also, what is your train of thought when treating mild symptoms vs severe symptoms, but not necessarily acute vs chronic? Thank you.
Replies
by naturevet
May 22, 2020
Hi there,

I find the most effective thing to shrink lipomas is a move from a processed diet to a real food low starch diet. It will probably also help inflammation subside and make the back end more comfortable.

The lipomas and weight gains suggest Dampness is an issue, particularly given the diet. An inappropriate diet can tax the Kidneys, both in Chinese and biomedical terms, so a move away from a processed diet may be all that is needed to support them. Otherwise, the combination of Dampness, low back issues, weight gains and Kidney deficiency puts me in mind of Yi Yi Ren Tang (Coix Combination). Although not particularly possessing any Kidney tonics, we do notice that a lot of dogs who benefit come across as Kidney deficient. They also often sit with their legs stuck straight out in front of them, like you're seeing. Particularly if the diet is changed, I would expect it to make the dog feel a lot better.

Another option is San Ren Tang (Three Seeds Combination). Like YYRT, it also has a dispersing effect on Wind Damp pathogens invading the Tai Yang at the low back, which is suggested by the evident Dampness and the deep pulse occurring in association with low back pain.

As to your last question, I give all salient symptoms equal weight when assessing a case, although naturally it is critical to cover the ones that are more severe. I measure acute vs. chronic on a hemodynamic basis, with deep pulses in a dog with low back inflammation implying a chronic problem in which we need to drive blood to the area to actively resolve the inflammation. If the dog had the same mild severity of signs, but the pulse was slippery, I would assess the inflammation in the low back as acute despite that mildness, and would want to use a formula that has an 'ice pack' effect on the low back, such as Si Miao San.

Hopefully that makes sense and was what you were asking
by Cbecker
June 8, 2020
Thank you, I will work on changing her diet. I started her on Yi Yi Ren Tang, and am glad that is the one you suggested. If Bea (or any other dog,I suppose), would become acutely sore after a weekend of over-activity, would you recommend Si Miao San for a short duration (7days or so)? Or is there another formula better suited for acute soreness/pain (like a muscle strain), that more than likely wouldn’t become a chronic condition. I’d like something to prescribe instead of an NSAID, in these cases.
Thank you, again.
by naturevet
June 9, 2020
Hi there,

You can try SMS if you like. If the pain is worse from initial movement but better with continued gentle movement, YYRT might still be appropriate for the acute pain.

For people, I juice up the pain relief by adding Qing Hao, Qin Pi, and Tu Fu Ling. If there is a lot of joint inflammation, let me know and I can give you ratios

Steve
by Cbecker
June 9, 2020
Thanks!
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