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Recommendation For An Herb For My Own Dog.

by Holisticpetvet - October 14, 2025 View Case Report

My dog Tinkerbell is an 8-year-old FS Havanese (4.5 kg, Fire constitution) with chronic noise reactivity (barks at sounds in the home), leash reactivity (lunges/growls at dogs and some people), and territorial aggression when moved from preferred spaces (e.g. sofa). She also dislikes having her feet touched. She's affectionate and cuddly otherwise. GI signs include periodic nausea or decreased appetite every 4–6 weeks; cannot tolerate raw food but does well on home-cooked (Caravan turkey/chicken warmed).

Previous treatments:
– Fluoxetine 8 mg SID (beneficial but incomplete, currently reduced to 4 mg SID ~2 week agos)

Before I did the behaviour webinar I tried:
– Halscion 1/8 tsp BID for 1 month: caused occasional night waking to urinate
– Shen Calmer (Jin Tang) for 6 weeks: only mild benefit

Then I did the behavior webinar and thought Liver Qi stagnation over Spleen Qi deficiency ? Shen disturbance
– Xiao Yao San: ¼ tsp caused vomiting, tolerated at 1/8 tsp BID but little improvement

– Gui Pi Tang: added at 1/8 tsp SID about 4 weeks ago

Currently on 1/8 tsp XYS + Gui Pi Tang + fluoxetine 4 mg SID.

TCVM Diagnosis: Spleen Qi deficiency with Heart Blood and Yin deficiency, leading to Shen disturbance and secondary Liver Qi stagnation.

Since reducing her fluoxetine and her being on these herbs a month her barking is worse and reactivity on leash the same.

Next step under consideration: Adding Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan to better address the Heart Yin deficiency and support further reduction of fluoxetine.

Still new to Chinese medicine and haven't done the graduate course yet, only the behavior webinar but would love any help possible with my own dog. I'd love to get her off fluoxetine.

Thank you,
Martha

by naturevet

October 18, 2025

Hi Martha,

Hopefully, I have an easy solution for you. I would have suggested Halscion as well. When urination shows up on that formula, it indicates Spleen Qi Sinking, which is a type of Wood Earth (i.e., Liver Spleen imbalance). The treatment for that is your old friend Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang. I would pair it with maybe a lower dose of Halscion. The two balance up and down movement of Yin and Yang elements while supporting Liver Blood but also Harmonizing the Shao Yang. With that kind of breadth of effect, I'm thinking you'll get where you want to go. And it addresses all the diagnoses you're suspecting in your dog.

Hopefully, that is what happens!!

Steve

by Holisticpetvet

December 18, 2025

She's still very reactive on walks despite the Halscion and Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang. Increasing the Halscion causes nighttime urination. I'm currently trying to wean down some of her fluoxetine. She's been on the formulas for a good month now.

by Holisticpetvet

December 18, 2025

She's still very reactive on walks despite the Halscion and Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang. Increasing the Halscion causes nighttime urination. I'm currently trying to wean down some of her fluoxetine. She's been on the formulas for a good month now.

by naturevet

December 20, 2025

Hi there,

If she urinates on Halscion, downbearing formulas aren't going to be helpful.

I would transition to something like Minor Bupleurum (Xiao Chai Hu Tang) plus Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang, then. Hopefully, you see an improvement. XCHT is still a key formula for reactive dogs. It is contained in Halscion, but works on its own as well, when all the added downbearing ingredients in Halscion are not needed.

Steve

by Holisticpetvet

March 10, 2026

Update on my own dog. No urination on the BZYQT and XCHT. I had her on it for about 3 weeks, but she still seemed just as reactive but no urination overnight thankfully. She is a very difficult case and her anxiety has been long standing for years.

by naturevet

March 15, 2026

Well, that's something, anyway. You could explore adding some sort of Liver Blood tonic to see if her reactivity is improved by it. A Liver Blood tonic will work well with the other treatments. Maybe consider Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang (Persica and Carthamus; Blood's Palace). I've used it to calm people and it works in sympathy with the other two formulas (XCHT and BZYQT). If you need a further calming effect, you can add about 15g of Dan Shen (Salvia) to 100g of the NPHC version.

Hopefully, that helps you slowly eke out an improvement in her psyche!

Steve

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