Question Details
Prostatic Hyperplasia In A Dog
by CorinneC - January 30, 2026    View Case Report
Mufasa is a 10yo MN Mastiff X that was taken to emerg early January this year for acute hematuria and stranguria. An abdominal U/S confirmed an enlarged prostate pressing down on the urethra. The initial report suggested potential for prostate carcinoma.

As of June 2025 had only been fed raw diet for 4 years, but started to have loose stools & discharge from penis. Thought this was from raw diet and rDVM told O to put on kibble so fed this until December 2025. Before I met this patient the O took it upon himself to take his dog off kibble and move to fresh whole food diet (salmon and veggies), brilliant move! He was put on Meloxicam and Zeniquin by rDVM as well. 3 weeks later, CT scan showed the prostate was down by half, Mufasa was urinating with ease, albeit a little sluggish energy-wise. Stools had been liquid D+ late December, now stools BTN, no tenesmus or stranguria or pollakiuria. He had also seen another TCM practitioner during this time as I was fully booked until this past week. That Vet had put him on Jing Tang's Wei Qi booster and Concentrated Max formula (softens hard nodules) BID. I am not familiar with these herbs so could use some help, they seem to both be quite bitter?

Some additional info: Mufasa tends to have a sensitive stomach. Every seasonal change he would get ear infections with yeast buildup, put on Apoquel and Burrows. O has to cone him when unattended or he will lick at his penis. Has been doing this for over 1 year.

I saw Mufasa Jan 22, he is an odd dog, will take treats but seems anxious and I do not completely trust him. Other Vets have used muzzles to work with him but I found the O held well when needed and I was able to do a full exam, just could not do any AQ. His tongue is dark reddish-pink, shiny and moist, no TC, sl large and sl swollen; pulses feel moderately toned but a bit slippery as well to me. I added Si Miao San but O called 3 days later saying Mufasa developed soft stools. I had him stop for 2 days, then restart with much lower doses and have not heard back yet. If I knew what the other herbs did I could prune some branches but I am not sure? I am now wondering about GXZYT instead. He will run out of the JinTang herbs soon so I need to transition.

I would SO appreciate your help!!
Corinne
Replies
by naturevet
February 4, 2026
Hi Corinne,

I think GXZYT plus Xiao Chai Hu Tang would be my recommendation. The improvement on antibiotics (heat clearing) and NSAIDs (blood moving), suggests we need a cooling, Blood moving formula that has an action in the lower burner. Although described as a formula for dealing with Liver Blood stasis, it also has herbs that address hematuria and the lower burner. You can pair it with SFZYT if you want more of a lower burner moving effect, but the latter is warming, so you'll need GXZYT in there as well to cool. I have used this pair before to successfully treat even prostatic cancer.

The other alternative is to use SMS along with SFZYT, like you would for a bladder cancer dog.

The Jing Tang products cool and transform Phlegm, making them sort of useful for lymphoma (although Wei Qi Booster can easily make lymphoma worse). They don't really contain anything to target tumors in the lower burner, though. If you discontinue them, do it one at a time ideally, so that if they are somehow helping, you'll know it when you stop that one formula.

I suspect that this dog has Spleen Qi deficiency, which the cold herbs aggravate. The tongue, though, suggests Heat. So, to support the Spleen and further move Blood in the lower burner, add BZYQT.

I know - that's four formulas, but just for now. If the prostate goes all the way back down to normal and the diarrhea stops, you can start taking things away. Spleen Qi sinking might be the root condition. To support the Spleen, have him start cooking the food partially. XCHT unbuckles the Dai Mai and works with BZYQT to harmonize 'up down' movement of Qi and Blood. The two movers take advantage of the BZYQT 'up escalator' and the unbuckled Dai Mai to move Blood out of the lower burner. That's how it all fits together. I'm pretty sure it will work and better than the Jing Tang regimen which seems like someone just panicked and gave something they heard was good for cancer.

Hope that helps and that I don't steer you wrong!

Steve
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