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Muscle Atrophy And Lyme

by CarolineJ - May 1, 2026

Choco is a 10 years old chocolate lab I've been treating for allergies for close to 2 years. He is well controlled at this point.

He eats a home cooked diet and is on Cessorex, ImmunoBalm and I add Si Miao San when he has Damp Heat flares (pododermatitis specifically on the Stomach channel and otitis externa mainly). This combo seems to maintain him well. I wasn't sure about adding Si Miao San to the 2 other formulas since they are tonics - what are your thoughts on this combo?

His pulse is full and responds to GB tonification
The tongue is dry, pink/red

He has recently tested positive for Lyme and was treated for a fever and joint pain. He is now on Doxy and prednisone..
His regular vet took xrays and found degenerative joint disease in both elbows; the left elbow is rather swollen. I was thinking of trying Voltrex for him (address Lyme , DJD and recent joint pain?).

My other concern with this guy is an inability to put on weight (for several months now). He's probably a 2.5/5 and is slowly showing signs of muscle atrophy, including temporal muscles.
Any thoughts/suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks!

Caroline

by naturevet

May 4, 2026

Hi Caroline,

Yes, I would think of Voltrex next, given the elbow issues and history of Lyme as well as his history of largely responding to a Shao Yang approach to his skin.

As for the need for occasional SMS, it's fine if needed.

Unexplained muscle wasting and weight loss is common in carb-dependent Shao Yang cases. Making just 10% of what is in the dish some concentrated carbohydrate source can stop it. If the food is basically a raw diet with minimal plant material, this is likely what is happening. For dogs eating a diet consisting of up to a third plant material, I've seen consistent use of Voltrex reverse the temporal muscle wasting.

I've also seen the muscle atrophy in Shao Yang dogs that are stressed. In that case, a formula with more adrenal support can be added like Galvanex or Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang. When I've attended to the adrenals in these dogs, the muscle mass has come back. Prednisone might not be a great drug for a dog wrestling with muscle wasting.

Hopefully, this helps you out!

Steve

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