Question Details
Itchy Dog
by clekx - February 26, 2010
Hi Steve,
I need your expertise on a couple of cases.
The first is a little 4yr old bichon cross who was diagnosed with atopy +/- food allergy at about 2 years of age. I started seeing him a few months ago as he was constantly on antibiotics and vanectyl P and the owners wanted a more natural long term approach. At that time his tongue was a little flabby with a pale centre and his pulses were slightly wiry. He had a history of anal gland and ear problems and the owner complained of an odour when the rash broke out. I started Si Miao San and was able to get him off Vanectyl -P but the rash reappeared quite quickly and seemed painful, added qing ying tang, got worse so I took him off herbs and put him back on antibiotics. I rechecked him after a week, he'd settled down and the pulses were normal. So I went back to Si Miao San and added Dang Gui. He did great for about six weeks but now has started itching again licking at his paws, getting pustules and an odour and really bugging his ear. I was thinking of San Ren Tang but feel as if I'm going in circles and may be way off course. I think I tried adding in Si Wu Xiao Feng Yin when the itch came back but one dose made him itchier. He's on Orijen dry and I'm trying to convince them to try a home cooked diet. He's an Alberta dog and apparently he was fine there!!
The second case is a standard poodle puppy belonging to Joanne Robson who, along with her son and pets, was a patient of yours before she moved here.
Jazz is 13 weeks old and came in off balance, weak, poor appetite, and a restless,jerky sleep pattern. Bloodwork showed mild anemia. She's responded very well to AP, amino acids,homemade diet and wei ling tang but I'm not sure where to go from here. I treated her as Ki,blood and spleen qi deficiency, I've never encountered a pulse quite like hers, it disappears completely with mild pressure and I can't remember the significance of that! It was a bit stronger on her last visit and definitely improves with needling at Ki 3 and Bl 17.Is wei ling tang a good supportive herb as she grows?
I think I've rambled long enough, any advice you can offer would as always be much appreciated.
Thanks
Charoul

ps Thanks for your help with my "baby" boxer , he is no longer vomiting.
Replies
by naturevet
February 27, 2010
Hi Charoul,

I like your thinking for both these cases.

For the former Albertan itchy dog, the worsening on QYT signals Damp. The lack of ability of SMS to deal with the problem stems from the fact that it (by itself) does not enhance skin circulation, which the wiry pulse suggests is needed. You got more mileage out of adding Dang Gui, which gave SMS an outward pushing effect on circulation, but also aggravated the Damp tendencies again. Our main cooling outward pushing formula is San Ren Tang, which was your next choice. I think good things will happen with it.

As for the young dog, great work there, too. I guess I would wonder if there is an underlying Kidney deficiency that caused the Spleen deficiency. From a western point of view, if anemia is still an issue, Rehmannia 8 (a Kidney tonic) is a bone marrow stimulant, and will support the work you've done with WLT by also being warming and Damp draining. I'd try it out. It can be used with WLT for now, but if it works well, you can try it alone.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your new puppy, and glad to hear he is feeling better.

Steve
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