Question Details
Asthma In A Siberian Husky
by JULIE SCHELL - February 28, 2010
Hello!
Has anyone successfully treated chronic asthma/ eosinophilic bronchitis in a dog? I have a 3 year old male neutered Husky mix breed dog who has been coughing for 1 year. I saw hiim as a referral last week for the first time. He's been on intermittent prednisone, which helps but if he's been off it for a few days he starts coughing again. No improvement noted with anti-parasite or antibiotic therapy was noted in the past. On exam he looked like he had Heat Excess and Qi deficiency (floppy, saggy red wet tongue, rapid pulse, weight gain recently, sometimes flatulence.) Chest rads and blood profile were normal. Heartworm/erlichia/anaplasma/lyme test results and fecal parasite analysis results still pending. My goal is to start him on acupuncture and San Ren Tang and do endoscopy of his upper and lower airways and a repeat transtracheal wash or bronchoalveolar lavage. Hopefully we can wean him off of his prednisone! Please let me know if you have any advice or comments!
Thank you so much!
Julie

Replies
by naturevet
March 1, 2010
Hi Julie,

Your plan is exactly how I'd start, especially if the pulse had some tone to it. If it was feeble and rapid, Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang would even be a possibility, but we'd watch for Damp symptoms (eg. loose stools) given that tongue.

All the best and good luck!

Steve
by JULIE SCHELL
March 1, 2010
Thank you very much! I'll keep you updated. Very interesting case! But then, they all are!!!
Julie
by JULIE SCHELL
May 25, 2010
Hello!
I wanted to post an update on this case. The dog did very well for the past 2 months, after starting home cooked food and the San Ren Tang and weaning him down from his prednisone. He is booked in for a recheck this week and the owner reports that he started to cough again since being completely off of the prednisone. I havn't examined him for this recheck yet, but I am thinking that I'll have to most likely start him on an additional formula because I want him off prednisone entirely. Maybe he wil be increasingly Blood Deficient and require Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang? Maybe he will need some Yu Ping Feng San? I am excited to see what his TCVM diagnosis will be now.
Julie
by naturevet
May 26, 2010
Thanks for the update, Julie. I look forward to hearing what you find.

S
by JULIE SCHELL
June 8, 2010
Hello!
I saw this patient today. The owner had to put him back on 2.5mg prednisone recently to help stop his coughing. Perhaps there are allergens in the envronment this time of year (pollens, grasses, etc) that are elaborating his asthma?? Today his tongue was red and slightly dry (heat) however his pulse was weak (Blood Deficiency). Thus, I did cooling and Blood tonifying acupuncture, and renewed his San Ren Tang, but started him on Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang and also Jade Windscreen powder. Hopefully we can wean him down from hsi prednisone soon. Have you ever had to do chiropractic or osteopathic adjustments to help treat asthma?
Thank you!
Julie
by naturevet
June 9, 2010
Hi Julie,

The XFZYT should help.

Chiropractic and osteopathy can sometimes help in asthma if the animal develops reflec fixations or rigidigty in its cranial thoracic spine. I've found acupuncture and herbs to be more helpful, though.

S
by JULIE SCHELL
June 9, 2010
Thank you very much Steve!
I appreciate your help!
I'll repost and let everyone know updates.

Julie
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