Tending The Wind

Daisy is an 8yr FS OES with hip dysplasia and L-S spondylosis. She was having trouble rising from rest, and was refusing walks and jumping into the car. She was taking Synovi Chews but no other medications. Since a puppy she also had severe separation anxiety characterized by nervous skittish behavior, drooling, and excessive thirst; this had improved some over the years. She tended to be restless at night, and had noise phobia. She had black crusty eye discharge year round.

On exam this March, her coat was dry, her hips were tight with reduced extension, and her L-S junction was tight and tender to pressure. She was anxious and pacing. On Chinese tongue and pulse evaluation, her tongue was lavender and mildly red with longitudinal cracks, and her pulses were deep and weak.

Daisy's Chinese diagnosis was two-fold. Her tight joints, tender low back, older age, difficulty rising, lavender tongue, and weak deep pulses suggested Bony Bi syndrome secondary to Kidney Yang deficiency. Her separation anxiety with drooling, nighttime restlessness, thirst, noise phobia, dry coat, dry crusty eyes, and dry lavender-red tongue suggested Liver heat and Qi stagnation secondary to Liver Yin/Blood deficiency.

Acupuncture was begun weekly with the following points: GV20 (calming), GV14 (clear heat), Bai Hui (L-S junction), BL14 (calming), BL18 (liver point), BL23 (kidney point & yin tonification), BL26 (lower lumbar & yang tonification), BL54 (hip point), BL60 (Qi mobilization) with the needle carried through to KI3 (kidney point), GB29&30 (hip points), and HT7 (calming). Other points that could have been considered include GV4 (yang tonification), BL11 (bone point), and GB34 (sinew point). Daisy was started on fish oils, and a Chinese herbal formula for her Bony Bi syndrome called Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang given at two grams twice daily. After two acupuncture sessions she had a little more spring to her step. After five sessions she was getting up gracefully from rest and had good bounce to her walk. Her pulses were normal, but her tongue was still mildly lavender-red with cracks and her Liver Yin/Blood deficiency signs persisted. For this, the formula Yi Guan Jian was begun at two grams twice daily. Acupuncture frequency was reduced to every two weeks. A month later she was moving quite well with only a little stiffness, she was calmer with stressors, less restless at night with improved energy during the day, more outgoing, and her eyes looked great. A month after that she was moving very well, and enjoyed riding in the car which used to stress her terribly. Her tongue was only mildly lavender and not cracked. Pulses were normal. (6/11)