We’re discussing anti-stress therapies for Charlie, a young terrier who became anxious after his family’s relatives outfitted him with a shock collar to control barking.
In yesterday’s blog, we’ve looked at acupuncture, homeopathy, and flower essence remedies for anxiety, and today, we’ll cover herbs and hormones that can help Charlie.
Both Chinese and Western medicine identify herbs that lower anxiety. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) refers to anxiety and other forms of emotional upset as disturbance of “shen” or spirit. There are dozens of TCM herbal formulas for shen disturbance, and veterinarians choose the best formula based on physical exam findings, including an inspection of the tongue and pulse.
Tongue and Pulse Diagnosis for Shen Disturbance
Shen disturbance often causes a change in “heat” in the tongue and pulse so that there is a marked increase or a marked decrease in heat.
Excess heat gives the
· tongue a deep red color and
· pulse a bounding quality.
Deficient heat gives the
· tongue a pale color, and
· pulse a weak, soft quality.
Excess heat occurs for two reasons:
· heat-generating events or
· a fluid deficiency.
Fluids cool the body, and without them the body heats up.
Insufficient heat also occurs for two reasons:
· lack of heat generating energy, such as yang and chi energy derived from attention, food, and exercise; and
· excess cooling that is generated by excess fluids, which can occur with stagnation.
Putting a shock collar on a dog either shuts down the dog’s energy or ramps it up, but shock collars don’t leave energy in a balanced state. With Charlie, the first thing the family noticed was lethargy, withdrawal and a reluctance to bark under any circumstances. Charlie’s veterinarian would probably find that his tongue is paler than normal and his pulse weaker than normal.
In dogs that respond to shock collars with anger and resentment, the tongue would appear redder than normal and the pulse faster. These dogs might become biters.
Chinese Herbs for anxiety
Based on Charlie’s physical exam findings, a TCM shen formula would be chosen, such as:
· Huang Lian E Jiao Tang,
· Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan,
· Lian Wen Dan Tang, and
· Zhu Sha An Shen Wan.
Western Herbs for anxiety
Western diagnosis of anxiety is, like the TCM diagnosis, complex. We think of anxiety as associated with diagnoses of depression, obsessive compulsive disease, and separation anxiety. These conditions can be treated with antipsychotic medications similar to those taken by humans, such as Paxil and Wellbutrin, but these medications have serious side effects so it is often safer to try Western herbs first. Among the Western herbs that help relieve anxiety are:
· Valerian,
· Kava,
· Hops,
· Passion Flower, and
· St Johns Wart.
Hormone for anxiety - Melatonin
The hormone Melatonin also helps anxious dogs. Melatonin promotes a deeper, more restful sleep so that the pituitary gland, which is active at night, can release growth hormone. Growth hormone affects mood as much as it affects physical function, and we see the effects of melatonin and growth hormone every morning when dogs wake restful, happy, and eager for the day. We also see the effects of these hormones on the skin and coat because without them the hair thins and bald patches can develop.
Combining therapies
Using holistic veterinary medicine, hormones, herbs, homeopathy, and acupuncture therapies can be combined to treat anxiety. Often the most effective approach is to incorporate a little from several different therapies rather than to rely on a single therapy.
In future blogs, we’ll look holistic medications and supplements that will help Charlie learn better so he can be trained without aggression and without shock collars.
In yesterday’s blog, we’ve looked at acupuncture, homeopathy, and flower essence remedies for anxiety, and today, we’ll cover herbs and hormones that can help Charlie.
Both Chinese and Western medicine identify herbs that lower anxiety. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) refers to anxiety and other forms of emotional upset as disturbance of “shen” or spirit. There are dozens of TCM herbal formulas for shen disturbance, and veterinarians choose the best formula based on physical exam findings, including an inspection of the tongue and pulse.
Tongue and Pulse Diagnosis for Shen Disturbance
Shen disturbance often causes a change in “heat” in the tongue and pulse so that there is a marked increase or a marked decrease in heat.
Excess heat gives the
· tongue a deep red color and
· pulse a bounding quality.
Deficient heat gives the
· tongue a pale color, and
· pulse a weak, soft quality.
Excess heat occurs for two reasons:
· heat-generating events or
· a fluid deficiency.
Fluids cool the body, and without them the body heats up.
Insufficient heat also occurs for two reasons:
· lack of heat generating energy, such as yang and chi energy derived from attention, food, and exercise; and
· excess cooling that is generated by excess fluids, which can occur with stagnation.
Putting a shock collar on a dog either shuts down the dog’s energy or ramps it up, but shock collars don’t leave energy in a balanced state. With Charlie, the first thing the family noticed was lethargy, withdrawal and a reluctance to bark under any circumstances. Charlie’s veterinarian would probably find that his tongue is paler than normal and his pulse weaker than normal.
In dogs that respond to shock collars with anger and resentment, the tongue would appear redder than normal and the pulse faster. These dogs might become biters.
Chinese Herbs for anxiety
Based on Charlie’s physical exam findings, a TCM shen formula would be chosen, such as:
· Huang Lian E Jiao Tang,
· Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan,
· Lian Wen Dan Tang, and
· Zhu Sha An Shen Wan.
Western Herbs for anxiety
Western diagnosis of anxiety is, like the TCM diagnosis, complex. We think of anxiety as associated with diagnoses of depression, obsessive compulsive disease, and separation anxiety. These conditions can be treated with antipsychotic medications similar to those taken by humans, such as Paxil and Wellbutrin, but these medications have serious side effects so it is often safer to try Western herbs first. Among the Western herbs that help relieve anxiety are:
· Valerian,
· Kava,
· Hops,
· Passion Flower, and
· St Johns Wart.
Hormone for anxiety - Melatonin
The hormone Melatonin also helps anxious dogs. Melatonin promotes a deeper, more restful sleep so that the pituitary gland, which is active at night, can release growth hormone. Growth hormone affects mood as much as it affects physical function, and we see the effects of melatonin and growth hormone every morning when dogs wake restful, happy, and eager for the day. We also see the effects of these hormones on the skin and coat because without them the hair thins and bald patches can develop.
Combining therapies
Using holistic veterinary medicine, hormones, herbs, homeopathy, and acupuncture therapies can be combined to treat anxiety. Often the most effective approach is to incorporate a little from several different therapies rather than to rely on a single therapy.
In future blogs, we’ll look holistic medications and supplements that will help Charlie learn better so he can be trained without aggression and without shock collars.
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