One way to tell if your pet is overweight is to run your hands along its sides. If it is difficult to feel your pet’s ribs under the skin, it’s too chubby.
Reasons for being overweight
Some chubby pets have poor metabolism and others have endocrine problems such as hypothyroid disease or Cushing’s disease. Choosing the right herbal formulas can help these pets be healthier and to lose weight.
Herbal Formulas to Help Chubby Pets with Hypothyroid Disease
To help pets with hypothyroid disease, I prescribe Ba Wei Di Huang Wan, which is also called Rehmannia Eight. This wonderful formula is a basic kidney tonic that helps boost the endocrine system, relieve back pain, and treat neurologic problems due to deficiency. It is an ideal formula for a tubby older cat or dog, especially if they have arthritis and are stiff when they get up in the morning. Rehmannia Eight, along with thyroid hormone supplement helps pets lose weight and become more energetic.
Herbal Formulas to Help Chubby Pets with Cushing’s Disease
To help overweight pets with Cushing’s disease, I may prescribe Rehmannia Six (Liu Wei Di Huang Wan) or Four Marvels (Si Miao San). Rehmannia Six is ideal for older pets with dry skin, for pets who are easily chilled, or have back pain. Rehmannia Six helps pets who are restless and have trouble settling down at night, are incontinent because they drink so much water, have dry eye or dry stools (constipation).
Four Marvels (Si Miao San)
Four Marvels helps with many of the same problems that Rehmannia Six helps, but Four Marvels is more ideal for hot pets or those with inflammatory diseases. Inflammatory disease can range from one end of the pet to the other: anal sac inflammation, yeast ear infections, gut infections or inflammation ( colitis) and bladder infections (cystitis).
Herbal Formulas to Help Chubby Pets with Poor Metabolism
To help pets that are overweight because they have poor metabolism, I may prescribe Spleen Support Formula (Wei Ling Tang) or Subdue Internal Wind, which is also called Pinellia Atractylodes & Gastrodia Decoction or Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang.
Spleen Support (Wei Ling Tang)
Spleen Support (Wei Ling Tang) is ideal for pets with Metabolic Syndrome, which is the tendency to gain weight and become diabetic. Spleen Support Formula also decreases spasm and helps relieve pain. It helps treat greasy or clumping hair coat and dander. It helps pets who eat grass, vomit slimy material or tend to bloat. It improves blood flow to the skin. It can help with calcium oxylates, but is not for general bladder inflammation (cystitis). Spleen Support is very warming so it is not used in animals that tend to be hot. For chubby dogs & cats who are hot and have cystitis, For Marvels (Si Miao San) is a better formula.
Subdue Internal Wind
Subdue Internal Wind (Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tiang Ma Tang) is based on herbal formulas first published in 1085 AD. It has been augmented with the addition of other herbs and is excellent for dogs with epilepsy, especially those that respond well to diet change that eliminates starches. Subdue Internal Wind also helps pets that are dizzy, sleepy, chubby, and tend to have benign growths.
Work with your holistic veterinarian to choose the right herbal formula to help your chubby cat or dog become healthy and lose weight.
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