The Art and Science of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine is based on the principles of the yin and yang, the balance and harmony of the universe and the 5 element theory to recognize the patterns of disease.  


Chiropractic focuses on the relationship between the structure and the function of the body and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health.  


Chinese medicine & Chiropractic attempt to find the root of the problem and treat the root to bring the animal back to harmony and good health. 


Sport horses live a stressful life of travel, exposure to disease, physical and mental exertion. A wellness program is essential to keep your equine athlete happy, healthy and competing at the highest level. Dogs, Cats and other pets experience stress to their immune system and qi from the environment, lifestyle and changes in the household. Wildlife and exotics can experience stress from simply surviving in a captive environment. 


5 Element theory can also help you understand the personality of your animals so you can have a more rewarding relationship. This is the first step in a harmonious household and successful training program. Basic behavior consults are part of every exam. Is your cat urinating outside the litter box ? Is your dressage horse unhappy ? Is your sweet old dog getting aggressive ? Maybe a more in depth behavior exam with all animals in the household or in a performance setting could help. 


A combination of Acupuncture, Chiropractic care, Tui Na, Food and Herbal therapy can be very effective for disease treatment and prevention. Chinese medicine can work with western medicine to enhance the healing process and lessen the side effects of drugs.

Photo by Megan Benge Photography

When people think about Traditional Chinese medicine & veterinary medicine, the 1st thing that comes to mind is Acupuncture however the practice of TCM/TCVM has 5 different modalities that work holistically together & is frequently combined with conventional medicine to achieve the best outcome for the patient. 

TCVM includes
1. Acupuncture
2. Herbal Therapy
3. Tui-na Therapy
4. Food Therapy
5. Qi Gong

Archeologists determined that Neolithic man, 8000 years ago used a primitive type of acupuncture tool called the bian-shi. It is a pyramidal shaped stone used to lance boils and stimulate certain points on the body to relieve pain. Later a sharp piece of bone was used for the same purpose and during the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC to 1100 BC), the metal acupuncture needle was invented. As they tracked their clinical results, they discovered acupoints with similar functions formed a line on the body and the sensation of the de - Qi would follow a certain pathway...a meridian or Jing-Luo.


There are 12 paired regular channels that relate to the organs and 8 extraordinary channels, 2 of which follow the midline. The Governing vessel on the dorsal midline and Conception vessel on the ventral midline. There are also collateral and divergent channels that are smaller branches of the major meridians that link the organs and meridians to one and other to form an intricately connected pathway throughout the body.


I use 3 kinds of acupuncture in my practice : dry needle, electro and aqua acupuncture. Dry needle is simple insertion of small acupuncture needles. During electro acupuncture, the needles are connected to a battery powered stimulator to deliver a painless low voltage current to the meridian. For Aqua acupuncture, I inject a small volume of vit b 12 or glucosamine into the point. This causes a small blister and gives continual stimulation over a few days.
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Herbal Medicine is an essential part of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. In China, TCVM treatment consists of 30% acupuncture and 70% Chinese herbal medicine.   Chinese herbal medicine has a rich history extending over several thousands of years and has proven to be an effective treatment modality. 


Many formulas we use in practice today were developed many thousands of years ago. Some were developed for both animals and people, while others were developed specifically for animals. Formulas are used more commonly than individual herb so the actions of the herbs are balanced and the actions of one herb, say a warming herb, are not as damaging to the body because it is counter acted by a cooling herb. This balance can also be accomplished with diet ( see the Nutritional consult page)


All our herbal formulas come from Jing Tang and we can guarantee their quality. There are no illegal or environmentally controversial substances in our herbal products ie (no ephedra or rhino horn). 
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Turmeric root, Jiang Huang or Yellow Ginger is a commonly used ingredient in Asian, Middle Eastern and Indian cooking. If you have ever eaten Tandoori, Curry, Satay or Singapore noodles, you have eaten turmeric. Turmeric alone is not spicy but it is usually mixed with spicy herbs and chili powder to give the dish a spicy kick. Food therapy principles for “Clearing Heat” are to use foods with Cold properties and then to Open the Exterior to allow the heat to escape. Curry paste, a blend of turmeric with cooling properties plus chili powder which causes you to sweat (open the pores) would be following these TCM principles. 
Many of our herbal formulas contain turmeric as a main ingredient. These issues all have a degree of Heat (inflammation and/or infection)  : 

• Golden Yellow Salve - topical formula for abrasions to combat infections and bruising
• Sarcoid Cream - topical formula to treat Sarcoids in horses
• Yu Jin San (Gold Jade Powder) - for Irritable bowel syndrome/chronic diarrhea
• Mume Powder - for Foal Diarrhea
• Liang Xue Jie du Tang ( Blood Heat Formula) to help control the crusts and erythema of Lupus
• Mu Dan Pi - for bleeding from the nose, subcutaneous bleeding or bleeding in the GI tract
• Lung Wind Huang - for Hives and swelling
• Xiao Huang San - for Cellulitis 
• Zhen Xin San - for severe anxiety (Fire and Phlegm Misting the Mind)

Incorporating Turmeric Root powder into your pet’s diet is a very good way to help control some of their most common ailments, like arthritis pain, itchy skin, diarrhea and anxiety. 

So how do you get started ? Read on for Dr. Doug's recommendations about preparing golden paste and dosages for pets and horses. For more info about Turmeric and to read Dr. Doug’s latest research, subscribe to Turmeric Life. 

Here is some great advice from Dr. Doug about using Turmeric as Food therapy for your animals. 

GOLDEN PASTE for - Humans - Dogs - Cats - Birds – Reptiles – Fish

We are all animals and turmeric benefits all !

Start humans and dogs at ¼ teaspoon 2 to 3 times a day, with food. Small dogs and cats 1/8 tsp. If your gut biota does not tolerate it, you will get some diarrhea. If ok, double dose every 3 or 4 days until you are at 1 teaspoon doses with food and 3 to 4 times a day.

To make Golden Paste (GP):

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (125 mls/60gms) turmeric powder
• 1 cup water (250 mls) PLUS 1 cup water in reserve, if needed
• 2-3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup of one of the following oils: coconut oil (raw probably best), Linseed (flaxseed), Olive oil, palm oil palm but any digestible oil will dissolve the oil soluble polyphenols – just that some oils are better than others regarding high levels of omega 6 fatty acids distorting the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 which preferably should be 1:3 and not 1:23 like common cheaper seed oils.

Can add the oil now or later when consuming.

Place turmeric and water in pan, bring it to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Stir over gentle heat until you have a thick paste. This should take about 7-10 minutes. 

Or if you are adding turmeric powder to a stew, it is exactly the same as making golden paste and it will be assimilated into the food. 

Move from stove, let it cool down, add the pepper and oil at the end of cooking. 

Preferred oils are coconut, olive. You do not have to add oil now because it can be added later when consumed. Some like to put it all together at preparation though.

Stir well (a whisk is ideal) and allow to cool. Ideally store in sterilized glass jar, or purpose designed plastic and refrigerate. 
Will keep for 2 weeks, refrigerated. You can freeze portions if you think you have too much and it will keep for a year, at less than 0 degrees C.

Horses 

Start slowly with 1 tsp of Golden Paste or dry powder.
Standard dose is 2 tsp of Turmeric Powder, 2 tsp Oil, 16 grinds freshly ground Black Peppercorns 2 times a day. 
Horses may or may not do better on GP and there is a lot of evidence that they assimilate dry powder very effectively. Being a herbivore it is a given that they digest plant matter much better than humans or dogs.
Maximum will be a half cup of GP or powder at any one time but good results are seen with a lot less and normally 2 teaspoons of GP or even 2 teaspoons of powder are sufficient.

For sarcoids at least a tablespoon of powder is needed once or twice daily.

Ruminants small and large ( goats, sheep, llama and cows)
These do just as well on neat turmeric powder because of their very efficient ruminal digestion. 1 teaspoon.

Chickens
They do very well on it: mix a ¼ tsp (or more if preferred) per bird into a small amount of grain. Pour boiling water to wet well, mix and sit for an hour. Feed out.