Congee aka Chinese rice pudding is a staple in Chinese Food Therapy. Congee is most commonly made with rice but can be made with other grains like millet and corn as well. Congee made with bone broth is easy to digest and provides lots of nutrients for your sick puppy. When the congee is done, you can add other foods to add additional beneficial nutrients like Sardines or eggs for protein and omega-3s, Goji berries for antioxidants, mushrooms for immune support, green leafy veggies to support the liver, ect. 

The basic theory of congee is a small amount of rice with 6 times as much water cooking low and slow with occasional stirring until a thick soup forms.

Ingredients :
1 cup of rice ( I like med grain )
6 cups of Bone Broth ( water or any stock is fine) 
Dr. Ying's bone broth recipe  
1 teaspoon of soysauce
a few slices of fresh ginger

Optional Garnishes : 
Cooked turkey or beef
mushrooms
goji berries
blue berries
hard boiled egg
sardines
cooked green leafy veggies such as kale or bok choy
​seaweed Kelp/Kombu or wakeme 

Directions : 

1. Rinse rice in a strainer under cool water 

2. Combine rice, broth, salt and ginger in a large heavy bottomed pot

3. Bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat, partially cover with lid allowing most of the steam to escape and simmer for 1.5 hours stirring occasionally until a yummy brothy porridge forms. 

5. If the congee becomes too thick during cooking, add more water or broth.

Add in some optional garnishes to make it even more nutritious. 

Sweet Itch aka Queensland Itch aka Culicoides hypersensitivity is one of the most common skin problem in horses and is also the hardest to treat.  It is a horse owner's worst nightmare ! 

Sweet Itch is an allergy to insect bites. Mosquitos, black flies and no-see-ums have all been implicated as the cause of extreme itching and scratching which can lead to hair loss of at the mane,tail and belly, self trauma, and multiple open wounds with secondary bacterial infections. 

The saliva of these little blood suckers contains allergens that cause an intense itching. The horses will try to scratch on anything available to relieve the itch and in doing so can cause deep wounds and hair loss. Once the itching has begun, it is very difficult to control so preparation and prevention is key. The biological process is similar to hot spots in dogs which is caused by an allergy to flea bites. See my blog post about hot spots in dogs. 
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Why do some animals have allergies to certain things and some do not ? The answer is that allergies are cumulative. You may have a tolerance for pollen and cats and dust if exposed to any one of those things alone, however, if you encounter all 3 at once, your immune system will over react. You will be pushed beyond your allergy tolerance threshold, your body will release inflammatory mediators like histamine and cytokines that cause watery eyes, itchy skin, hives, sneezing, coughing and if severe, may constrict your airway.  The same is true in horses. They are exposed to lots of allergens in their daily life, mold, dust, pollen and bugs but when the swarms of biting flies emerge in the summer, they are pushed beyond their allergy threshold. 

​Recognizing the symptom is key. The photos below show advanced stage disease. ​

Let’s talk about prevention. Before the fly season begins you can prepare your horse and barn with some diet and lifestyle changes. 

1. Reduce contact with Insects

I know easy to say, hard to do. Most biting flies have a feeding pattern. Culicoides and gnats favor dusk and dawn while mosquitos are most active from dusk through early evening. Keeping your horse in the stable with a strong fan with plenty of fly spray may help. Fly sprays are short acting but can provide some relief. Some natural alternatives are Eco-vet and Repel which is made with Oil of Lemon Eucalypus. Gnats and no see ums are not strong fliers and will avoid the turbulence of a fan. When they do go out, fly sheets and face masks are a great help. 

To reduce the number of biting flies in your stable area you can reduce the breeding ground areas like stagnant water, long weeds and manure piles. A natural way to reduce emerging larvae is to treat ponds, streams and standing water with BTI aka mosquito dunks. Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies Isralensis, is a naturally occurring bacteria in soil. It produces toxins that only affect the larvae of mosquitos, blackflies and gnats. It is safe for all other animals, insects and plants and approved for pest control for organic farms. Spray BTI in ponds, use dunks in running water or drainage ditches. Make traps with bti in buckets of water with grass clippings or pulled weeds. Mosquitos and gnats will lay eggs there but they will never hatch. Goldfish and mosquito fish may be available from your county free. Dump water troughs every few days and some shell or gravel around the trough will prevent muddy puddles from becoming gnat nurseries. 

2. Reduce contact with other allergens

Mold and Dust are part of a horse's daily life. To reduce exposure, do not sweep or blow the barn aisle when horses are inside ! This is one of the worst things you can do to your horse's immune and respiratory system. Feed high quality hay and wet it down or soak it in a net for a few minutes before feeding. Do a full cleaning of the inside of the barn before allergy season. 
Inflammatory Foods processed foods and an unbalance ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids tend to contribute to inflammation. Black oil sunflower seeds are high in vit E but have a high level of Omega 6. This ratio can be balanced to the ideal level of 1-4:1 (meaning approx 1-4 parts omega 6 to 1 part omega 3) by adding Chia seeds which are very high in Omega 3s.  

3. Increase your horse's allergy threshold
You can increase your horse's allergy threshold by increasing the levels of omega 3 fatty acids in the diet. As mentioned above, chia seeds are a great source of omega 3s and horses love them. Antioxidants can also help increase your horse's allergy threshold. Some foods therapy suggestions for horses are seaweed (kelp or spirulina), gogi berries, spinach, green tea, ginger and of course, Dr. Doug's favorite, turmeric. 

4. Avoid Immuno-stimulants
Vaccines stimulate the immune response to protect your horse from disease. Try to vaccinate early in the season before the emergence of biting flies. Killed vaccines and ultra purified vaccines do not cause as strong of an immune response as modified live and recombinant vaccines. 

So you have taken all the steps for prevention and your horse still has sweet itch. Now it is time to treat. Treat early in the course of the disease if possible when you first see the signs of hair loss and itching. 

The TCVM diagnosis is Wind (Itching) and Damp Heat (red crusty inflamed and infected skin) 

Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care can help reduce the itching and rebalance the immune system. To find a veterinarian trained in TCVM near you, search by your zip code at the Chi Institute page www.tcvm.com.

Herbal Therapy includes formulas to Tonify the Blood to stop itching and Clear Heat.

For Topical Treatment we recommend Dr. Ying's Sweet Itch Cream, a soothing blend of coconut oil, Chinese herbs and essential oils to relieve itching, soothe irritated skin, prevent secondary bacterial infection and repel biting insects.

We also have 2 herbal formulas to be given orally for Sweet Itch. The TCVM diagnosis from your veterinarian will help determine which is the right choice for your horse. 

Damp Heat Skin Formula or External Wind Formula can help relieve the itching and inflammation in the skin. 

Food therapy is a very important part of the treatment. As mentioned above, omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants need to be included in the diet. Foods that Tonify Blood and Cooling foods can be beneficial. Apricots and dates Tonify Blood, Barley, cucumber and green tea can Drain Damp and are Cooling. 

So as you can see, sweet itch can turn into a mid summer nightmare for you and your horse. Do your best to prepare for the season and change the things you can control. You don't need to do them all. If you live next to a creek or if the barn manager refuses to turn the horses out before they blow the barn, well ok you have to live with it but at least you can add some food therapy treats or some herbs or sneak some BTI into your neighbor's pond to get you one step closer to a happier, healthier summer. 

In part I we talked about the benefits of food therapy so now we will discuss how to incorporate these principles into your daily routine.

Some things to remember : 

• Variety is the key to balanced diet.
• Fresh whole foods have the maximum nutrients
• Plan meals with a balance of Yin and Yang Energies
• Add foods to address specific conditions 

A good base diet consists of 30% grain/starch, 40% protein and 30 % veggies plus supplements like sardines, hard boiled egg, flax based supplements, herbs and spices. You can pick and choose a neutral, warm or cool diet from the chart below. 

Suggestions for a dog with a Qi and Yang deficiency during the winter months would be 30% brown rice, oats and/or sweet potato, 30% chicken, beef, beef liver, venison and/or lamb and 30 % dark green leafy veggies like chopped spinach, kale and kelp. Other veggies you might try are green beans, carrots and green and yellow squash. 

For a dog with a Blood deficiency (dry flaky skin, itching and general weakness and malaise) choose a neutral diet of ground beef and kidney beans with carrots and peas but add in foods that Tonify the Blood like liver. Sardines and hard boiled eggs also Tonify the blood and are high in omega 3 fatty acids. 

For a dog with a Kidney Qi deficiency choose a base diet like sweet potato, turkey, spinach and kale and add in foods that will help the kidney like lamb's kidney, kelp, kidney beans and black sesame seeds. 

As a general rule I add turmeric paste (see recipe below), fresh ginger, salt and local honey to each meal and then top it with a splash of apple cider vinegar and either a sardine or hard boiled egg. 

Here is an example of how I make a base diet for my dogs at home : 

1. Add 1/4 cup of coconut oil to a pot on med heat
2. Brown meat or fish
3. Add Ginger and salt
4. Add grain or starch
5. Cover with water and cook on med low until grain or starch is cooked (approx 20 min)
6. Add chopped veggies and nuts or seeds
7. Mix together and cook on low for 5 more min
8. Add local honey
9. Let cool and pack in serving size portions for the fridge and freezer

Then at each feeding I add some turmeric paste, a splash of apple cider vinegar, any herbs or supplements they may taking and either a half a sardine or half a hard boiled egg with the shell. Big dogs can have a whole sardine or whole egg. I add a little warm water to dissolve the turmeric paste, give it a stir and it's ready to eat. 

One of the roadblocks to start home cooking is the worry that your dog will not have a balanced diet. With lots of variety, a balanced diet over time is easy to achieve but you can always add a high quality supplement to be sure. I like Platinum Performance CJ. It is a flax based supplement made in the USA and developed by veterinarians. You can order this from our website or from platinum performance directly. http://www.platinumperformance.com/platinum-performance-canine-cj-supplment

As with any food change start very slowly and discuss it with your veterinarian first. If your dog has been on kibble his whole life, changing to home cooked food can be very hard on his stomach. Start with a few bites of home cooked food on his regular food and slowly incorporate more over a month's time. Some dogs love their kibble or 100% home cooking  is not an option and that is ok. You can just top your dog's food with some home cooked food and he will still get the benefits of fresh food and omega 3 fatty acids.

If you are looking for some great whole food dog treats based on chinese medicine principles, check out Doggone good goodies. ​https://www.facebook.com/DoggoneGoodGoodies/

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Food Therapy is one of the five branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. It is a practice of healing using natural foods along with, or instead of, pharmaceuticals. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Huang-di-ni-jing) was written around 300 BC, around the same period of Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, who said, “Let food be thy, medicine, and medicine be thy food.” 

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine classified food by Yin and Yang energies, five tastes, and by their natures and characteristics. For example, Yang foods are believed to warm the body’s Yang, tonify Qi, dispel Cold, move Qi and Blood, resolve Stagnation, and stop pain. Yin foods nourish the body’s Yin, cool Blood, clear Heat, and detoxify. Therefore, Yang foods (e.g., mutton and pumpkin) are used for conditions associated with Cold and weakness - Qi/Yang Deficiency, Qi-Blood stagnation, Wei syndrome (weakness), Lin syndrome (incontinence), and immunodeficiency. Yin Foods (such as turkey and tofu) are used for conditions associated with Heat and inflammation -  Yin Deficiency, skin itching, autoimmune diseases, Cushing's disease.

The practitioner uses selected food ingredients to:

1. Promote Health and Prevent Disease — to improve health and to prevent seasonal climate-related problems.
2. Treat Active Disease — to treat many clinical conditions
3. Adjunct Therapy — to complement the primary treatment of diseases 

Plus, it's fun to cook for your animals!  Subscribe to Dr. Ying's blog for more info on food therapy and some simple ideas to start incorporating home-cooked food into your animal's diet. 
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Whole, fresh foods should be a big part of your animal's diet. Processed foods and vitamin isolates lack the phytonutrients, enzymes and building blocks of whole foods. The first step to good nutrition is a variety of quality whole foods.

When clients start home cooking for their dogs and cats, I recommend feeding a basic supplement like Platinum Performance for support as a good adjunct to your home cooking.

Here is the link to Platinum Performance, use code YIN when checking out.