Dr. Wendy presented 2 papers at the 20th Annual International Conference on TCVM in November 2018 in Ocala. See Abstracts below. Full papers are published in Pain, Lameness, Neurological and Endocrine Disorders - TCVM Update through the Chi Institute bookstore

Abstract

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is an important neurologic disease of horses most commonly caused by infection of the central nervous system by the protozoa, Sarcocystis neurona. Clinical signs can be focal or multifocal and are attributed to damage to neural tissues by invasion of the protozoa and concurrent inflammation. Many horses will test seropositive, however, only a small percentage will exhibit clinical signs which implies horses with a compromised immune system are susceptible to infection while horses with a healthy immune system are able to clear the parasitic infection without treatment. Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine theory views this disease pattern as a Zheng Qi Deficiency with Qi and Blood Stagnation. Premortem diagnosis in both Eastern and Western Veterinary Medicine involves a thorough neurologic exam and response to treatment. Treatment with acupuncture and herbal therapy alone or in conjunction with pharmaceuticals has a favorable prognosis. Food therapy and rehabilitation can assist the horse to return to full function. Recrudescence and reinfection when the immune system is challenged is a common sequela, therefore, long term care of EPM horses should include TCVM treatment during times when the Zheng Qi may be challenged.

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Abstract

Preventative veterinary medicine is an age old concept that is the basis of animal husbandry. As veterinary medicine continues to become more specialized, veterinarians delegate many of the preventative procedures; feeding, housing recommendations, parasite control, farriery, dental care, breeding and conditioning to paraprofessionals and caretakers. The majority of horse owners no longer come from agrarian backgrounds where husbandry practices for the local climate and forage was passed on from generation to generation. Media, funded by corporations that sell vaccines, pharmaceuticals, supplements and processed feeds, have become the largest source of educational material for our clients concerning the wellness of their horses. Many modern horses live in urbanized settings, have little turnout and are fed large amounts of concentrated feeds. Competition can be demanding due to travel, athletic expectations, emotional stress and artificial day lengths. Some horses are more sensitive to stress, temperature, training methods and foods. If we can recognize our patient’s weaknesses, we can be better equipped to help them. The 5 Element theory classifies a basic constitution of a horse and helps us recognize how a horse with a certain constitution reacts with his environment, lifestyle and rider. We can use the constitution to prepare a Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine treatment plan to support constitutional vulnerabilities to reduce the incidence of disease, lessen the risk of sports injury and keep the horse happy in its work. Educating our clients on basic care and wellness and considering constitution, diet, environment and seasonal factors will help our sporthorses stay strong in mind, body and spirit throughout their career.

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Heart worm preventative can be started at 8 weeks.
Puppies under 6 months, do not need a heart worm test before starting preventative. 
Puppies over 6 months require a heart worm test before starting preventative. Dogs require an annual heart worm test to renew your prescription. 

We recommend
Iverhart plus or Heartgard plus which are oral chews given every month for heart worm preventative and to kill intestinal parasites. 

Flea Prevention can be started at 8 weeks. 
Nexgard is an oral chew given every month for fleas and ticks

Bravecto is available for puppies over 6 months of age and is an oral chew given every 3 months for fleas and ticks

Combined Heart worm preventative plus Flea protection
Trifexis is an oral tablet that is given every month for heart worm prevention and kills intestinal parasites and fleas. 
Revolution is a topical liquid applied once per month for heart worm prevention and flea control. 

8 weeks
Parvo/Distemper Vaccine
Deworming 

12 weeks
Parvo/Distemper Booster Vaccination
Kennel Cough Oral or Intranasal Vaccination
Deworming 

16 weeks
Parvo/Distemper Booster Vaccination
Rabies vaccination with county license
Deworming

1 year
​Parvo/Distemper Booster Vaccination
Rabies vaccination 
Deworming

Booster Vaccinations are recommended every 3 years 
Titer testing is available for Parvo/Distemper however rabies vaccination is required by law and titer test results are not accepted.
We use a thimerosol free vaccine.

Optional Vaccinations dependent on lifestyle
If your dog leads an active lifestyle and goes to the dog park, lunch with friends and Sarasota dog meet ups, we recommend oral or intranasal kennel cough boosters annually. 

If your dog likes to play in the woods, go swimming and kayaking in the rivers and bays, we recommend leptospirosis vaccination annually. 
 
If you are boarding your pup, please check with the kennel to determine what vaccines they require at least one month before your stay. 

These recommendations are in accordance with the current AAHA Canine Vaccination Task Force guidelines. For more information on vaccines, visit the American Animal Hospital Association website.

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 medications. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Huang-di-ni-jing, written around 300 BC) was most important in forming the basis of Chinese food therapy. It classified food by Yin and Yang food group and five tastes and by their natures and characteristics. 


For example, Yang foods are believed to warm Yang, tonify Qi, dispel Cold, move Qi and Blood, resolve stagnation, stop pain. Yin foods nourish Yin, cool blood, clear heat, detoxify. Therefore, Yang foods (e.g., mutton and pumpkin) are used for Qi/Yang Deficiency, Qi-blood stagnation, wei syndrome, Lin syndrome, immunodeficiency. Yin Foods (such as turkey and tofu) are used for the treatment of Yin Deficiency, skin itching, autoimmune diseases, Cushing's disease.


Food Therapy is the preparation of using selected food ingredients and superior herbs. The goals of food therapy are

1. Health Promotion and Prevention — to improve health on a regular basis and to prevent seasonal climate related problems.
2. Disease Treatment — to treat many clinical conditions including skin problems.
3. Adjunct Therapy — to complement the primary treatment of diseases like kidney failure and cancer.

Plus it is 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. 

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 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. 

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Bone Marrow Soup

I talked about this on the Driving Radio Show this week. Here are some step by step instructions. 

I always encourage my clients to cook for their dogs and cats but just like cooking for yourself and your family, it usually takes a big health problem to make the change from processed foods to fresh home cooked. Its ok to start slow. Even if you don't want to or can't cook every day. Fresh foods as treats or a few days a week is a great starting point. 

Ingredients : 

Marrow bones
Turkey Thighs
1 lime
1 TB apple cider vinegar
3 cups of chopped root vegetables
Carrots, squash, beets, celery - I used carrots because I always have that on hand :)

Directions : 

Cut long bones to expose marrow. I used a big cleaver and hammer, see photos

Put bones, veggies, the juice of 1 lime and 1 TB apple cider vinegar into a large heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered overnight. You can also do this in your crockpot. As the bones simmer, the acid of the vinegar and veggies extract the nutrients and essence of the marrow. Check water level every few hours and add more water if the bones are uncovered. 

Let cool and strain broth. 

Keep in fridge for up to 1 week.

Feed small (start with 2 TBs) frequent meals throughout the day to your sick doggie or kitty.  The cooked veggies can also be added to the food if they are strong enough to eat them. 

This is a great way to get them back eating after an insult, like after eating a week old dead squirrel in the yard, post chemo, post parvo, ect. 

Variations : 
you can make this with any marrow bones, beef, pork, even a whole organic chicken. Consult with your TCVM vet to see what protein would be best for your pet. 

I usually make this with the left overs from Tamika and Rolly's turkey roast, which is just roasted turkey thighs on a bed of chopped green veggies like zucchini, green beans, ect. 

Roast in the oven @ 350 for 1 hr. 
When cool, remove the meat from the bones. The bones go into the soup pot and the meat is chopped up and added back to the veggies. I then add in some cooked brown rice, millet or their favorite, red quinoa ! 
Then mix it all up and I put it in tuperware and store 1 weeks worth of food in the fridge and freeze the rest in 1 week aliquots. When traveling, we freeze individual meals and put them in the cooler and defrost when needed. 

This is a great article by Kathy Farrokhzad  on her blog Horse Listening.  See her intro below and click on her link for the whole post. 






"Do you have a horse that seems to regularly trip or stumble, either in the front or hind end?The footing is good. The path is clear. There were no sudden changes to your direction.

The horse is sound and you know the tack fits well. His feet are trimmed. There are no other underlying physical issues that you are aware of.

Yet your horse stumbles here, trips there, and as time goes on, you learn to just quietly ignore it. After all, the horse is trying his best and there’s nothing you can do, right?

WRONG! 

If you listen carefully, you might even discover that you are more a part of the equation than you give yourself credit for.

It might be something you are doing. Or it might be something you are NOT doing!

Be an active rider so you can help your horse through these moments. Your strong problem-solving skills are just the ticket to helping your horse develop better balance during riding. "



http://horselistening.com/2013/07/04/how-to-ride-the-stumble-out-of-your-horse/

Autumn is the season for the Metal




Autumn is just around the corner, the weather will be cooler and drier. According to TCVM principles, dryness becomes a major problem affecting the metal element.

The Metal horse is clean, quiet, confident and disciplined. They like to follow the rules and do not like change. They learn quickly but it is quite a task to train them for a new job. They tend to be aloof.

The associated meridians and Zang Fu organs of the metal are the lungs and large intestine. The external orifice is the nose and the tissue is the skin and hair. The metal element is involved with respiration and digestion due to its relationship with the lungs and large intestine but it also is deeply involved with the skin and hair coat and the immune system. 

As the seasons change from hot humid summer to cooler drier fall weather, the lung can be weakened by the dryness. This leads to symptoms such as 

dry flaking skin, dry nasal cavity, frequent nose bleeds, sore throat, coughing and constipation. The weakened immune system leaves us open to infection by external pathogens, ie virus, bacteria, mold and allergens.

Drinking enough water and avoiding losing too much fluids are always important, but are even more so at this time of year. After a hot summer with numerous reminders to rehydrate, cooler temperatures cause us to take in less water. You don’t feel hot and parched so you drink less. This makes you more susceptable to the effects of dryness as your mucosa in your nose, mouth and throat ( your 1st line of defense against pathogens) dries out and becomes less functional. 

Symptoms of dryness include impaction colic, respiratory distress of COPD, skin itching, flaking, rain rot, nasal discharge, susceptability to respiratory diseases, decreased energy, cracked hooves and dandruff. 

So what can you do to prepare for the fall season ? 

Start with food therapy. Eat more soups, stews or cooked vegetables. This will increase your water intake and cooked food is easier to digest and warming so boosts your qi. Cooked yams or pumpkin with ginger is a good addition to your animal’s diet at this time of year. Pear is also an excellent choice to tonify the lung. Pear reduces cough, relieves dryness and tonifies the qi. Any yellow, orange and/or red foods are good to incorporate into the diet, so bananas, lemons, apples, beets, yams, squash are great to incorporate into the diet. 

Grief is the emotion of the metal. Your horse may seem sad or depressed with the shortening of the days. This is a time of the year to be reflective. Look over your goals for your horse. Is it time for a rest before the season gears up in the winter early spring or is it time to push on for the finally before the winter ? Organize and make a plan for your metal horse that involves rest or sufficient support to get him through the end of his season. For people, we say now is the time to let go of negative emotions. For horses, they may have more off days than usual in the fall. Maybe it is time for a trail ride rather than dressage school or do shorter sessions with rest and praise in between sets. 

If symptoms persist, seek additional treatment such as acupuncture, herbal therapy and chiropractic care. An immune supplement such as Standard process immune support can help boost qi and fight off colds.

UUUUUGHHHH my dog has fleas !! 
A common veterinary complaint this time of year is the abundance of fleas both on your pets and in the house. Sometimes the mass bloom feels like an over whelming invasion leading you to toxic chemicals and flea bombs. There are some simple steps you can take to make you and your pet flea free. 

As we all have experienced, fleas bites cause itching and redness. They can also lead to a more serious form of allergic dermatitis that has a vicious feed back cycle of itching and scratching, eventually leading to crusty, oozing sores or your poor puppy. They can transmit tapeworms and some blood born diseases. 

The first step in your battle against the flea is to know your enemy. The flea has a multistage life cycle. Adults live on mammalian hosts and lay eggs on the skin which fall off and hatch in the environment. Larvae emerge in as little as 4 days and live off organic debris ie. skin cells, dust bunnies, ect. They then pupate like a catapillar and grow into their adult form then hatch and look for a host. At any one time, the majority of the fleas in your environment are in the egg, larval and pupal stage with only about 5% living as adults on your and your pets. As you kill off the adults, the new generation emerge so flea control must include killing young stages too. 

I recommend trifexis which is spinosad with milbemycin oxime) for a monthly oral treatment for fleas, intestinal parasites and heartworm. Spinosad has high efficacy, a broad insect pest spectrum and low mammalian toxicity. Spinosad is considered a natural product derived from a mold found on crushed sugar cane and is approved for use in organic agriculture. Comfortis is the name brand of spinosad alone and can be used in cats and dogs.

(Warning : there are certain breeds sensitive to milbemycin oxime so as always, check with your veterinarian 1st before starting this medication.) These products will start killing fleas in 30 minutes and kills 100 % of fleas within 4 hours. 

One of the best and easiest ways to break the flea lifecycle is to vacuum at least 1 per week and wash your bedding and the pets beds with diatomaceous earth. This is a white powder made from tiny fossilized skeletons of Diatoms, tiny phytoplankton made up mostly of silica. The edges of the diatoms slice into the insect and cause it to dry out. Sprinkle a very thin layer around the house before vacuuming and make sure to change your vacuum bag or container as soon as you finish as the eggs can live in the bag. Light traps ( small desk lamp shining on a tray of soapy water is also an effective adult trap and will give you an idea how many fleas you have and if your efforts are working. 

Start with a dusting of diatomaceous earth into your pets skin and wait a few minutes and then using a flea comb, manually extract the fleas. This is your best choice with very small pets or weak or sick animals.

A warm soapy bath will do wonders to get rid of the bulk of the fleas. Fill the tub or sink with soapy water and put your puppy in it. Be prepared for mass exodus as they try to jump ship. With your flea comb, try to remove as many fleas as you can and submerge them in the soapy water. Diatomaceous earth does not work when wet so wait a day or so after the dusting for the bath. 

The dusting and the bath are great treatments for a sudden surge in fleas or between monthly treatments.

The addition of yeast and apple cider vinegar to your pet’s diet will also greatly help his battle against fleas. 

If your pet is suffering from flea bite dermatitis, you may need to add in a little TCVM along with some TLC to help break the itch scratch cycle. 

You rescue a starving pony and the first thing you want to do is feed him all the grain, apples and carrots he will eat right ? Well that is very well meaning but can be life threatening for your new little pal because of re-feeding syndrome which is a metabolic crash when the body is introduced to carbohydrates again. (metabolism geeks - see box below)

So before your neighbor calls the humane society on you, how do you know if your pony is actually starving or just skinny ? Ask yourself these 3 questions.

1.  Is he a body condition score of less than 3 ?

2. Has he eaten any food in the last 5 days ?

3. Has he lost more than 15 % of his body weight within 2 months or less ?

If you answered yes to any of these, call your vet, resist temptation to deworm and vaccinate for 2 weeks, get some probiotics and follow the rule "go low and slow ". Low sugar and carbohydrates and multiple small meals throughout the day gradually building up to free choice food over 14 days. Feed a high protein low carb food, like Alfalfa and make sure he has access to fresh, clean water and salt.

Day 1-3
Feed 1 lb (1/4 flake) of alfalfa hay every 4 hours.

Day 4-7 
4 lb about (1 flake) and decrease the frequency of feeding to every 8 hours 

Day 7-14
Continue feeding at this rate while  
slowly increasing the amount and decreasing the frequency until the horse is receiving all the hay it wants in a day. 


If feeding grass hay, feed 2x the amount at the same rate.

At the end of 2 weeks you can introduce grain. Choose something with high fat, high fiber, low starch, low sugar. Senior feed is best as it is nutrient dense, high fat and easy to chew. 

Feed ½ pound of concentrate twice a day then increase grain by ½ pound a day every 3 days until the horse is being fed ½ to 1 pounds of grain per 100 pounds body weight per day in 2 feedings. So a 500 lb pony will be eating
5 pounds of senior feed per day. A safe rate of weight gain is about 1 lb per day. Make sure to have your vet or a friend who does not see your pony every day asses your progress. 

At the end of 2 weeks you can now work on his other problems which may include any and all of the following : 

• parasites
  
• dental issues
  
• sand
• ulcers
• diarrhea
• vaccinations
  
• chronic diseases 
  
• bad skin
  
• allergies 
• heaves
• bad feet
• ect 

Choose one problem at a time to work on as you peel the layers of the onion away on your road to recovery. Start with parasites and just assume this pony has never seen any dewormer in his life and is full of worms.  On day 14, give ½ dose of one of the paste dewormers containing one of the 
Here again, resist the "more is better " approach and buying the best dewormer there is that kills everything. Intestinal parasites in horses live in various stages in the body. Some are imbedded in the tissues, some are living in the gut lumen and some are eggs on their way out to infest your pastures. You want to start with fenbendazole (Panacur or Safe-guard) which is a mild dewormer because it only kills the adults in the lumen of the intestines. Killing all the larva lurking in the tissues can lead to an inflammatory reaction in the gut leading to colic and laminitis. 

Day 14 - 1/2 dose of Panacur
Day 21 - 1/2 dose of Panacur
Day 28 - full dose of Panacur
Day 42 - 1/2 dose of Ivermectin
Day 56 - Power Pac - 5 day treatment of Panacur
then continue on a maintenance deworming schedule

The theory behind this schedule is to kill off the parasites in the gut and then wait a week to let some larva emerge, kill off the next round and treat again so you are treating the wave of emerging parasites. The Ivermectin kills bots (fly larve in the stomach) and thread and neck worms that cause inflammation in the skin and eyes. The 5 day power pack kills the rest of the larva (encysted strongyles) which hopefully by now are down to a reasonable number and will not cause an inflammatory reaction. 

Of course this is a general guideline so consult with your veterinarian so you can decide whether your pony is ready for this treatment.  

Some things to consider : 
Dos

• Provide free choice salt and water
  
• Use a good quality probiotic supplement
  
• Keep him in a temperate environment (not too cold or hot)
  
• Isolate him from other horses
  
• Call your vet if you see any decline. During the 1st 2 weeks consider your pony in critical condition and you are never wrong to ask for help.
  

Don'ts

• Feed an electrolyte in a sugar base for at least the 1st 2 weeks 
  
• Stress him - keep change to a minimum 
  
• Let your neighbors feed him treats. Let everyone who comes in contact with him know the fragility of this 1st 2 weeks. 
  
• Start back to work too early - his body has had to break down tissue to survive. His bones, joints, tendons and organs are all compromised so "go low (intensity) and slow" and your new buddy will be fat, happy and healthy in good time. 

Re-feeding syndrome - occurs when a starved horse is fed too quickly during his rehabilitation. During the period of starvation, the body goes into a state of ketosis and uses fats for its main source of energy because it doesn’t have carbohydrates. Ketosis changes the electrolyte balance in the cells and depletes the body’s stores of essential minerals like phosphate, potassium and magnesium. Because the animal is not eating, he can not replenish these stores. If carbohydrates are introduced too quickly, the body releases large amounts of insulin to process the carbs. Carb metabolism requires large amounts of phosphate, potassium and magnesium but because the starved animal is running on empty already, he suffers symptoms related to electrolyte depletion like heart palpitations, respiratory distress, paralysis, organ failure, confusion, and weakness. This occurs in all mammals but in horses some of the consequences can also include laminitis (founder) and rhabdomyolysis (tying up).

This condition was first fully understood in people in 1950 when prisoner of war veterans who were malnourished in captivity were released back to the American military and is a common consequence in anorexic patients.