Madison is an 8-year-old spayed female Jack Russell Terrier that came to me for excessively licking her left forearm, which led to an open wound that is not healing, a lick granuloma.
Let me give you a little background. Madison had been treated by her previous veterinarian with traditional Western medications. Prednisone, a steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and antibiotics were used in an attempt to address the wound.
Unfortunately, there was no success. Her mom came to me looking for an alternative approach to address lick granuloma. In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), Madison is classified as a “wood-type” personality. Wood-type pets are usually outgoing, assertive, confident, fearless, athletic, decisive, competitive, and have a type A personality. When confronted, they can respond with anger. Madison fit the wood-type personality perfectly. You should also know that the element wood in TCVM is associated with the liver and that the liver controls the feet.
Her tongue appeared lavender upon examination, which indicates stagnation of qi, stagnation of blood and pain. Her pulses were normal. Since she was experiencing anger upon examination, had a lavender tongue, and a condition affecting her lower front leg, I concluded her TCVM pattern diagnosis was damp heat with liver qi stagnation (from the lavender tongue and lesion associated with the wood element and the liver, with damp heat [because of the lick granuloma]).
We decided to use acupuncture as follows: “Circle the dragon” on the granuloma; BL-18/19, LIV-2/3, GB-34 to soothe the liver; LI-4/11, GV-14 to clear heat; ST-40, BL-22, SP-6 to clear damp. We also gave the following herbal formulas: Liver Happy for the liver qi stagnation, Four Paws Damp Heat for damp heat, and Coptis powder as a topical application directly on the wound.
After two treatments of acupuncture one-week apart and administering the herbal formulas, the owner noticed Madison calming down. Her lavender tongue was becoming more pink and the non-healing wound was beginning to show signs of healing; hair was starting to grow back. I was thrilled with the response and recommended we continue the acupuncture treatments as well as the herbal formulas. In the picture provided of Madison, you can see how we “circle the dragon”!
Source: Dr. Michel Selmer of Advanced Animal Care, located at 260 Evergreen Ave., South Huntington. For more information, call 631-FOR-PETS (631-367-7387) or visit AdvancedCareForPets.com. See ad on page 2.
