What Is Chinese Herbal Therapy?
Chinese Herbal Therapy is an important part of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM). Herbal formulas consisting of a combination of single-herbs been passed down through thousands of years, and are used to correct imbalances underlying a disease pattern and to promote the body’s ability to heal itself.
It is crucial for the herbal formula for your pet to be selected only by a veterinary professional trained in the principles of TCVM, not just any human TCM practitioner or any veterinarian trained in only the basics of acupuncture. The use of chinese herbals are a natural way of treatment that can be safe and effective only when prescribed correctly. We recommend pet owners to work closely with our veterinary team to feedback any changes they see with our TCVM treatment, and review with our veterinarian as recommended.
Chinese herbs are wonderful in that they work not only to address the problem that you would like to see an improvement in your pet, but they usually improve other body conditions as patterns of imbalance are addressed. For example, you may bring your pet in to treat for a skin problem, but you may find as a result of herbal medication, that the appetite is better, or that the stool consistency is improved.
We prescribe chinese herbals in the form of capsules, which can be given whole, or taken apart for the powder to be placed in food. The Chinese herbal formulas we carry are ordered from Dr Xie’s Jingtang Herbal in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
We find that most pets with a healthy appetite will eat the chinese herbs readily when mixed into their food, but animals with picky appetite may have to be pilled, or to have the herbal capsule mixed into a form of treat.
It varies depends on your pet’s condition and the concentration of the herbs prescribed. We may see changes within a week, but some others may take a few weeks to show a more obvious improvement. Western medication take effect within hours, but Chinese herbs work more gradually in comparison. Chronic problems are likely to take longer, such as months, to result in significant improvement.
Not at all! Chinese herbs are safe to give your pet in conjunction with most Western medication. We do ask that all Chinese herbals be given at least an hour apart from Western medication to minimize any potential for interactions. Also, some conditions maintained on Western medication (e.g. insulin for diabetes) may have to be monitored more closely once started on Chinese herbs, as body conditions change (e.g. less insulin required for diabetes over time).
The most likely side effects that may occur are diarrhea but it does not happen commonly. We advise that when you switch your pet onto a new Chinese formula, that you watch closely for any changes to appetite and stools. Any side effects that do occur disappear once the herbs are stopped, and may indicate a need for additional formulas to be added, or that the herbal formulas need to be replaced with another.
Let us help treat your pet with chronic unresolved medical ailments using natural Chinese herbs. Contact us if you are interested for us to give your pet a complete TCVM assessment.
