The Heart in TVCM is known as the Monarch of the Zang Fu organs as it is the most important one. It Dominates Blood and the vessels, it houses Shen, controls sweats, and opens into the tongue. Qi flow through the Heart is at its maximum between 11 am and 1 pm. The Heart is associated with Fire and is a Zang or solid organ which belongs to Yin. As the Heart belongs to the Fire element and Yang is typically Excessive which can cause damage to Yin causing a Yin Deficiency in Fire types.

Characteristic of Fire (Heart element)

• Summer
• Heat
• Redness/Red
• South
• Bitter
• Joy/Laughter
• Growth
• Heart, Pericardium, Small Intestine, Triple Heater
• Tongue (the tip) and Speech
• Blood vessels, Circulation, and Complexion
• Sweat, Scorched Body Odor, Walking which Creates Sweat
• Mania and Depression

The Jing of the Heart opens the tongue for speech through the connection of the tongue to Heart via the Interior portion of the Heart Meridian. This causes the Heart to control the appearance of tongue.  Fright is associated with Jing and disturbs the Shen. When Shen is out of control it causes panic, mental disorders, insomnia, and palpitation.

Shen as mentioned previously is housed in the Heart. The Shen is reflected in the outward appearance of the whole body, it provides inner peace, as well as maintains mental activities, memory and sleep. The disruption of Shen many times is caused by Heart Blood Deficiency which may be accompanied with Yin Deficiency or by Excessive Fire. The emotion Joy when in excess can cause Shen to escape the Heart causing mental disorder or the inability to focus. Joy helps the Qi Flow to be smooth and slow which promotes longevity. Both Fright and Joy can also disrupt Qi. 

Heart Qi is the propelling force of Blood which flows in the vessels, which is why Heart dominates the Blood and vessels. When Gu Qi and Qing Qi gather within the chest it promotes the circulatory function of the Heart. The function of Qi is important because without Qi and the movement of Qi the vital functions of the animal’s body will stop. Qi influences all parts of the body and circulation to every system. Having an abundant Qi provides good health and Deficiency of Qi causes diseases. Qi has six functions: transforming, transporting, holding, raising, protecting and warming. Yang Qi or just Yang provides the function of warming along with the functions of Qi. Heart Yang warms the entire cardiovascular system.

When there is Heart Qi Deficiency it could lead to Blood Stagnation or Blood Deficiency. Just as Blood Deficiency can lead to Qi deficiency. This is caused by the relationship between the Heart and Lung. Heart rules Blood while Lung governs Qi, as Qi moves the Blood, Blood then carries Qi. Thus, Qi from the Lung is required to move Blood of the Heart.

Blood Deficiency can be due to Heart Blood Deficiency to Liver Blood Deficiency, and visa versa. The relationship between Heart and Liver is the reason for this. Blood is stored and regulated by Liver. Those with both Heart and Liver Blood Deficiency is called global Blood Deficiency. When the Shen stored in the Heart is disturbed by stress it can cause Liver Qi stagnation as Liver dominates the free and healthy flow Qi and emotions.

The final relationship is between the Heart and Kidney which brings Heart and Heat to full circle. Heart which is the Fire element is the opposite of Kidney which is the Water element. The Heart and Kidney function with a Yin and Yang balance. They support and control each other, providing a cooling and warming system. When the cooling system isn’t function, it causes the Heart Fire to easily become Excessive and it transfer into Pathogenic Heat. If there is no warming system, the Kidney Water becomes Pathogenic Cold.

Imbalance of Yin and Yang causes four types of pathological states, two of which are associated with Heat. Fire and Heat have the similar properties. Fire is extreme Heat while Heat is mild Fire, and both are a Yang pathogenic factors. When Yin is at a normal level, but Yang is elevated it causes Excess Heat/True Heat or Yang Excess. It is caused by the Yin’s inability to counteract the warming properties of Yang. The treatment is to clear Heat or sedate Yang in order to bring Yang’s level back to normal. When Yin is low, and Yang is normal this is known as Yin Deficiency of Deficient Heat/False Heat. In this case Yin is unable to balance Yang’s warming properties. The treatment is nourishing Yin. Having Yin and Yang in balance can prevent diseases.

Hypothetical Case

Species: Canine 
Breed: Doberman Pinscher
Age: 6 years
Gender: N

Clinical Diagnosis (conventional): Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Conventional Indications: Diagnosed 1 week ago with Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Stage III (signs of congestive heart failure).  The patients echo reveals excessive premature ventricular contractions, some in triplets with periods of tachycardia. There is coughing and on original presentation 1 week ago radiographic evidence of pulmonary edema. Patient is receiving pimobendan, enalapril, furosemide and sotalol.
Traditional Indications: Cough, fatigue, exercise intolerance, inappetence (mild), cool limbs and ears, with some warm seeking.  Patient is slightly anxious.  At present there is not an increased respiratory effort. There is some rear limb weakness.
Tongue: Purple
Pulse: Irregularly irregular, Choppy, weaker on the right.
Diagnosis: Heart Blood Stagnation with Kidney Yang Deficiency

Treatment:

• Move Blood
• Stabilize rhythm
• Tonify Kidney Yang, Heart Qi

Acupoints: PC-6, HT-7, KID-3, KID-7, ST-36*, BL-14, BL-15, BL-17, BL-18, BL-23*, GV-14*, Bai-hui*, Shen-shu*, CV-17, CV-14

*moxa acceptable

Chinese Herbal Medicines:

• Compound Dan Shen 0.5g per 10 lbs of body weight PO BID
• Concentrated Zhen Wu Tang 0.5g per 20 lbs of body weight PO BID
  
  
  

Species: Equine
Breed: Holsteiner
Age: 7
Gender: Mare
Conventional Indications: inconsistent performance in advanced dressage competitions recently, more flighty and easily frightened, difficulties focusing and staying on task, owner moved horse to new barn for training
Traditional  Indications: fire constitution, pulses urgent, weaker on the left, tongue tip red and dry
Diagnosis: Heart Yin Deficiency
Treatment: Increase pasture time to allow relaxation, Shen Calmer herbal formula for the duration of training, acupuncture weekly including following points: GV-20, GB-21, HT-7, PC-6, Bai Hui.

Edited by Greg Todd, DVM, CVA and Alex Kintz-Konegger, DVM, CVA, CVTP. Hypotherical Case by Greg Todd, DVM, CVA and Alex Kintz-Konegger, DVM, CVA, CVTP. 

To view Issue 43 of the WATCVM Newsletter in its entirety, please click here.

East or West: What Works Best for Ear Problems?
Mitchell McKee, DVM, MS-TCVM (Tennessee, USA)

Acupuncture & Herbal Therapy to treat Focal Epileptic Seizures in Dogs 
Daniela Otto, DVM (Saarland, Germany)

Call for Abstracts: 2021 Conference

2020 Board of Directors Meeting
New WATCVM President, Dr. Roselle Hartwigsen (South Africa)

Chinese Herbal and Food Therapies to resolve Early Spleen Qi Deficiency to Weight Loss and Colitis (in a dog)
Jessica E Downing, DVM, CVA, CVFT (New York, USA)

2020 Research Grant Awardees

2020 has been a trying year for many people around the world. As we look back on 2020 despite everything WATCVM was able to have some highlighting moments.

We congratulate our 2020 Grant Research Awardees Dr. Jacquelyn Olson (Efficacy of Two Topical Chinese Herbals and a Conventional Therapy in Virto Against Bacteria Cultured from the Ears of Canine Otitis Externa Cases) and Dr. Lyndy Soboleski (Effect of Electroacupuncture on PRP Concentration in Horses using Acupoints SO-10 and GB-39) and look forward to seeing their progress during 2021.

Our 2020 Board of Director’s meeting went off without a hitch and we welcome our newest President Dr. Roselle Hartwigsen from South Africa and we thank Dr. Ferdinand Nissen from Germany for his years as President. We also welcomed four new Board Members: Dr. Kai Fan from China, Dr. Janice Huntingford from Canada, Dr. Kendra Pope from USA, and Dr. Mizuho Uchida from Japan. It was also a delight to had representatives from all over the world attending both in person and virtually: Japan, China, USA, Iran, Ireland, Canada, Slovenia, Austria, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, West Indies, and Singapore.

After much rearranging and lots of hard work from Chi University we were able to hold the Annual International Conference of TCVM who’s main theme was on Gastrointestinal & Hepatobiliary Diseases. With the new virtual and in-person set up we had nearly 200 attendees from around the world.

Congratulations to the awardees for their outstanding contributions to TCVM and to the Conference.

Ma Shi Haung Awardee

Judy Saik, DVM, CVA, CVFT, CVCH

Outstanding Contributor Awardees

 Ashley Geoghegan, DVM, CVA, CVFT, CVCH

Harvey Ramirez, DVM, CVA

Suzanne Brannan, DVM, CVA

Larry McCaskill, DVM, CVA, CVFT, CVCH, CVTP, CTCVMP

Excellent Speaker Awardees

Michelle Tilghman, DVM, CVA

Donna Hein, DVM, CVA, CVFT, CVTP, CVCH, CTCVMP, CVMMP

Mistie Vargas, DVM, CVA, CVFT, CVPT, CVCH, CTCVMP, CVMMP, CVBMA, MSTCVM

Silvia de Valle, DVM, CVA, CVTP

Suzan Seelye, DVM, CVA, CVTP

Also in 2020, we celebrated the first ever World TCVM Day on November 11^th in honor of Professor Yu Chuan’s great contribution to TCVM as well as all the TCVM practitioners of today and yesterday. Dr. Yu was a pioneer of modern TCVM in China and was responsible for the establishment of the undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree for TCVM in 1958, and the Master’s of Science training program in TCVM in 1979 at the Beijing Agriculture University. He was the editor in chief of the first textbooks and monographs on TCVM and Chinese veterinary acupuncture in 20th century.

Dr. Yu Chuan was born in San-yuan, Shaanxi  in November of 1924. He loved nature and animals. When he grew up, he went to the Army Veterinary Medical School and graduated in 1946 and taught at the Agricultural College of North China University from 1948 to 1950. Dr. Yu Chuan then joined the faculty at Beijing Agricultural University currently renamed as China Agricultural University, in 1950 and became a full tenured professor, serving in that capacity until his death in November of 2005.  
To read more about Dr. Yu click here for the WATCVM Newsletter Article.

Now it is time to say hello to 2021, year of the Metal Ox. The year of the Metal Ox is said to be lucky and a good time to focus on relationship both friendship and love. It is a year of economy stability and a year where Yin energy will be strong and where responsibilities will weigh heavily, and one’s must be strong and disciplined. This is the year where problems are said to be solved.  We wish to best to everyone in this new year and look forward to what 2021 has in store.

A Message from Dr. Roselle Hartwigsen, South Africa, WATCVM President

Bio: Dr. Roselle Hartwigsen qualified as veterinarian from the University of Pretoria in 2011. Thereafter she was certified as a Veterinary Acupuncturist in 2013 from the Chi Institute Europe. She spent the next couple of years working in private practice, integrating complementary medicine especially acupuncture when treating patients. Her clients are found in South Africa, Botswana and Dubai. In 2016 she spent a year treating horses exclusively and bringing veterinary acupuncture to the horse racing industry in Gauteng.  Dr. Roselle has a passion for integrating complementary veterinary medicine into daily veterinary care in South Africa.  One way she tries to achieve this is by education veterinarians through the Complementary Veterinary Medicine Group of South Africa (CVMG), and the Chi University (formerly Chi Institute).

December makes most of us think about snow and hot chocolate. The days grow shorter and the nights longer as winter starts to get settled in. The winter season is associated with Cold in TCVM and the element Water.

There are three important characteristics of Cold. 1) Cold can interrupt the balance between Yin and Yang by damaging Yang Qi. When this happens the body’s abilities to regulate temperature becomes affected. 2) Cold can also impair body functions by causing the body structures to close such as pores on the skin or tightening of muscles and tissues. The old adage is “Cold contracts”. 3) Pain is caused by Cold creating Stagnation in the flow of Qi. Pathological Cold invades the body when exposed to a cold environment for a long period of time or there is an overconsumption of Cold foods, drugs or herbal medicines.

Cold is a Yin Pathogen. Pathogens with a Yin nature tend to damage the Yang.  This tends to result in Yang Deficiency. This is caused by the consumption of Yang and Qi from the constant Excessive Cold. If Cold blocks the Qi Flow then this leads to Qi Stagnation which soon after can lead to Blood Stagnation.

Deficient Cold comes from the Interior and is caused by Yang Deficiency. Due to long exposure from External Cold or a concurrent disease it may result in the Yang becomes depleted.

Cold Excess Patterns

1. Cold attack of the Middle Jiao
2. Wind Cold
3. Cold in the Channels

Cold Deficiency Pathogens

1. Kidney Yang Deficiency
2. Spleen Yang Deficiency

Hypothetical Case
Species:  Equine, Quarter Horse Gelding (pasture kept)
Age: 14
Gender:  M
Ear and body temperature: Cold
Tongue:  Pale purple
Pulse: Deep and slow
Clinical Signs: Acute colic, spasmotic with a the first cold snap, acute abdominal pain, increased bororygmi, restless
TCVM Pattern: Stomach Cold
Treatment Options:
Acupuncture: ST-36, ST-42, SP-4, BL-20+ BL-20, BL-21+BL-21, TH-1, CV-12, Jiang-ya, Er-ding, Bai-hui (Moxa), GV-4 (moxa)
Herbal Formula: Ju Pi San: Dose: up to 150g PO BID. Equine GI formula (after colic resolves up to 6 months as needed) 15g PO BID
Foods to Supplement: oats, citrus, olive oil
Foods to Avoid: grass hay, barley, wheat.

Hypothetical Case
Species:  Canine, Austrialian Shepard
Age: 12
Gender:  N
Tongue:  Pale and wet
Pulse: Weak, Right weaker than Left
Clinical Signs:  Diarrhea every morning, Fatigue, Ears three fingers cold, Some weakness in the rear limbs
TCVM Pattern: Spleen/Kidney Yang Deficiency, Diarrhea
Treatment Options:
Acupuncture:  ST-36, (MOXA), BL-20, BL-23, BAI-HUI, GV-4, GV-3 (MOXA), GV-1, KID-3, KID-7
Herbal Formula: Four Immortals / 0.5g per 10lbs twice daily.
Food Therapy:  chicken, white rice, sweet potato, ginger, pumpkin

Edited by Greg Todd, DVM, CVA. Hypothetical Cases by Greg Todd, DVM, CVA

It’s the fall season and as the leaves change colors and the air gets cooler and crisps, we think about certain foods. Pumpkin, squash, apples for example are fall favorites. Food therapy is one of the four branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM). With food therapy veterinarians can plan meals for a patient’s condition and constitution, to support the patient as a whole and assist with restoring balance.

Food is broken into five different temperatures and five different tastes or flavors: Cold, Cool, Neutral, Warm, and Hot. Cold foods purge Heat and Fire and cool Blood. Cool foods relieve Heat, restore Toxin, and nourish Yin. Neutral foods mediate Cold, Cool, Hot, and Warm herbs. Warm foods disperse Cold and tonifies Qi-Yang. Hot foods tonifies Yang-Qi and activates the Channels.

There are also five flavors or tastes:  Sour, Bitter, Sweet, Pungent, and Salty. Sour has an astringent effect and promotes the Liver and Spleen. Bitter purges the intestines and Eliminates Heat-Damp. Sweet regulates Qi-Blood, soothe the Liver, tonifies Qi or Yang, and nourishes Blood or Yin. Pungent activates Qi and Blood, and diaphoresis. Salty softens hardness and purges the intestines.

TCVM Fall Foods:

Pumpkin
Enters Channels: Spleen and Stomach
Temperature: Warm 
Flavors: slightly bitter and sweet
Functions: It clears Toxin, stops pain, supplements the center, tonifies Qi, and transforms Dampness, reinforces middle burner, replenish Qi, transforms phlegm

Apple
Enters Channels: Lung, Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestines, and Liver
Temperature: Neutral
Flavors: Sweet to sour
Functions: Tonifies Yin, promotes digestion, moisten Lungs, generates fluid

Oats
Enters Channels: Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine
Temperature: Warm
Flavors: Sweet
                                         Functions: Tonify Qi and Yang

Sweet Potato
Enters Channels: Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine, and Kidney 
Temperature: Neutral to warm (red sweet potato is warm)
Flavors: Sweet
Functions: Tonify Spleen and Stomach Qi, promotes peristalsis, removes toxin

HYPOTHETICAL CASE WITH FOOD THERAPY TREATMENT OPTIO

Species:  Canine, whippet
Age: 12
Gender:  FS
Tongue:  pale, pink, moist
Pulse: deep, weaker on right
Clinical Signs: diarrhea, non odorous, early in the morning, more frequently happening now that the weather is getting cooler, warm seeking - wants to be under blankets, shivers
TCVM Pattern: Spleen Qi Deficiency
Treatment Options: acupuncture including BL-20, BL-21, ST-36, GV-1
Herbal Formula: Shen Ling Bai Zhu to strengthen Spleen Qi
Food Therapy: beef and sweet potato stew, topped with apple sauce

Edited by Alex Kintz-Konegger, DVM, CVA, CVTP. Hypothetical Cases by Alex Kintz-Konegger, DVM, CVA, CVTP