Protocol to Help Decrease Separation Anxiety

Dogs with separation anxiety traditionally destroy objects in the house, destroy sections of the house, or urinate, defecate, vomit, or salivate when they are left alone. The amount of time that they can be left alone without these problems can be very variable. In profound cases of separation anxiety, dogs can be left alone for no more than 10 or 15 minutes before they panic and exhibit these behaviors associated with anxiety.

In many cases of separation anxiety the inappropriate behavior is only apparent after a schedule change. For instance, the dog may be fine until 5:30 or 6:00pm, when the client is accustomed to coming home. If the client’s schedule changes and now he or she is not home until 7:30pm, the dog may start to panic at 6:00pm.

There are idiopathic changes that occur in some older dogs and, for no apparent reason, a dog that has been able to be left alone all its life can no longer be left alone.

In some cases the fear of being left alone can be associated with horrific events. Theses events include being caught in a fire, being in the house when a burglary was attempted, or being in the house when an alarm system sounded. In these situations dogs may have a worse experience than dogs for which separation anxiety develops more gradually and may benefit at the outset from stronger medications.

Dogs that are at risk for separation anxiety include those rescued from humane shelters, those rescued from laboratory situations, those rescued from the street, and those that have spent extended periods in kennels or with one older housebound person.

The following steps are designed to teach these dogs that they do not have to be fearful and that they do not have to have panic attacks when they are left alone. Remember, the dog’s separation anxiety can be extremely variable; although most dog’s respond by having a smaller space where they can feel secure, some dogs panic at being put in a crate. If the dog panics when put in an enclosed space no matter how airy the crate or what type of room, do not force the dog to be crated. This will only make the situation worse.

Step 1

The first step of this program – designed to teach dogs to not be anxious when left alone – involves teaching the dog the first tier of the behavior modification program. This program is designed to teach the dogs to “sit,” “stay,” and “relax” while the client does a variety of behaviors, some of which may be upsetting to the dog, in a benign and protected circumstance. When the dog can perform all of these behaviors perfectly for everyone in the household in each room in the house without reacting and perform them outside without reacting, the dog is then ready to start the second tier of the behavior modification programs. For the dog with separation anxiety, the second tier of behavior modification programs involves teaching the dog to be left alone for gradually increasing increments of time. Until the dog is absolutely ready for that program, it would be best if the dog were not left alone. Because some dogs react inappropriately only when one person leaves the house, it would be optimal if that individual could take the dog to work. If that is not possible, having a dog sitter in the house or putting the dog in a kennel during the day are other suggestions. If the dog must be left at home, it is best to put the dog in either a crate if it is comfortable there or in a small isolated area. This is discussed in the following step. In addition, it is critical that the animal respond to programs designed to support and encourage deferential behavior throughout the day. The “Protocol for deference: Basic Program” is designed to teach the dog that it must “sit” and “stay,” look happy and relaxed, and earn all of its attention 24 hours a day.

Remember that dogs with separation anxiety are anxious. They are not anxious only when they are left alone—they are probably anxious in a variety of contexts, and it is important to teach them to relax at any opportunity you get. The more you can make their relaxation behaviors generalize to everyday life, the better. It is critical that both programs to teach deferential behavior and the programs to teach the dogs to take all cues as to the appropriateness of their behavior are practiced minimally twice each day for 15 to 20 minutes by every member in the household. If there are several household members, each person can practice once a day, but each person must practice at least once a day. If everybody practices twice a day, the dog’s behavior will improve more quickly. The harder you work and the more intensely you work the better.

Step 2

Crate the dog or isolate it in a small room when you are not at home. Ensure that the crate and the room are puppy-proof (i.e.; no dangling cords, no uncovered electrical outlets, and no open areas of water, such as a toilet, in which a pet can drown). Make sure that the dog has a blanket or bedding, water, toys, and a biscuit. Never leave a loose collar, a Gentle Leader/Promise System Canine Head Collar, or any other head collar on a dog while it is in a crate. In fact, it is probably best to remove buckle collars while crating dogs because any dog can catch any collar on a crate and potentially strangle to death. This may be particularly true for an anxious dog that constantly moves around. Anything that can be destroyed should be removed from the room and, if necessary, acrylic plastic sheets can be placed against the walls so that if the animal becomes upset, it does not do any further damage. Once the dog starts to do damage, it is possible that this will become a self-perpetuating cycle. Never use the crate as punishment. Crates and safe rooms must be areas where the dog is content and feels secure.

Step 3

Make sure that the crate or safe room is in a brightly lit, temperature-controlled area. No dog will enjoy being thrown in a dank, dark garage just because that is the easiest place to clean up. Leave a television or radio and lights on for the dog while you are gone, and make sure that there is a signal that will tell the dog 15 to 20 minutes before you are going to return that you will be returning. You can place an additional light and a radio on a timer. If the dog can learn to respond to this through short departures over the weekend, you can use it in the behavior modification program. You can try this by setting a light and timer and coming into a room where the dog is sitting and relaxing for short periods. Every time you come in, the light should come on. Every time you leave, reset it. If you can work up to 15 or 30 minutes, you may be able to use this as a signal throughout the day that you will be coming home.

Step 4

If you are unable to get a pet sitter, you can have somebody come in to the house to visit the dog during the day. This works well particularly for dogs that can go 3 hours but not 4 hours without attention. In some cases dogs are fine when left alone in cars, but they are not fine in houses. Do not leave the dog alone in the car unless you are positive the dog will not destroy it. For some people, being able to take the dog and leaving it in the car is an option. It may not work for everybody and, until you know how the dog is going to behave, it would be inappropriate to subject the dog to an entire day in a vehicle. It is also inappropriate to subject dogs to this if you live in climates that are either too hot or too cold. Remember that when it is 80 degrees F, the inside temperature in a car often reaches 140 degrees F to 160 degrees F. Dogs can die within minutes at such temperatures.

Step 5

Regardless of how the dog behaves to timer desensitization’s set a light on a timer so that it will come on 30 minutes before you come home. This acts as a first cue for the dog.

Step 6

Some dogs behave best if they can observe the outside world. If your crate can be placed by sliding glass doors or if you have an outdoor run that is sturdily enclosed, including a roof and no one can steal or abuse the dog, some dogs do much better if they are outside. This is an option worth investigating. It is not a substitute for behavioral therapy but can be an adjuvant to it.

Step 7

Identify cues that make your dog realize that you are about to leave. These are usually cues such as putting on makeup, grabbing your briefcase, dressing in a suit, getting up at 6:00am and putting on work clothes immediately, and picking up your keys. Desensitize the dog to any of these cues. For example, pick up your keys but do not go anywhere, put on makeup and high heels on the weekend, leave for your legal practice wearing a jogging suit, use a different door than you usually do, change your pattern of things that you do before leaving. Start to water the plants before you leave instead of rushing out the door. Anything to decouple the cues the dog uses as a signal for your departure from the dog’s actual initiation of anxiety-based behaviors (these include pacing, panting, whining, pupil dilation, movements of ears, frequent solicitation of attention, hiding, and jumping up and down in solicitation of behavior) will help. If you work intently on these for several weekends, you can uncouple the cues in a relatively short time.

Step 8

Finally, most of these dogs require some form of antianxiety medication to improve. Most antianxiety medications have rather limited side effects and have tremendous benefits. After you finish the first tier of the behavior modification program, your dog will begin the second tier designed to get the animal to not react to gradual departures. At that point the need for medication can be reassessed, but starting a regimen of antianxiety medication provides real benefits at that time.

Protocol for Handling and Surviving Aggressive Events

No one wishes to be victimized by an aggressive cat or dog, but it is a sad commentary on the frequency of this event that more than 50% of all children in the United States 11 years of age and younger have been bitten by a cat or dog. Understanding which canine and feline behaviors indicate a potentially aggressive response and knowing how not to provoke an aggressive response can help people avoid attacks by animals. If the person behaves cautiously and appropriately, even if the attack cannot be avoided, damage from the attack can be minimized.

Most serious bites to people that occur in the United States and Europe involve dogs; therefore this protocol focuses primarily on avoiding dog bites, but the information can also be adapted to avoiding injury by cats.

The Unknown or Unfamiliar Dog

Dogs that are unknown to individuals pose a different set of problems when considering the potential to be bitten than do familiar dogs. Most dogs that bite people in public places or in their communities are not strays – they are owned by someone and may be a good pet for them, but they are loose and free ranging. Some general information about the behavior of free-ranging dogs can help people avoid being bitten.

1. Dogs in groups may be more confident and more reactive than are single dogs.
2. Single dogs may be more wary but may still bite if cornered.
3. Dogs become bolder and more confident if close to their home turf. Unfortunately, if the dog is unknown to the person, knowing where the dog’s home turf is can be difficult.
4. Dogs view stares as threats.
5. Dogs will chase individuals who are running away from them in one of two ways: as they would chase an intruder or as they would chase prey. In both cases four-footed animals with large shearing teeth have all the advantages.
6. Children who shriek are far more liable to elicit active pursuit than those who are quiet.
7. Throwing stones, sticks, or any item or aggressively waving your arms at a dog that is aggressively pursuing you is far more likely to intensify the dog’s aggression than it is to mollify the dog.
8. Young children and older people are more at risk for serious injury than are young adults. Individuals in both of these age groups are less likely to be able to successfully retreat from and fend off an attack because they may not be able to move in a coordinated manner or because they cannot anticipate the event. In fact, the mortality rate for people in these groups is much higher than for adults.
9. Although it is inappropriate and incorrect to say that certain breeds are more aggressive than others, larger breeds do more damage when they attack. The greater the size or person mismatch, the more damage that will be done. If the person attacked is a child, the chance of serious and often fatal injury increases dramatically.

With these points in mind, children should be encouraged to not play with unfamiliar dogs. Under no circumstances should children play with dogs that are not theirs unless they are supervised by a sentient adult. This advice is as much for the dog’s protection as it is for the child’s. Both children and dogs can be unpredictable, and the interaction can occasionally be toxic. Many dogs only respond aggressively to a child after an extended period of abuse, but the dog will never get the benefit of the doubt. People should protect their dogs and their children.

If an unfamiliar or at-large dog approaches a child in a public place, the child should tell an adult immediately and the adult should tell someone responsible for the maintenance of the open space. If the dog is clearly friendly and solicitous, the adult may make the decision to take the dog home, but any dog that is exhibiting any wariness or threat should be avoided at all costs.

Threat postures in dogs include wide-legged stances with lowered heads, growling and baring of teeth, pupil dilation and staring, and piloerection. Dogs that wag their tails are only indicating their willingness to interact: they are not communicating that they are friendly. People should remember that interactions can be good or bad.

If a person is approached by a worrisome dog, he or she should take the following actions:

• Avoid staring at the dog; instead look at the dog obliquely out of the corner of the eye.
• Back up slowly, ensuring not to trip over anything.
• Keep arms and legs to the side – do not flail arms or make sudden bolting movements.
• Talk calmly and soothingly to the dog in a low voice if this seems to calm the dog; if the dog intensifies its growl, clearly this is not a good idea.
• Hold oneself as tall as possible.
• Move as directly as possible to a safe area – inside a building or car, behind a truck, and so on. This is the same advice that is given in wilderness situations for handling the approach of mountain lions, bears, or wolves. It is good advice.

Do not assume that because the dog stands still that you should start to run. You can only run if you can get inside a building in a few steps. Running triggers a chase response in a dog, and you have to turn your back to run – do not do it.

Once you are away from the dog, call for help and wait until it comes.

Practice the previously mentioned techniques with children. Furthermore, teach children that if the dog is jumping at them, they should fall directly and silently to the ground, curl up in a ball, and cover their head with their hands and arms. Kids should be taught to look like armadillos when threatened by advancing, threatening dogs. This is also good advice for anyone who accidentally trips during the process of getting away from a dog.

Finally, if the dog makes contact with you, stay calm, stay silent, and do not get into a tug of war over any of your body parts. This last piece of advice is difficult to enact, but it is important. In situations involving actual bites from dogs, the majority of the damage is done when a person tries to pull an arm or afflicted area from the dog’s mouth. The dog’s innate response is to tighten its hold with its jaws and to shake the victim. These last two behaviors are the prime culprits in profound attacks that result in debility and death. Be calm; once the dog releases its grip, follow the previously mentioned steps and try to get away.

If children are grabbed by dogs, do not struggle with the dog for the child – the child will be further injured. Instead, look for something to throw over (a blanket) or at (a bucket of water) the dog to stop the behavior. Be calm and quiet. Encourage the child to be quiet and to go limp. Try to distract the dog. If you are successful with this advice the outcome may still be awful, but it will always be much worse if you get into a physical contest with the dog.

Known Dogs

Known dogs, in this context, are defined as dogs that are known to have a problem aggression and may pose a risk to the people who live with them. The first step in the treatment of any canine or feline aggression is for the clients to avoid any circumstances that are known to be associated with aggression. This means that clients are responsible for protecting children and unsuspecting friends from their dog. If safety requires that the dog be banished when people come to visit, the dog is banished. Clients will feel more guilty if their dog mauls a child than if the dog spends the day in the bedroom. If the visiting children are going to run free, the bedroom in which the dog is enclosed must be locked. Remember, kids can be unpredictable.

In the absence of any other information, clients should assume that if their dog has a problem aggression that they cannot take a chance with that aggression and with people whom the dog does not know. Dogs become more reactive when people are excited, and problem dogs, in particular, become more reactive in unfamiliar, noisy circumstances. A little common sense and discipline can save a lot of heartbreak.

Clients must protect themselves from their pet’s aggression by learning to give the pet cues that encourage appropriate behavior and separate cues that tell the pet that it will be ignored by the client rather than being rewarded with interaction. This means that clients must change their own behavior to change the pet’s behavior. Although it is true that the clients invariably did not cause the pet’s problem, they have the responsibility for fixing it.

If clients know that the dog is more aggressive when it is allowed to sleep on their bed, the dog is no longer allowed to sleep on their bed unless the clients can ask the dog to get off the bed and lie down, and the dog complies willingly. If not, the dog cannot be in the bedroom with them because they will always be at risk.

If clients know that the dog growls every time clients groom or pet the dog, clients must avoid grooming or petting until the dog can lie down and relax for this. Use of a Gentle Leader head collar can hasten this response and render the dog safe. Under no circumstances must clients ever believe that they have put their own safety at risk to make progress in changing their pet’s behavior. This is absolutely wrong.

Clients should remember that dogs read body language much better than people and will pick up on any uncertainty. Whether they can smell “fear” is unimportant; they will take advantage of any pause of uncertainty in the clients’ behavior to take control of the situation and exhibit aggression. If clients cannot be calm, confident, and patient when working with the dog, they have a low probability of changing the dog’s behavior.

Clients also need to remember that every time that a dog or cat with a problem behavior is allowed to exhibit that behavior, it is reinforced. The pet learns how to do the behavior better with exposure, experience, and repetition. Avoidance is the key.

If clients take all precautions and the dog still threatens them, the clients should back away in the manner described previously for unknown dogs. Clients whose dogs have known aggression problems have an advantage over the situation above – they are able to keep devices like blankets, water pistols, air horns, and spray canisters on their person or in the room where they interact with the dog so that they can distract the dog or protect themselves should the dog intensify its aggression.

If clients give the dog a command to sit, whether part of a behavior modification program or not, and the dog begins to growl or otherwise become aggressive, they should gently try to get the dog to relax using a verbal command. If this does not work, the clients should release the dog (not reward it) and slowly back away. It is far better to ignore the dog than to struggle to “win” or “dominate” the dog. Clients invariably succeed at doing neither but instead teach the dog more about the clients’ fears and the extent to which the dog can manipulate them.

Even if the clients must repeatedly avoid the dog, this is preferable to physically contesting the dog. If clients are consistent, the dog will ultimately approach and be willing to exhibit deferential behaviors in exchange for the clients’ requests. In extreme cases this can take days. It sounds hard-hearted, but the dog will not starve to death. However, in these extreme cases, if clients are overly sympathetic for the dog, the dog will manipulate them and the behavior modification process will backslide.

If the dog continues to threaten the clients and avoidance does not elicit deference, the clients should orchestrate the situation so that the dog is behind a closed door or in a safely fenced area. Sometimes just letting the dog into a backyard can interrupt the aggression and the clients can begin the modification process again. Keep the dog behind a barrier for as long as is necessary for the dog to calm down.

Clients feel guilty and sympathetic to the dog and try to interact with it before the animal can rationally learn anything from the interaction. Such responses usually intensify the aggression. The longer it takes the dog to calm down, the worse the prognosis (i.e., if the dog was snarling yesterday and 20 hours later still cannot be approached for feeding, clients may wish to question their success in reliably changing this behavior into a safe and loving one).

If the dog bites the client, the client should freeze and not struggle with the dog. Do not get into a struggle over body parts. Go limp, look away, become small and quiet, and slowly retreat at the first opportunity.

Client anger and a sense of disappointment and betrayal are normal, but dogs with problem aggression cannot respond rationally to those feelings. Clients should remove themselves from the situation as quickly as possible. Leave the dog alone to be quiet.

Clients should not punish the dog physically, no matter how angry or hurt they are – this will only make matters worse. The client should seek any required medical care and then calmly approach the dog using the deference and relaxation measures that the dog has been taught.

If the client is either too fearful or too physically or emotionally injured to do this or no longer wants to work with the dog after such an event, the prognosis is poor. Clients should never feel forced to work with a dog that terrifies or endangers them. They may feel sad about their decision to euthanize the dog (or in some cases place it in another home, if this is possible), but there is no reason to feel guilty if the clients behaved as previously mentioned.

Clients who feel guilty are the ones who were unable to act in the safe, rational manner discussed here, and who, inadvertently and unintentionally, encouraged their dog’s inappropriate behaviors.

BOW BOTTOM VETERINARY HOSPITAL

TRADITIONAL CHINESE VETERINARY MEDICINE DAMPNESS

Dampness is a pathologic condition.

Signs of Dampness can include:

Often these symptoms become more severe during humid weather conditions.

Dampness can lead to Phlegm formation especially if Heat is present. Think of Phlegm as a pot of soup that has been boiled too long without a lid. Signs of Phlegm include lavender tongue and slippery pulse.

Foods to avoid in animals with Phlegm include:

Peanuts and peanut butter, dairy products, banana, processed sugars

Foods recommended for animals with Dampness include:

Aduki Bean, Alfalfa, Anchovy, Radish, Rye, Barley, Celery, Corn, Jasmine Tea, Garlic (small amounts), Kidney Bean, Kohlrabi, Lemon, Mackerel, Mushroom (button), Parsley, Turnip, Pumpkin

Foods recommended for animals with Water drainage problems (edema) include:

Aduki Bean, Alfalfa, Seaweed, Sardine, Anchovy, Barley, Black Soybean, Peas, Broad Bean,

Celery, Mung Bean, Clam, Mackerel, Kelp, Lettuce

Dr. Julie Schell BSc(Hons), DVM, CVA, ACVCHM, CVC

These are healthy and safe and fun food and treat options for dogs and cats:

• Carrots, apples without the seeds, blueberries, strawberries, celery, pumpkin, celery, cucumbers.
• Zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe, cherries without the pit, pineapple, honeydew melon, peach/nectarine without the pit;
• Oatmeal mixed with bananas, and peanut butter inside of a rubber dog toy that can be frozen

Vegetables in an ice cube tray that can be frozen and then given.
Asparagus, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, banana.

(Please note that some pets prefer vegetables and fruits that are cooked rather than raw.)

These are food items that should be avoided as they are dangerous for dogs and cats:

• Onions, either cooked or raw
• Avocados
• Grapes and Raisins
• Green potatoes
• Macadamia nuts
• Walnuts
• Chocolate
• Coffee, especially coffee, beans, and coffee grinds
• Mango pits
• Corn on the cob as many dogs will eat the cob and it is very indigestible
• Garlic Cloves
• Chives
• Scallions
• Raw meats
• Raw eggs
• Artificially sweetened foods such as chewing gum with Aspartame or Xylitol
• Alcoholic beverages or foods such as rumballs, whiskey cake, plum pudding, etc

If you are unsure if a food is safe, please call us to inquire at 403 278 1984 or email us at welcome@bowbottomvet.com

Dr. Julie Schell BSc(Hons), DVM, CVA, ACVCHM, CVC
For dogs who are nervous of nail trimming can be comforted and desensitized so that it no longer becomes a frightening event.

Check out this Desensitization Protocol and try it out on your dog!  We can also help them through it by arranging sessions in our daycare to perform this protocol.

1. Find treats that your dogs love and devote them only for this protocol. Examples include Max & Mollys’ or Crumps freeze dried or dehydrated liver; or delicious cheese such as Laughing Cow or hard cheese such as small pieces of parmesan or feta. Break the treats into very small pieces—ideally 0.5cm or less.  Remember- dogs have a very keen sense of smell and will notice the smallest crumb.

Small pieces prevent the dog from eating too much or from becoming full or bored of the treat too quickly.

2. Lay down a soft blanket for your dog on the floor or couch.  Place a few treats on the blanket to attract the dog. Bring the nail trimmer into the room and lay it down beside the blanket with treats beside it.  Let your dog eat the treats beside the nail trimmer.
3. Hold the nail trimmers in 1 hand while giving treats with your other hand. Do this 10 times.
4. With one hand, click the nail trimmer in the air, then say “Yes!” and immediately after give your dog a treat. Click, “Yes”!, treat.  Click, “Yes”!, treat.  Repeat this 10 times.  Think of the nail trimmer as a “Clicker Trainer” such that each time the dog hears the sound of the nail trimmer, he or she receives a treat.  Like the Pavlovian Bell ringing, the dog will expect a treat.
5. Then, maybe the next day, if your dog has had enough, repeat the previous steps, then go on to step 6.
6. Bring the nail trimmer close to your dog’s foot, then say “Yes”! and give a great. Do this 10 times.
7. Bring the nail trimmer close to your dog’s foot, touch his foot with the nail trimmer, then say “Yes”! and give a great. Do this 10 times.
8. Praise your dog for being a great puppy! The next day go on to step 9.
9. Repeat all of the above steps, then touch the nail trimmer to your dog’s foot, then click it (but do not trim the claw yet). Then say “Yes”! and give your dog a treat.  Repeat this 20 times.
10. Praise your dog for being a great puppy! The next day, go on to step 11.
11. Repeat all of the above steps, then try to trim a very, very small amount of one nail of one paw. Then say “Yes”! and give your dog a treat.  Repeat this 10 times.
12. Praise your dog for being a great puppy! The next day, go on to step 13.
13. Repeat all of the above steps, then try to trim a small, but not as small as the previous day’s amount of one nail of one paw from a different foot. Then say “Yes”! and give your dog a treat. Repeat this 10 times.
14. Praise your dog for being a great puppy! The next day, go on to step 15.
15. Repeat all of the above steps, then try to trim a small, but not as small as the previous day’s amount of one nail of one paw from a different foot. Then say “Yes”! and give your dog a treat. Repeat this 10 times.
16. Praise your dog for being a great puppy! The next day, work on a different foot and claw.
17. Calmly and patiently work your way== it may take a few weeks or months of desensitization, but eventually it will work with almost all dogs.

Remember to be patient, give tasty treats and reward with lots of love. Your dog will appreciate this care and attention, and some dogs learn to even think of it as a fun game!

Pro Tip:  You can further calm your dogs during this process by applying diluted calming essential oils, Mellow’s herb chews, Advanced Calm milk before hand and playing calm, classic music during the procedure.

Please let us know if you have any questions  403 279 2984    www.bowbottomvet.com    welcome@bowbottomvet.com

Check out our article on how to decrease anxiety in pets: https://www.bowbottomvet.com/2015/10/13/2178/

The Heart and the Kidney are engaged in a mutually supportive and controlling relationship.  Rising Yin of the Kidney cools and restrains the Heart Yang, allowing it to be reigned in to where it can descend and warm the Kidney.  Descending Heart Yang warms the Kidneys, preventing them from becoming too Yin, and providing the heat from which Kidney Yin is steamed up to the Heart.  Incontinence may arise when the integrity of this relationship is threatened.  Sometimes the cause of the break down in communication and exchange between the Heart and Kidneys is a Phlegm obstruction in the Triple Heater.  Sometimes, however, it is merely due to a slight decline in Kidney Yin that allows the Heart Yang to flare.

Symptoms of a Heart Kidney disconnect include hyper-excitability, nervousness or exuberance.  The hallmark of the condition is incontinence during sleep, when any conscious control of urination (ie.conscious descent of Heart Yang to the Kidneys) is lost, leading to passive urine leakage.  Hormonally responsive urinary incontinence is pathognomonic for this type of pathology, since an obvious response to Yin tonics such as stilbestrol clearly signal a Yin deficiency as the cause.  The only other sign of Kidney deficiency is often just an aggravation of the incontinence during sleep by a preceding period of heavy exercise.

The goal of the treatment in Heart Kidney disconnection is the descent of Heart Yang to where it can engage with Kidney Yin.  Points with that effect are concentrated on the Governing Vessel and include GV 20, GV 14, BL 15, GV 3 and GV 1.  The herbal formula used to treat the condition is either HRUI Combination Formula (it contains White Peony Root, Fossilized bone, Panax Ginseng Root, Poria Sclerotium, Acorus Rhizome, Polygala Root, Oyster Shell, and Chinese Angelica Root.

Another option, which is no longer allowed in Canada due to the fact that it has Mantis Egg Casing is called Sang Piao Xiao San (Mantis Egg-Casing Powder):

Sang Piao Xiao                       Mantis Egg-Casing

Long Gu                                  Fossilized bone (Tortoise Shell)

Ren Shen                                 Panax Ginseng

Fu Ling                                   Poria

Shi Chang Pu                          Acorus

Yuan Zhi                                 Polygala

Mu Li                                      Oyster Shell

Dang Gui Shen                       Chinese Angelica

These formulas makes heavy use of calcium rich ingredients, including bone and oyster shell.  Likewise, calcium can be increased in the diet of animals with this condition to help descend Heart Yang down to meet Kidney Yin.

Fu Ling helps to calm the Heart as well, allowing it to focus on the Kidney Yin.  It also is a mild diuretic, helping to consolidate urine into one stream during voiding.  Acorus increases mental alertness while Yuan Zhi reinforces the link between the Heart and Kidneys.  Angelica nourishes Heart Blood to help anchor the Shen while Ren Shen tonifies the Heart Qi and bodily Yin while calming the Shen.

*Notes by Dr. Steve Marsden  DVM, ND, MSOM, LAc, Dipl.CH., RH(AGH)