Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine
Introduction to Chinese Medicine Theory
TCM as a Metaphor
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Evidence of Acupuncture tools as early as
8,000 years ago
1st definitive evidence of Veterinary
Acupuncture ~450 B.C.
Taboo to look in body
What we say organ does in TCM may be
different then what know in western
medicine.
Western vs. Eastern Goals
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Western Medicine – treat underlying insult
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Particularly apt at treating acute illness,
emergencies or surgical presentation
Eastern Medicine – Treat the whole and
try to bring body back to balance
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Particularly helpful in chronic disease
processes
Qi
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Energy, Vital Force, Life Source, Vital Breath
All essential life activities involved
 Spirtual, emotional, mental & physical
Obi Wan & the Force
If flow of Qi insufficient, unbalanced or
interrupted results in illness
Different type of Qi including Source, Food,
air
Qi
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Travels through meridans or energy pathways
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14 main meridians: 12 organ pairs and 2 unpaired
Extraordinary meridians
Acupuncture (AP) points – where meridians
come to surface
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Includes free nerve endings, arterioles, veins,
lymphatics, mast cells
Activation results in increased blood flow, change in
immune response, relaxes muscles and tissue, alter
pain pathway, nerve transmission, hormones, neuro
transmitters.
Zang Fu/Yang Yin Organ Pairs
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12 meridians paired as Husband/Wife or Yang/Yin
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Yang: male, summer, light, day, external, dry, hot, acute, hollow
Yin: female, winter, dark, night, internal, wet, cold, chornic, solid
Everything has opposite
Opposites control each other
Mutually create each other
Can transform into each other
Zang Fu organ pairs
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ZANG:
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Yin
Interior
Wife
Solid
Manufacture and store
essential substances
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Qi, Blood, Body Fluid
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FU:
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Yang
Exterior
Husband
Hollow
Receive and Digest Food
Waste transport and
excretion
Zang Fu Organ Pairs
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Lung
Spleen
Heart
Pericardium
Liver
Kidney
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Large Intestine
Stomach
Small Intestine
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Triple Heater/San Jiao
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Gall Bladder
Bladder (Urinary)
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Lung:
Governs Qi &
Respiration
Dominates
Ascending &
Descending
Control the
Body Surface
Opens in the
Nose
Large
Intestine:
-Receive waste
from SI
-Reabsorb
fluids
-Excrete waste
Stomach:
-Receive Food
-Rot and Ripen
-Origin of Qi and
Blood with
Spleen via Food
energy
Spleen:
Governs
Transportation
&
Transformation
Controls Blood
Dominates the
Muscles
Opens in
Mouth
•Lips &
Gums (ST)
Heart:
Dominates
the Blood &
Vessels
Houses the
Mind
Controls
Sweating
Opens in the
Tongue
Small Intestine:
-receive from
stomach
-absorb essentials
-seperate clean
from turbid
- Spleen & Lung
then transmit
clean to body
- Small Intestine
transport turbid
to LI or Bladder
Pericardium:
Protects the
Heart
In Practice,
considered the
same as the
Heart
Treat the
same
May be more
related to shen
Triple Heater:
-Sanjiao
– General
pathway for
distribution of
Source Qi and
Body fluids
-Divided into
Upper, Middle,
Lower jiao
Gall Bladder:
--Store/Excrete
bile
-Assist Digestion
-Decision
making if Qi
deficient
Liver:
Stores the
Blood
Maintains the
Smooth Flow of
Qi & Blood
Controls the
Sinews
Opens in the
Eyes
Bladder:
-Store & Excrete
Urine
-Association
Points
Kidney:
Stores Essence
Governs
Water
Controls
Reception of Qi
Dominates the
Bones &
Marrow
Opens in the
Ears
Controls the 2
Extraordinary Fu Organs
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Hollow shape of Fu Organs but store essential
substances like Zang organs
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Brain – Sea of Marrow, House of mind, connects with
Spinal Marrow
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Marrow – brain , spinal cord, bone marrow
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Related to Kidney and Heart
Origin =Kidney essence,
Nourish brain and bone
Bone – controlled by Kidney, form marrow & skeleton
Extraordinary Fu Organs, Con’t
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Vessels – House of blood
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Circulate Qi and Blood within
*Gall Bladder* - Because Hollow, one of regular
Fu organ but functions like Zang organ because
it stores bile
Uterus – Nourishes fetus, controls estrus and
pregnancy
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Closely related to Kidney and extraordinary vessels
Diagnostic Systems
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Systems used to develop a Chinese
Medicine pattern
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2 main:
8 Principle
 5 Element
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Eight Principle
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Determine type of Disease process
Superficial/Exterior
Hot
Excess
Yang
Deep/Internal
Cold
Deficient
Yin
Five Element
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5 categories in Natural World
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Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water
Describe nature of Zang Fu organs, inter-relationship
between organs, relationship between body and
world
With 8 principle can guide diagnosis and treatment
Individuals tend to have characteristics, diseases
explained by their elemental constitutions
5 Element
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Wood – leaders, Alpha, Loud, Angers, Quick, Skilled runners, Alert,
Diplomat, High BP, Allergy, Depression, Neurosis, Tend to
Stagnation
Fire – exuberant, always on go, life of party, Extrovert, Center of
Attention, Inventor, Persuasive, Arrogant, Exaggerates, separation
anxiety, Cardiovascular Disease
Earth – Laid back, easy going, Motherly, seek companionship, seek
to please, worry, GI issues, Obesity
Metal – aloof, confident, love order, Broad minded, Righteous, Vain,
Resp problems, Diabetes, Constipation
Water – Introverted, Fearful, quiet-observer, planner, advisor, deep
thinker, ok alone, consistent but slow, sinister, fear biter, infertility,
back pain, UTI
Wood
Fire
Earth
Metal
water
Season
Spring
Summer
Late
Summer
Fall
Winter
Climate
Wind
Heat
Damp
Dryness
Cold
Direction
East
South
Center
West
North
Flavor
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Pungent
Salty
Emotions
Anger
Irritation
Joy
Fright
Preoccupation
Worry
Grief
Sadness
Fear
Terror
Orifice
Eyes
Tongue
Mouth
Nose
Ears
Sense
Vision
Speech
Taste
Smell
Hearing
Tissue
Tendons
Ligaments
Vascular
System
Muscles
Skin
Hair Coat
Bones
Body Action
Spasms
Tantrums
Mania
Depresion
Spitting
Vomiting
Coughing
Wheezing
Trembling
Shivering
Additional Diagnostics
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Tongue – Areas for each element
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Color
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Red – Heat, Yin deficiency
Pale – Qi or Blood Deficiency
Purple – Qi or Blood Stagnation
Lavender – Cold, Yang deficiency
Yellow – Heat/Damp
Coat
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White –cold, damp, phlegm
Yellow – Heat
Dry-Yin/Blood Deficiency
Wet – Qi/Yang Deficiency, Damp
Additional Diagnostics
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Pulse
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Dog/Cat – Femoral
Equine – Carotid
3 locations on each side and 3 depths
In beginning: deep, superficial, thin, broad,
fast, slow
Work up to wiry and slippery
 Left<Right – Yin/Blood Deficiency
 Right<Left – Yang/Qi deficiency
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