Chinese Herbs for the Canine Athlete

By: Jean Scherwenka

“From the Chinese medical perspective, your athletic dog is very Yang in nature—active, outward, energetic, all about movement,” says holistic veterinarian and Herbsmith, Inc. founder Chris Bessent, DVM (www.herbsmithinc.com). Sporting breeds provide perfect examples of this nature, but they’re not the only ones—canine athletes competing on agility equipment; herding dogs performing their work; or K-9 police dogs, speeding along, noses to ground sniffing out the trails of lawbreakers. Specific traits of all athletic dogs help them excel at whatever feats they perform, and those very traits make up the distinctive Yang nature you want to support. Let’s examine how Chinese herbs can help you do that.

Katie Oilschlager, a professional agility trainer in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, talks about the kind of support needed for canine agility competitors. “First they need the proper conditioning and foundation to teach them their sport,” she explains. “They also need massages, swimming, and the proper supplements.” 
 
Oilschlager prefers Chinese herbal supplements for her five Golden Retrievers—Mickey, a 13-year-old therapy dog, and four active agility dogs—Baloo, Bella, Stitch, and Winnie—ages six, four, three and two. Oilschlager likes how the Chinese herbs keep her dogs active and healthy in their different stages of life. “All my dogs get a formula designed specifically for performance,” she says. “These herbs act like Gatorade to keep the dogs hydrated and performing at a consistent energy level.” And face it, all athletic dogs need to maintain consistent energy levels.

How exactly do these Chinese herbs support the nature and lifestyle of canine athletes? “According to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), total health for your dog means a balance of their Yang (heat) and Yin (fluid),” explains Dr. Bessent.  “Where Yang is active and outward, Yin is passive and inward. That Yang nature of your athlete is always there, and the Yang heat tends to deplete the Yin fluid.” All physical bodies strive for balance to maintain good health. When an imbalance in the athletic dog’s Yang/Yin causes fluid depletion, it affects their overall health and will show up in their daily performance.

“Whether retrieving in the field, competing on agility equipment, or on vacation chasing balls and enjoying long hikes, you need to maintain that Yang and Yin balance,” explains Dr. Bessent. This is where a Chinese herbal formula can effectively support the dog’s athletic nature by tonifying (strengthening or invigorating) his Yin, which in turn restores his Yang/Yin balance. The herbs do not create excitable energy, as caffeine or other energy boosters, but will give the dog a consistent, natural energy level resulting from a healthy Yang/Yin balance.

In addition, from the Chinese perspective, disease originates from an imbalance within the body. Where Western medicine considers allergies, anxiety, aggression, and auto-immune diseases as separate issues requiring individual treatments, TCVM recognizes that same list as four secondary symptoms of a root problem within the dog’s bodyagain, their Yang/Yin imbalance, or living in a constant state of Yang excess.

“To effectively treat those four conditions, you must first address the underlying disharmony that caused them,” says Dr. Bessent. “Border Collies, Goldens, Aussies, Labs—all the athletic types tend to get these hot, inflammatory conditions, and from a Chinese perspective, keeping these dogs balanced with Yin tonifying herbs can theoretically help prevent those secondary symptoms or diseases from occurring.“ While the herbs are doing that, they’re also helping to manage stress, prevent fatigue, and maintain the energy needed through long periods of physical performance.

Where Western herbs are commonly used singly, it’s important to note you’ll usually find Chinese herbs combined in specific formulas for specific health issues, and with good reason. One of the Herbsmith formulas, for example, combines Rehmannia, Angelica Tang Kuei, Dioscorea, Eucommia Bark, Achyranthes, Licorice Root, and Cornus, all working in synergy to give canine athletes that wide range of benefits. In other words, the combined action of the herbs, taken together, produces a greater effect than the sum of their individual effects. And further, when properly combined, the herbs work together to resolve the dog’s problems without causing any negative side effects.

So you see, these multi-tasking Chinese herbs can provide optimal health from the inside out for your dog. The herbs’ ability to support the Yang nature and distinctive traits of your canine athlete can give him that extra edge needed to safely excel in his particular category of athletic performance. And that should make you both happy!

If you’re considering Chinese herbs for your dog, consult a Chinese Medicine practitioner and be sure to choose herbal formulas containing only pure botanicals with no animal products or fillers.