Chinese Herbal Veterinary Medicine

Herbal medicine is the world's most ancient form of medicine. Every culture and ancient civilisation used plants to heal. Even today around 75% of the world's population, especially those in developing countries, relies on herbal medicine.

The ancient Chinese developed herbal medicine thousands of years ago, as one of the five branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture was developed first, over 4000 years ago. Today, acupuncture and herbal medicine are often used together to enhance their effects. In general, herbs treat internal medical problems more successfully than functional or structural musculoskeletal problems, which are better suited to acupuncture therapy. Herbs can be used to good effect alone, particularly in those few animals who will not tolerate acupuncture, for example to treat behavioural problems such as aggression.

Chinese herbal medicine involves the prescription and administration of herbal formulas. These contain anywhere from three to fifteen or more herbs, which are used together to balance each other's effects. These formulas are typically given to animals as pills or powders on their food. They may also be given as suppositories in a hospital situation.

Traditionally, Chinese medicine included use of not only herbs, but minerals such as gypsum and animal parts from tiger bone and bear to earthworm and lizard.

Today, since exotic animal species are endangered and due to concerns about this and the welfare of animals used in China to supply parts for use in medicine, western herbal companies have found plant substitutes. Animal parts are no longer used in Chinese herbal medicine in the West.

Chinese herbal medicine dates back to the late Bronze Age / early Iron Age 2500-3000 years ago. During excavation of a grave from 168BC, scrolls containing information about actions of 247 different herbs used to treat disease were discovered. These are the first records of use of herbs and are over 2000 years old.

In the year 500 the first comprehensive materia medica, or herbal compendium, was published. It detailed the effects of 364 herbs. Chinese herbal medicine continued to develop and by time of the publication of a 'Grand Materia Medica' in 1596, 1892 herbs were included. This book is still in use today.

Today in China, both western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine are used. Unlike many indigenous forms of medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbal medicine have not been supplanted by western medicine and remain a distinct form of medicine in their own right. In China these two systems of medicine are not seen as being in conflict, and the most appropriate treatment for the condition is used.

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The herbs used in Chinese Herbal Medicine are classified in several ways.

Each herb has a specific temperature and may be classified as cold, cool, neutral, warm or hot. This classification is based on the effects of the herbs on the body. For example in a patient with a fever (who is therefore hot), a cool or preferably cold herb will decrease the fever, cooling the patient.

Herbs are then classified based on their flavor, which may be pungent, sweet, sour, bitter or salty. Each taste has its own functions and characteristics. For example, sweet-tasting herbs strengthen and balance the body, and pungent herbs cause sweating and tonify Qi and blood.

Each herb is associated with a specific meridian or meridians and therefore with a specific organ or organs in Chinese medical theory. For example, menthol is associated with the lungs and liver.

Based on its classification in these categories, each herb has a specific profile and therefore use. In addition to its functions based on this classification, a herb will also have its own unique effects.

There are often several forms used of the same herb. For example, both cinnamon bark and the cinnamon stalk are used. Although they are both called cinnamon and from the same plant, the different parts have different effects and therefore uses. The age of the herb can also modify its effects, for example immature and mature (ripe) orange peel have different effects. Different forms of a herb may be produced by processing. This may be necessary to remove toxicity and make the herb more mild in its effects. For example, there are different forms of processed and unprocessed aconite. Use of the incorrect form of a herb can be dangerous. This is why self-medication is not recommended, as an extensive knowledge of herbs and their actions is required to safely prescribe an efficacious formula.

Chinese herbal formulas are mixtures of 2 to 15-20 different herbs. Some are so-called 'classical' formulas, which have been in use for hundreds of years. Other, more modern formulas have been devised to treat more modern disorders or adjusted for different species. When looking at a formula, the classification and functions of all its constituent herbs must be taken into account to see the overall picture. For example, a formula may contain both hot and cold herbs, so it must be looked at as a whole to decide if it will warm or cool the patient. Most warming formulas will also contain cooling herbs (and vice versa) in order to prevent the formula from becoming too warming and therefore to balance the formula.

Much of the research into the effects and mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine have been directed towards an understanding of acupuncture. However, attempts have also been made to quantitatively determine the efficacy of Chinese Herbal Medicine, both of formulas and individual herbs.

Chinese Herbal Medicine has been shown to give good results in the treatment of epilepsy (Ojemann et al), rheumatism (Ho & Lai) and allergic rhinitis (Xue et al) amoung others. A review of 84 clinical trials of Chinese Herbal Medicine in treatment of type II diabetes showed that the herbal formulas had a higher success rate than conventional drugs in relief of symptoms and reduction of blood sugar. 71-100% of patients who did not respond to conventional drugs had a reduced blood sugar and relief of symptoms when treated with Chinese herbs (Zhao et al). There are many reports of success in individual cases of both human and animal patients treated with Chinese Herbal Medicine. There is also evidence of synergism between Chinese herbs and drugs, for exampe in rheumatism (Ho & Lai).

Research has also been done into the constituent chemicals and possible activity and effects of individual herbs. Herbs have been shown to have specific effects, for example ginger relieves nausea and ophiopogon is anti-inflammatory. Constituents of some herbs have been isolated and specific physiological effects shown for these constituents. For example, Chinese wormwood has been shown to contain artemisinin which has antimalarial activity (and is now used to treat Falciparum malaria, which is the most severe form of malaria) and further research is being conducted into its possible anti-cancer effects. Several of the constituents of ophiopogon have been isolated and shown to have specific anti-inflammatory effects.

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Just because a substance is natural, it is not necessarily safe. However, Chinese medical formulas have been used for thousands of years, and we have records of their use and effects going back hundreds of years.

Adverse effects from Chinese medicines can occur for the following reasons:

- the wrong herb/formula prescribed for a condition
- wrong dose prescribed
- unsuitable herbs prescribed to a pregnant animal
- contamination in the formula

These can therefore be avoided by only using a qualified, experienced veterinary herbalist and making sure that the herbs used are from a reputable source. Great care is taken by Western herbal companies in harvesting, testing and processing plants for use in herbal formulas, to ensure that exactly the right plant and part of plant are used, that it is ethically sourced and that they are free from contamination by pollutants.

Chinese Herbal Medicine can be beneficial in treatment of almost any disorder and has been used for thousands of years to treat almost every illness. Herbs are particularly useful for internal medical disorders. For physical or structural disorders such as musculoskeletal problems, acupuncture is more efficacious although herbs may be used in addition to aid in pain relief and healing. Herbs can also be applied topically for these disorders for enhanced pain relief and healing and to treat and prevent infection of wounds.

For acute internal problems, such as acute surgical colic in horses, surgery may be more appropriate although herbs can be used in preventation of the acute condition or after surgery to aid in healing. Use of Chinese Herbal Medicine does not aim to replace surgery in these conditions and surgery may indeed be vital to save the life of the patient. As always, the best combination of western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine is aimed for to provide the best care possible and the best outcome for the patient.

Traditional Chinese medicine takes a very preventative approach to disease, hence the ancient Chinese proverb:

'The superior doctor prevents sickness; the mediocre doctor attends to impending sickness; the inferior doctor treats actual sickness'.

Western herbal medicine has developed since the time of the ancient Greeks, although cultures such as the Egyptians also used herbs to treat disease.

Classification of herbs used in Western Herbal Medicine is simply by their physiological effects on the body. This is different from Chinese Herbal Medicine, where there is a complex classification of herbs based on their taste, energetic properties and effects on meridians and organs.

In western herbal medicine a western medical diagnosis is made (for example arthritis or depression). There is no unique western herbal mechanism of diagnosis or classification of disease. Western herbal medicine is therefore more accessible and accepted by those in the West as accepted western mechanisms of disease and nomenclature are used.

Western herbal medicine then differs however from western drug-based medicine as the whole patient and not just the syndrome are taken into account, in the same way as Chinese Herbal Medicine. Again as with Chinese Herbal Medicine, there is a materia medica of herbs and their effects and a combination of herbs is chosen to best suit that particular patient - their disease and also apparently unrelated characteristics such as emotional problems. Unlike Chinese medicine there are no set formulas, a trained and experienced herbalist will be able to combine herbs into a unique formula to suit that particular patient. In Chinese Herbal Medicine there are many established herbal formulas. This combination of herbs is integral to the success of treatment, as some herbs in a formula may detoxify others, balance heating or cooling effects, direct a formula to a particular area of the body or synergise. The behaviour of herbs in combination is more important than their effects alone. An experienced Chinese herbalist may also design a unique formula for a patient or modify and existing formula if that is felt to be the most efficacious treatment for that particular patient and their combination of symptoms. In both systems of herbal medicine, use of whole plant parts and combinations of plants is felt to be more beneficial than simply isolated constituents, as side effects are avoided and synergistic effects can be produced.

In both forms of herbal medicine the raw herbs may be cooked and made into a tea, powdered, made into a pill form or applied externally to the surface of the body.

Today, almost 25% of modern drugs come originally from plant sources, for example some drugs used in heart disease originated from foxgloves. In modern medicine, individual compounds are isolated from these plants, and these have both beneficial effects and adverse side effects. Chinese herbal medicine is different as extracts of the whole plant are used, and a combination of many plants is used in any formulated medicine. The different components of the medicine balance each other, enhancing the beneficial effect and greatly reducing side effects. However, a Chinese herbal formula which has been known for hundreds of years cannot be patented by a pharmaceutical company, whereas if a compound is isolated from a plant and modified slightly, it can be. This is therefore the focus of research by pharmaceutical companies into use of plants in modern medicine.

As ever when looking for a medical professional, you need to make sure that you find a veterinarian who is adequately trained and experienced to treat your animal.

The Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine is one of only a few institutions which certify veterinarians in Chinese Herbal Veterinary Medicine. Vets who have taken their extended herbal medicine course become certified on completion of case reports and passing exams, and use the letters CVH, certified veterinary herbalist, after their names. You can search for a certified vet on the Chi Institute's website.

The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society has trained veterinarians in herbal medicine in the past, and their courses have recently started up again. 'Learn at the Lakes', run by Drs Steve Marsden and Mona Boudreaux, is another good Chinese herbal medicine training for vets.