Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) theory confers that pet illness and resulting symptoms are understood to be the result of imbalances or blockages of the flow of qi (energy) through the channels (animal acupuncture meridians). Diagnostic methods are used to describe the imbalance and the resulting illness due to the imbalance. Also, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine considers all aspects of the patient's environment. Specifically, balance within the body and between the body and the environment is emphasized. Additional factors include quality of the food, water and air that the patient has available.
In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, rather than sort through each sign and label it as a separate problem, practitioners identify patterns of disharmony. The main focus in TCVM is to restore the energy balance in the patient, thereby restoring pet wellness. This is accomplished by using acupuncture and herbal medicines to help the body heal itself by restoring vitality or energy. Because the focus is to restore balance to the body and to respect normal life cycles, it is a more gentle therapy and easier on pets with chronic illness. To us, it matters not if medicine is old or new, so long as it can cure!
In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, rather than sort through each sign and label it as a separate problem, practitioners identify patterns of disharmony. The main focus in TCVM is to restore the energy balance in the patient, thereby restoring pet wellness. This is accomplished by using acupuncture and herbal medicines to help the body heal itself by restoring vitality or energy. Because the focus is to restore balance to the body and to respect normal life cycles, it is a more gentle therapy and easier on pets with chronic illness. To us, it matters not if medicine is old or new, so long as it can cure!
History of Chinese Medicine
Most people perceive Chinese medicine to be about acupuncture, when in fact it is a multi-faceted approach to lifestyle and health. The Nei Jing, a classic text of Chinese medicine written in the 2nd century B.C. states, “Maintaining order rather than correcting disorder is the ultimate principle of wisdom. To cure disease after it has appeared is like digging a well when one already feels thirsty.” The Chinese focus on eating well, meditation, and exercise to prevent disease, and if disease arises, they use acupuncture, Tui na (a form of massage or body work), and herbal medicine.
Acupuncture needles and characters describing a system of medicine date back to 5000 B.C. Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) was formalized in 2500 B.C. with a text called “Bo Le’s Cannon.” The text described how to use acupuncture herbal medicine to treat horses. Over time many different schools of acupuncture and Chinese medicinals arose, and trained doctors for both human and animal care.
During the Socialization of China in the 40’s, the barefoot doctors were trained to use local herbs and a few needles to treat the vast rural population of China. During the late 40’s and 50’s, the Chinese government made a big push to standardize Chinese medicine. This formalization had benefits in that one doctor in Mongolia would be prescribing the same treatment as another doctor in Beijing, but also allowed the subtleties and art of Chinese medicine to fall by the wayside.
The basic premise of Chinese medicine is this: We are born with a certain amount of Essence, or Jing. Once the Jing has been used up, then the organism dies. During life, if one eats well, then postnatal Jing is developed from the Qi energy derived from food (Gu Qi). If one works hard, (but not too hard), exercises regularly, and sleeps well, then one’s Jing is conserved.
Qi is the Energy or life force that propels us through life, and allows us to perform all the processes required in our existence. Qi is a non-material substance, and governs shape and activity, and propels the Blood through the body. The Blood governs the tissue and moistens the internal environment. Blood is a material substance, as well as the process of generating, distributing and storing of nutrients.
Health is a state where everything is functioning in balance, and the body is able to fend off challenges to its protective systems. Disease arises when the systems are out of balance, and external pathogens can invade, or negative or excess emotions cause the organs to malfunction, or substances are generated internally that become pathogenic because the body is unable to clear them.
Acupuncture needles and characters describing a system of medicine date back to 5000 B.C. Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) was formalized in 2500 B.C. with a text called “Bo Le’s Cannon.” The text described how to use acupuncture herbal medicine to treat horses. Over time many different schools of acupuncture and Chinese medicinals arose, and trained doctors for both human and animal care.
During the Socialization of China in the 40’s, the barefoot doctors were trained to use local herbs and a few needles to treat the vast rural population of China. During the late 40’s and 50’s, the Chinese government made a big push to standardize Chinese medicine. This formalization had benefits in that one doctor in Mongolia would be prescribing the same treatment as another doctor in Beijing, but also allowed the subtleties and art of Chinese medicine to fall by the wayside.
The basic premise of Chinese medicine is this: We are born with a certain amount of Essence, or Jing. Once the Jing has been used up, then the organism dies. During life, if one eats well, then postnatal Jing is developed from the Qi energy derived from food (Gu Qi). If one works hard, (but not too hard), exercises regularly, and sleeps well, then one’s Jing is conserved.
Qi is the Energy or life force that propels us through life, and allows us to perform all the processes required in our existence. Qi is a non-material substance, and governs shape and activity, and propels the Blood through the body. The Blood governs the tissue and moistens the internal environment. Blood is a material substance, as well as the process of generating, distributing and storing of nutrients.
Health is a state where everything is functioning in balance, and the body is able to fend off challenges to its protective systems. Disease arises when the systems are out of balance, and external pathogens can invade, or negative or excess emotions cause the organs to malfunction, or substances are generated internally that become pathogenic because the body is unable to clear them.
The Five Elements
The Chinese were keen observers of nature, and used their observations to develop the five elements to explain the workings of the body, personality, and disease. These five elements of Chinese medicine are EARTH, METAL,WATER, WOOD, and FIRE. These elements are also associated with directions on a compass, with earth being the center, as well as seasons of the year, personality types and many other characteristics. How an individual looks, acts and responds to things in life indicates which element that individual is, and forms the basis for preventive care.
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