Evaluating whether a dog or cat is receiving adequate nutrition involves looking at many different signs throughout the body. Nutritional imbalances can present in a variety of ways, so assessment may include diet evaluation, detailed histories provided by the pet owner, physical examination findings, and nutritional testing. Dr. Watson’s training in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) is especially helpful in this process because it allows those patterns and findings to be viewed together as part of a larger picture of what may be happening internally. Some information comes from the pet owner’s description of symptoms, which is why we ask for such thorough histories. Other information comes from the physical exam and observing the pet in the clinic.
A good example is a dry nose. Clients can become very concerned about whether their dog’s nose is wet or dry, while conventional veterinary medicine may only consider it significant if dehydration is present. In TCVM, however, a dry nose may indicate a lack of fluid within the body, either Blood or Yin. In Chinese medicine, Blood refers not only to blood itself, but also to blood volume and circulatory capacity. Yin refers to the fluids inside and around the cells. Observations like these become useful and actionable when paired with tools such as acupuncture, food therapy, and herbal medicine.
Additional findings such as coat and skin quality, tongue size and color, muscle mass, and areas of heat or temperature variation throughout the body are also considered important within Chinese medicine. Each finding contributes to the overall TCVM pattern and helps identify areas where nutritional support may be needed.
Pulse evaluation is another important part of the examination. We assess pulses on the inner side of both rear legs by feeling three positions along the femoral artery on each side, since these six pulse positions correspond with different TCVM organ systems. The pulses on the left side are generally associated with Blood and Yin, including circulation and body fluids. Specific pulse positions are associated with the Heart, Liver, and Kidney Yin systems. The pulses on the right side are associated with Qi and Yang, which can loosely be described as the body’s energy and warmth, respectively. On this side, pulse quality is evaluated at positions connected with the Lung, Spleen, and Kidney Yang systems. These organ names are capitalized because they refer not only to the physical organs themselves, but more broadly to the TCVM systems associated with them.
Within TCVM, foods are also categorized according to their actions in the body, which reflect the nutrients and properties they contain. Examples include cooling, neutral, and warming foods, as well as Yin tonics, Blood tonics, Qi tonics, and Kidney tonics.
In many cases, nutritional assessment comes down to three main components:
- Taking detailed histories and evaluating the pet’s diet to identify possible nutrient gaps
- Using TCVM examination findings to look for signs associated with nutritional deficiency
- Performing nutritional testing such as Vitamin D, Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and Vitamin B12 levels
Looking at nutrition through both conventional testing and TCVM evaluation allows us to gather information from multiple perspectives and develop a more complete understanding of what the body may need.
