By Caroline A. O’Sullivan DVM MS
Have you ever wondered why when a neighbor comes over, some animals greet, some animals snarl, and some animals run away?
It may have something to do with their constitution type. How will their body, mind, and soul respond to stressors?
There are no totally pure constitution types, but identification of the primary type can be very helpful in achieving health and balance.
Constitutions are based on five element theory and include Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Metal.
Identification of constitution type can help a practitioner look to certain organ pairs, make good food, supplements, and nutrition choices, and be proactive in balancing the body.
Identifying constitution types is an extensive process of history, stories, medical records, and most importantly, uninterrupted observation. This can take hours with owner participation and no interference or interruption of pet behaviors. Observing how pets deal with new stressors is key.
Each constitution type is linked to an organ group. This is traditional Chinese medicine, not Western medicine.
I will use my dogs as examples.
Black Labrador: Calm, chubby, couch potato, kind, sweet, everyone’s friend.
She is primary Earth constitution, meaning that her stomach, spleen, and pancreas are her Yin/Yang organs.
Having this information may lead traditional Chinese medicine/holistic practitioner to proper diagnostics, acupuncture points, food, and herbal ideas.
Rescue dog with chronic loose stool: She is thin, hyper, can run like a racehorse, and has to be the center of attention when she is not hysterically barking for no reason.
She has a Fire constitution. Heart and small intestine are her Yin/Yang and for her quite out of balance.
Attention is paid to properly diagnosis small intestinal imbalance/parasite, follow by treatment for imbalance, appropriate foods, and supplements, patience, friends, and lots of fresh air and exercise.
Metal (possibly sickly): Lung and large intestine
Water (possibly terrified & hiding): kidney and bladder
Wood (possibly a bull): liver and gall bladder
Practicing traditional Chinese medicine and constitutional organ system relationships takes time for observation, study, mentor consultation, along with owner participation and constant contact.
The Information gathered from observation and physical examination, using all of the senses, may lead next to circadian rhythm questions, responses to external changes, and other personality / behavioral questions.
Specific owner concerns may be approached with food changes and herbals specific for the patient and all of the examination discoveries and constitutional identifications.
This approach to balance is 4,000 years old and has continued to rely on constitutional identification and organ pairs, food, medications, fresh air and exercise, friendship and joyful activities as well as acupuncture (meridian and point of pain techniques), herbals and supplements specific to the patient.
Food for specific constitutions are quite different. The foods work to balance the constitutions effects in the body (hot vs cold, Yin/Yang, excess/deficiency). Food such as barley, millet, beans, apricots, leeks, peas, and mutton – where do you find these? Which one is right?
How do you avoid the toxins and poisons in today’s processed foods? (“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”, said Hippocrates, the father of medicine.)
How do you avoid glyphosate? (See petsandgmos.com for more information.)
A good place to start is a consultation with a holistic & traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who has massive hours of study, experience, and a wonderful mentor. Please rmember that all changes to a toxic, out-of-balance body must be slow.
Next, there’s the pure power of herbals. A practitioner must be well-educated and well-versed in the use of herbals and have a mentor. Stay with products manufactured and distributed in the USA for the use, advice, and recommendation of medical professionals only.
Many times, herbals are thought of as safe, but what happens when they are mixed with Western medication? What happens when the main condition worsens quickly? How long should a patient stay on herbals? And at what amount?
Please find a medical professional who can answer these questions and tell you how they received this knowledge. In a world of online certificates, experience, and study with reliable products and a mentor‘s help assure the practice of best medicine.
Here are some closing thoughts on constitutional diagnoses. All of our animals need love in all forms – physical contact, verbal praise, peace and quiet. They also need exercise in the fresh air, and the freedom to move in any way the animal’s body sees fit, not what humans think is best. I find that blowing bubbles increases joy across the board.
Thank you and be well.
Author’s Note: Special thanks to Dr Cheryl Schwartz DVM for her knowledge and ability to make vast amounts of ideas and information approachable. Thank you for making hundreds of hours of study and thousands of pages of text to make some sense. It works. Never give up your mentors.
Visit Dr. O’Sullivan’s site at: droholisticvetservices.com
