He suffered from itchiness since his first year, first starting with scabs on his head at 3mos.
He has had a couple bouts of gastroenteritis, and occasionally has bouts of mucousy stool. Hx of sensitive GI with dietary changes.
Nasal dipigmentation improved on Z/D diet.
As Jake's skin appeared dry, thin along ventrum (like crepe paper) and his itch minimal, he was started on Si Wu Xiao Feng Yin last summer, along with Omega-3s, Hydroxyzine, and Vanectyl-P.
His tongue has always appeared on the red side, but with minimal to no coating, and his pulses deep and weak.
Just before Christmas this year, Jake developed grand mal seizures. Previously, his owner had also noticed occasional head shaking (with no apparent ear problems). He was started on Phenobarb and KBr, and taken off Hydroxyzine and Vanectyl-P and put on prednisone instead.
Jake's owner is eager to try to get him off his anti-convulsants as much as possible, and reduce his prednisone again while controlling his itch.
Since coming home at Xmas, Jake has been getting up more in the middle of the night and needing to go outside - but just to lay in the snow. This has been even more noticeable as his phenobarb and prednisone have been reduced. (I'm assuming this is because the prednisone was acting to 'cool' his heat).
He is overweight, has mild ventral erythema and crepe-paper like skin ventrally, large dry flakes dorsally, somewhat thinning coat noted by owner (I have a hard time appreciating this), shaky hind legs when at rest (has been doing this for a while). Tongue: pink-red, minimal white coating, appears damp. Pulses: deep, weak, very hard to palpate.
I suspect that he has a Yin Def with Heat rising, but am having difficulty with this case due to a mixture of dry heat, and damp signs.
I'd really appreciate any thoughts you can offer, as well as a suggestion for herbal therapy.