Anger and the Liver

Rommel is a 6 year old Rottweiler who is gentle and strong willed and takes his role as the number one dog in the household quite seriously.  I saw Rommel when his owners became concerned that over the course of three weeks he had vomited yellow liquid (bile) almost every night. The only abnormality I found during his physical exam was that his eyes were red.  His blood work and tests on his eyes were normal.

In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) the 12 major organs in the body follow a 24 hour circadian rhythm.  Each organ is most active for 2 hours of the day or night.  The liver and gall bladder are most active between 11 pm and 3 am.  Rommel had been vomiting between midnight and 5 am.  In addition, TCVM suggests that eyes reflect the health of the liver.  Rommel's liver and gall bladder appeared to be showing an imbalance.  Could it be emotional?

With further questioning, I determined that the 3 year old dog, named Koda, that the family began fostering 2 months earlier may be the cause of Rommel's problems. Koda would jump on Rommel, steal Rommel's toys and barreled out of the dog door first pushing Rommel aside.  Rommel was reprimanded by his owners for snapping at Koda when he first joined the household.  Now I suspect Rommel is angry and frustrated and it is having an impact on his liver and gall bladder.

I ask the owners to make certain that Rommel will be allowed to go out the dog door first and will be fed first while Koda is made to wait.  Also, Rommel's toys are to be made off limits to Koda.  Rommel will be allowed on the sofa while Koda must lay in the dog bed on the floor.  All of these things are meant to help re-establish Rommel as the number one dog in the house. 

One month after our visit, the owners inform me that Rommel is much happier.  His eyes are no longer red and he has not vomited in 3 weeks.  In fact, he is playing with Koda; now that Koda is showing the appropriate respect for the "top dog".  The emotion of anger and frustration  has been diminished and in turn the symptoms of an imbalanced liver and gall bladder are diminished as well.