Herbsmith Rx Jin Gu Die Shang Wan is a classical Chinese herbal formula recommended by holistic veterinarians to move blood and qi and support recovery from minor soft tissue injuries in dogs, cats, and horses. Comparable to Muscle and Traumatic Injury Powder and The Great Mender, it moves blood and qi to support the body's recovery from minor injuries such as sprains, strains, and bruises, addressing blood stasis and qi stagnation from traumatic soft tissue injury. A seven-herb formula concentrated on blood-stasis resolution and tissue recovery support, Jin Gu Die Shang Wan uses the classical traumatic injury strategy of simultaneously stopping bleeding and moving stasis (San Qi), breaking up blood stasis and supporting tissue healing (Xue Jie, Hong Hua), nourishing and invigorating the blood to address both the deficiency and stagnation components of the post-injury state (Dang Gui), applying the classical Ru Xiang and Mo Yao paired combination to move blood stasis and promote tissue recovery, and strengthening the sinews and bones through the kidney-tonifying and sinew-healing action of Xu Duan to support structural recovery alongside the blood-moving treatment. Well suited for dogs, cats, and horses presenting with blood stasis and qi stagnation from minor traumatic soft tissue injury, characterized by localized swelling and bruising from blood stasis in the affected tissue, reduced range of motion and stiffness from qi stagnation in the affected channels, and the dark or purple tongue discoloration and wiry or choppy pulse reflecting the blood stasis pattern. Available as a concentrated powder mixed into food; cats and dogs use the Canine Blend, while horses use the Equine/Horse Blend. Dosing varies by species and body weight, and your authorizing veterinarian will provide specific guidance.
VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation
What It Supports
- Blood stasis resolution and bruising and swelling support through the dual hemostatic and blood-invigorating strategy: Addresses blood stasis from traumatic soft tissue injury using San Qi's unique dual action of simultaneously stopping abnormal bleeding and invigorating the blood to move the stasis, supported by Xue Jie's blood-stasis-breaking and tissue-recovery-supporting action and Hong Hua's blood-invigorating and stasis-dispersing action, providing comprehensive blood-stasis resolution from multiple simultaneous herb approaches that together address the localized swelling, bruising, and dark tissue discoloration of the blood stasis pattern.
- Qi stagnation relief and channel flow restoration in the affected tissue: Relieves the qi stagnation that accompanies blood stasis in the traumatically injured channels using the combined qi-moving action of Ru Xiang and Mo Yao (the classical paired combination for blood stasis and qi stagnation in traumatic injury) alongside San Qi's channel-opening action, restoring normal qi flow through the affected tissue as the blood stasis is progressively resolved and reducing the stiffness and reduced range of motion that qi stagnation in the injured channels creates.
- Soft tissue and sinew recovery support through blood nourishment and kidney-sinew tonification: Supports soft tissue and sinew recovery using Dang Gui's combined blood-nourishing and blood-invigorating action to address both the blood deficiency that can develop in the post-injury state and the ongoing blood stagnation in the affected tissue, and using Xu Duan's kidney-tonifying and sinew-strengthening action to provide structural sinew and bone recovery support that addresses the deeper connective tissue and skeletal components of the sprain, strain, or bruise injury alongside the blood-moving treatment.
- Tissue healing support through the classical Ru Xiang and Mo Yao paired combination: Applies the classic paired combination of Ru Xiang (frankincense resin) and Mo Yao (myrrh resin) that together provide the most clinically established blood-stasis-moving and tissue-recovery-supporting herb pairing in the Chinese traumatic injury materia medica, with Ru Xiang particularly effective for qi movement and soft tissue recovery and Mo Yao particularly effective for blood stasis resolution and swelling reduction, the two herbs amplifying each other's blood-moving and tissue-healing actions through their complementary and mutually reinforcing herb-pair relationship.
TCVM Principles
- Primary action - traumatic injury blood stasis resolution through the three-group strategy of hemostasis and stasis movement, blood nourishment and invigoration, and sinew-bone healing: Addresses blood stasis and qi stagnation from minor traumatic soft tissue injury through three coordinated herb groups. The primary blood-stasis-breaking group (San Qi, Xue Jie, Hong Hua) addresses the blood stasis directly: San Qi simultaneously stops any bleeding from the injury and invigorates the blood to move the existing stasis (a uniquely dual action that makes it the indispensable lead herb of traumatic injury formulas), Xue Jie breaks up blood stasis and supports tissue recovery through its strong blood-stasis-dissolving and channel-opening action, and Hong Hua invigorates the blood and disperses the stasis throughout the affected tissue. The blood-nourishing and invigorating group (Dang Gui, Ru Xiang, Mo Yao) simultaneously nourishes the blood to address the blood deficiency component of the post-injury state (Dang Gui) and moves the remaining blood stasis and qi stagnation in the affected channels (Ru Xiang for qi movement and soft tissue recovery, Mo Yao for blood stasis resolution and swelling reduction). The sinew and bone healing group (Xu Duan) addresses the structural recovery component by tonifying the kidney to strengthen the sinews and bones and promote the healing of the connective tissue and skeletal structures involved in sprains, strains, and bruises. Together, these three groups provide complete traumatic injury blood stasis treatment from the circulatory, blood, and structural perspectives simultaneously.
- Secondary action - San Qi as the defining herb of classical traumatic injury formulas and the clinical rationale for its lead position in this formula: San Qi's classical position as the lead herb at the highest proportion reflects its unique pharmacological profile among blood-invigorating herbs: it is the only major herb in the Chinese materia medica that simultaneously stops bleeding (hemostatic action) and invigorates the blood to move stasis (blood-invigorating action) without contradiction, because it stops only pathological bleeding while moving existing stasis rather than promoting new bleeding as most blood-invigorating herbs do. This makes it well suited to acute traumatic injury, where both stopping active bleeding and moving blood stasis from bruising and swelling are required. The formula's remaining six herbs address the residual blood stasis after San Qi's hemostasis and initial stasis movement, the qi stagnation component, the blood nourishment the post-injury state requires, and the structural sinew and bone recovery that acute blood-stasis-focused herbs do not address.
Available Forms
- Powder - Canine Blend (for dogs and cats): Available in 75 g, 150 g, 500 g, 900 g, and 1200 g sizes; mix into food at the recommended dose for your pet's weight. Cats and dogs both use this blend.
- Powder - Equine/Horse Blend (for horses only): Available in 150 g, 500 g, 900 g, and 1200 g sizes; mix into grain at the recommended dose for your horse.
Suggested Use
For Dogs (Canine Blend Powder):
- Under 30 lbs: ½ tsp twice daily, or as prescribed
- 30-80 lbs: 1 tsp twice daily, or as prescribed
- 80-120 lbs: 1½ tsp twice daily, or as prescribed
- Over 120 lbs: 2 tsp twice daily, or as prescribed
For Cats (Canine Blend Powder): ¼ tsp twice daily, or as prescribed
For Horses (Equine/Horse Blend, 1,000 lb horse): Two tablespoons twice daily for 20 days, then two tablespoons once daily in grain. If the horse initially refuses, start with a small amount mixed into grain and gradually increase until the horse is accustomed to the taste. Most horses will readily accept the herbs in their grain.
Ingredients
Active Ingredients: San Qi (Radix Notoginseng), Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), Xue Jie (Sanguis Draconis), Xu Duan (Radix Dipsaci), Ru Xiang (Gummi Olibanum), Mo Yao (Myrrha), Hong Hua (Flos Carthami Tinctorii)
Inactive Ingredient: Flaxseed
VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation
Active Ingredient TCVM Actions
Jin Gu Die Shang Wan is a seven-herb formula for blood stasis and qi stagnation from traumatic soft tissue injury, organized into three herb groups: a primary blood-stasis-breaking and hemostatic group, a blood-nourishing and invigorating group including the classical Ru Xiang and Mo Yao pairing, and a sinew and bone-healing group:
- San Qi (Radix Notoginseng) - Notoginseng Root / Tienchi Ginseng: Stops bleeding, invigorates the blood, and disperses blood stasis; the lead herb at the highest proportion, providing the uniquely dual hemostatic and blood-invigorating action that makes San Qi the indispensable principal herb of all classical traumatic injury formulas. San Qi stops pathological bleeding from the injury while simultaneously invigorating the blood to move the existing stasis, without the contradiction of promoting new bleeding that other blood-invigorating herbs carry, because its hemostatic action targets only pathological bleeding while its blood-invigorating action targets the stasis already present in the injured tissue. This dual action is what classical sources call "stopping bleeding without leaving stasis and moving stasis without promoting bleeding," and it is the reason San Qi is the lead herb of Jin Gu Die Shang Wan and the broader family of classical traumatic injury formulas.
- Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis) - Chinese Angelica Root / Dong Quai: Nourishes and invigorates the blood, alleviates musculoskeletal stiffness and soreness, and moistens the intestines; the blood-nourishing and invigorating herb that addresses both the blood deficiency that develops in the post-injury state (from the blood loss and circulatory disruption of the acute injury) and the ongoing blood stagnation in the affected tissue, ensuring the formula's strong blood-stasis-breaking herbs are supported by blood-nourishing action that replenishes the blood being moved and prevents the blood-invigorating treatment from further depleting an already injured and blood-deficient animal.
- Xue Jie (Sanguis Draconis) - Dragon's Blood Resin: Breaks up blood stasis, alleviates soreness and stiffness, stops bleeding, and promotes tissue healing; the strong blood-stasis-breaking and tissue-recovery-supporting resin that dissolves established blood stasis in the injured tissue, alleviates the soreness and stiffness from the stasis, stops any residual bleeding alongside San Qi's hemostatic action, and supports the tissue healing process at the local level through its direct tissue-recovery-promoting action in the injured channels and soft tissue structures.
- Xu Duan (Radix Dipsaci) - Teasel Root / Japanese Teasel Root: Tonifies the kidney yang, strengthens the sinews and bones, promotes healing of sinew and bone injuries, and invigorates the blood; the sinew and bone-healing herb that addresses the structural recovery component of the traumatic injury that the blood-stasis-breaking herbs alone do not reach, specifically supporting the healing of the connective tissue and skeletal structures involved in sprains, strains, and bruises through its classical affinity for sinew and bone healing and its combined kidney-tonifying and blood-invigorating actions that strengthen the structural tissues from the constitutional foundation while supporting local tissue recovery.
- Ru Xiang (Gummi Olibanum) - Frankincense Resin / Boswellia Resin: Invigorates the blood, promotes the movement of qi, alleviates musculoskeletal stiffness and soreness, and reduces swelling; the first herb of the classical Ru Xiang and Mo Yao pairing, providing the qi-moving and soft tissue-recovery-supporting component of the pair, with Ru Xiang particularly effective for moving the qi stagnation that accompanies blood stasis in the traumatically injured channels and for alleviating the stiffness and soreness from the qi and blood stagnation in the affected soft tissue. Used with Mo Yao, the two resins reinforce each other's blood-moving and tissue-healing actions through their mutually amplifying herb-pair relationship, established over centuries of traumatic injury formula composition.
- Mo Yao (Myrrha) - Myrrh Resin: Invigorates the blood, disperses blood stasis, alleviates soreness and stiffness, and reduces swelling; the second herb of the classical Ru Xiang and Mo Yao pairing, providing the blood-stasis-resolving and swelling-reducing component of the pair, with Mo Yao particularly effective for dispersing established blood stasis and reducing the localized swelling and bruising from blood accumulation in the injured tissue. Mo Yao's stronger blood-stasis-dispersing action complements Ru Xiang's stronger qi-moving action, and together the two resins provide complete qi and blood stagnation treatment in traumatically injured tissue that neither herb achieves as effectively alone.
- Hong Hua (Flos Carthami Tinctorii) - Safflower Flower / Carthamus Flower: Invigorates the blood, disperses blood stasis, and alleviates musculoskeletal stiffness; the blood-invigorating and stasis-dispersing herb that provides additional blood-moving coverage throughout the affected tissue alongside San Qi's hemostatic and stasis-moving action and Xue Jie's stasis-breaking action, extending the formula's blood-stasis-resolving coverage to the smaller vessels and capillaries in the bruised and swollen tissue where the blood stasis from the traumatic injury accumulates and where the localized discoloration, swelling, and stiffness of the acute blood stasis pattern presents.
Potential Drug Interactions
Jin Gu Die Shang Wan contains multiple herbs with significant blood-invigorating and anticoagulant properties (San Qi, Dang Gui, Xue Jie, Ru Xiang, Mo Yao, and Hong Hua) that collectively produce a strong anticoagulant effect warranting particular caution in animals on warfarin, heparin, aspirin, clopidogrel, or other anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications. The formula's combined blood-invigorating herb load is among the highest in the Herbsmith Rx line, and bleeding risk monitoring is especially important for animals receiving concurrent anticoagulant pharmaceutical therapy. Ru Xiang (frankincense/boswellia) has documented anti-inflammatory properties that may interact with NSAIDs and corticosteroids. Dang Gui has estrogenic properties that warrant monitoring in animals on hormonal medications. San Qi may interact with medications metabolized by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system. The formula is designed for acute and subacute blood stasis from minor traumatic soft tissue injury and is not appropriate for fractures, open wounds, severe trauma requiring surgical intervention, or conditions presenting with active uncontrolled bleeding where the formula's blood-invigorating herbs would be contraindicated.
Medication categories warranting extra caution include anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications (the formula's six blood-invigorating herbs collectively), NSAIDs and corticosteroids (Ru Xiang's boswellic acid anti-inflammatory properties), hormonal medications (Dang Gui's estrogenic properties), and medications metabolized by the cytochrome P450 system (San Qi). Your authorizing veterinarian will determine appropriateness based on your animal's condition, current medications, and the severity and nature of the injury, with particular attention to confirming the injury is appropriate for herbal blood-moving treatment and that no contraindications to the formula's strong anticoagulant herb load are present.
VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation
Frequently Asked Questions
What conditions is Jin Gu Die Shang Wan used for in TCVM?
In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Jin Gu Die Shang Wan is indicated for blood stasis and qi stagnation from minor traumatic soft tissue injury, presenting with localized swelling and bruising from blood accumulation in the injured tissue, reduced range of motion and stiffness from qi stagnation in the affected channels, and dark tongue discoloration and a wiry or choppy pulse reflecting the blood stasis pattern. Comparable to Muscle and Traumatic Injury Powder and The Great Mender, it is specifically designed for minor soft tissue injuries including sprains, strains, and bruises, and is not appropriate for fractures, open wounds, severe trauma requiring surgical evaluation, or conditions without the blood stasis presentation. Your authorizing veterinarian will assess whether the injury is appropriate for herbal blood-moving treatment and confirm no contraindications to the formula's strong blood-invigorating herb composition are present before beginning use.
How is Jin Gu Die Shang Wan administered to dogs, cats, and horses?
Mix the powder directly into food or grain at the dose recommended for your animal's species and body weight. Dogs and cats use the Canine Blend; horses use the Equine/Horse Blend. Dogs and cats receive the formula twice daily; horses receive two tablespoons twice daily for the initial treatment period, then once daily. If the horse initially refuses, start with a small amount mixed into grain and gradually increase until the horse is accustomed to the taste. Most horses will readily accept the herbs in their grain. Because Jin Gu Die Shang Wan contains six blood-invigorating herbs, your authorizing veterinarian will review current medications for anticoagulant interactions, confirm the injury type and severity are appropriate for herbal blood-moving treatment, and provide specific guidance on the treatment duration appropriate for the acute or subacute blood stasis pattern.
How quickly does Jin Gu Die Shang Wan work for minor soft tissue injuries?
Jin Gu Die Shang Wan is formulated for the acute and subacute blood stasis pattern of minor soft tissue injury and typically works relatively quickly compared to constitutional tonic formulas, because it addresses an acute pathological accumulation (blood stasis and qi stagnation) rather than a deep constitutional deficiency. Improvement in localized swelling, bruising, and stiffness is often seen within 1 to 2 weeks of consistent use, as the formula's multiple blood-invigorating herbs progressively resolve blood stasis. The speed of response reflects the severity and duration of the blood stasis pattern: acute injuries treated promptly respond more rapidly than injuries with established chronic blood stasis. Your veterinarian will assess the reduction in swelling, bruising, and tissue stiffness and the normalization of tongue color and pulse quality throughout the treatment course to confirm the blood stasis is resolving and determine when the formula is no longer needed.
Why does Jin Gu Die Shang Wan contain so many blood-invigorating herbs for a minor injury formula?
The high concentration of blood-invigorating herbs (six of the seven active ingredients have blood-invigorating action) reflects the classical TCVM principle that blood stasis is the central and defining pathology of traumatic injury and requires comprehensive, multi-herb blood-moving treatment to fully resolve. When trauma disrupts normal qi and blood flow in the channels, the blood extravasates and accumulates in the affected tissue as stasis, and this stasis does not self-resolve without targeted treatment to break it up and move it back into normal circulation. A single blood-invigorating herb alone addresses the stasis from only one therapeutic angle; the formula uses six herbs to approach the blood stasis simultaneously through hemostasis and stasis movement (San Qi), stasis breaking (Xue Jie), blood invigoration and stasis dispersal (Hong Hua), qi movement and tissue recovery (Ru Xiang), blood stasis resolution and swelling reduction (Mo Yao), and blood nourishment with invigoration (Dang Gui), ensuring the blood stasis is thoroughly resolved from all angles rather than partially addressed by a single-herb approach. Xu Duan addresses the structural sinew and bone recovery that the blood-moving herbs alone do not reach.