Kan Essentials Spleen Support Formula (Wei Ling Tang)

Kan Essentials Spleen Support Formula is a classical Chinese herbal formula recommended by holistic veterinarians to tonify spleen qi and yang, dry and dispel damp in the middle burner, drain dampness via the urinary route, move abdominal qi stagnation, and warm the yang of the middle burner and bladder in dogs, cats, and horses presenting with the pattern of spleen qi and yang deficiency with damp and stomach qi stagnation accumulation. Also known by its classical name Wei Ling Tang, this eleven-herb formula is first recorded in The Teachings of Dan Xi (Dan Xi Xin Fa) by Zhu Zhen-Heng in 1481, and represents a classic combination of two foundational formulas: Ping Wei San (Calm the Stomach Powder), which dries and moves damp in the middle burner through its acrid aromatic drying herbs, and Wu Ling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria), which drains accumulated damp via the urinary route through its bland-leaching and yang-warming damp-draining herbs. The combined Wei Ling Tang strategy is important to understand because it makes this formula distinct from more straightforwardly tonifying spleen formulas such as Liu Jun Zi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction): rather than being overly tonifying, Spleen Support Formula strengthens the spleen simply by warming and drying it - removing the accumulated damp and cold that are suppressing the spleen's transforming and transporting function, so the spleen can recover its normal capacity without requiring a heavy tonic strategy. Because spleen qi deficiency is the primary pattern affecting cats, Spleen Support Formula is one of the most important formulas for cats in the Kan Essentials line, and is appropriate for dogs and horses presenting with the same spleen qi and yang deficiency with damp accumulation pattern. The pattern's characteristic signs - occasional fatigue and lethargy, limb heaviness, cold intolerance, loose stools or occasional diarrhea, abdominal bloating, belching, occasional vomiting, poor appetite, water retention, greasy or clumping coat, dander, and weight gain - all reflect the combined consequences of a spleen that cannot transform and transport normally (generating the qi and yang deficiency signs and the poor digestive function) and the damp that its deficiency allows to accumulate (generating the heaviness, bloating, fluid retention, and coat changes). This formula is contraindicated in pregnant animals and in animals with symptoms of heat, as its warm and drying nature would aggravate heat patterns. Available as a liquid extract and tablet. 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

• Middle-burner damp drying and abdominal qi stagnation moving through the Ping Wei San core herbs Cang Zhu, Hou Po, Chen Pi, Gan Jiang, and Hong Zao - the formula's damp-drying and stomach-warming group: Dries and dispels the accumulated damp in the middle burner through the formula's Ping Wei San-derived aromatic acrid drying strategy; moves the qi stagnation in the abdomen that damp accumulation generates; disperses the bloating and stasis in the abdomen through Hou Po's qi-moving and stasis-dispersing action; and warms the spleen and stomach to restore their normal transforming, transporting, and descending functions through the combined action of the Ping Wei San core herbs. Cang Zhu (cang-zhu atractylodes rhizome, Atractylodes lancea) is the Ping Wei San's chief damp-drying herb; its acrid, bitter, and warm nature enters the spleen, stomach, and liver channels to strongly dry dampness in the middle burner, warm the spleen and stomach - the warming action being specifically noted as important in this formula's strategy of strengthening the spleen by warming and drying rather than heavily tonifying - and expel wind-damp. Hou Po (magnolia bark, Magnolia officinalis) moves qi stagnation in the abdomen, disperses stasis and clumping from the middle burner, dries dampness, and descends rebellious stomach qi; the abdominal stasis-dispersing and bloating-resolving action of Hou Po addresses the stomach qi stagnation pattern that damp accumulation in the middle burner generates, making it the formula's primary herb for abdominal distension, belching, and bloating. Chen Pi (tangerine dried rind of mature fruit, Citrus reticulata) moves the qi of the abdomen and assists in the damp-drying process by its classical mechanism of cutting damp - the acrid qi-moving action of Chen Pi breaks the phlegm-damp accumulation through qi-flow restoration, as when qi moves freely, damp and phlegm lose their substrate for accumulation; Chen Pi also assists Hou Po in restoring the normal descending qi movement of the stomach. Gan Jiang (dried ginger rhizome, Zingiber officinale) warms the middle burner, disperses interior cold, and supports spleen and stomach yang - addressing the cold-damp dimension of the pattern and the cold intolerance sign that spleen yang deficiency generates. Hong Zao (red jujube fruit, Ziziphus jujuba, red) tonifies spleen qi without being cloying and heavy, harmonizes the middle burner, and moderates the acrid drying action of the Ping Wei San herbs to protect the spleen's fluid-generating capacity even as the formula removes accumulated damp. Generally well tolerated. Gan Jiang has an acrid, warming nature; caution with antacids and in pregnant animals. Chen Pi and Hou Po are generally well tolerated at standard doses.
• Damp draining via the urinary route and spleen qi tonifying and middle-burner yang warming through the Wu Ling San core herbs Ze Xie, Xiao Tong Cao, Fu Ling, Bai Zhu, and Rou Gui - the formula's damp-draining and yang-warming group: Drains the accumulated damp downward and out through the bladder via the urinary route through the bland-leaching damp-draining herbs Ze Xie, Xiao Tong Cao, and Fu Ling; tonifies spleen qi to reduce the ongoing production of damp at its source through Bai Zhu and Fu Ling; and warms the yang of the middle burner and bladder to restore the yang-driven transforming, transporting, and urinary-discharging functions whose deficiency underlies the entire pattern through Rou Gui. Ze Xie (Asian water plantain rhizome, Alisma plantago-aquatica) drains accumulated damp by promoting urination through the bladder channel; its bland and cold nature enters the kidney and bladder channels to guide the accumulated damp in the middle burner out of the body through the urinary route, and also clears any secondary heat that damp stagnation may generate. Xiao Tong Cao (Japanese helwingia pith, Helwingia japonica) promotes urination and drains damp from the bladder, working alongside Ze Xie and Fu Ling to increase urinary output and guide the damp accumulation out of the body. Fu Ling (poria, Poria cocos) strengthens spleen function, resolves dampness through its bland leaching action, and supports healthy fluid metabolism - simultaneously draining existing damp through urination promotion and reducing new damp production by supporting the spleen's fluid-metabolizing capacity. Bai Zhu (white atractylodes rhizome, Atractylodes macrocephala) tonifies spleen qi and dries damp in the middle burner through its bitter and warm nature, complementing Cang Zhu's more aggressively damp-drying action with a spleen qi-tonifying contribution that directly addresses the deficiency driving damp generation. Rou Gui (Chinese cinnamon bark, Cinnamomum cassia) warms the yang of the middle burner, warms kidney yang, and specifically supports healthy production and discharge of urine by the bladder - in TCVM, when yang is deficient, the bladder loses the yang-warming qi that drives normal urinary function, and Rou Gui's warm pungent action restores this yang foundation to the bladder while simultaneously warming the entire middle burner to support the spleen's transforming and transporting recovery. Rou Gui coumarin content; monitoring warranted with anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications and insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents (additive hypoglycemia). Ze Xie and Xiao Tong Cao; monitoring warranted with diuretic medications for additive fluid-depleting effects. Rou Gui and Gan Jiang are contraindicated in pregnant animals.
• Spleen and stomach qi harmonizing and formula action moderating through Gan Cao: Gently tonifies spleen qi, harmonizes the formula's diverse warm acrid drying herbs with its bland-leaching damp-draining herbs, and moderates the potentially drying and dispersing action of the formula's more acrid herbs - protecting the spleen's nutritive function while the formula's damp-drying and damp-draining strategy clears the accumulated damp that is suppressing it. Gan Cao (Chinese licorice root and rhizome, Glycyrrhiza uralensis) functions as the formula's harmonizing herb, ensuring the combined warming, drying, and draining actions of the ten other herbs work together as a coherent therapeutic strategy. Glycyrrhizin content; monitoring warranted with corticosteroids (additive sodium retention and potassium loss) and antihypertensive medications.

TCVM Principles

• Primary action - spleen qi and yang deficiency with damp accumulation and stomach qi stagnation, through the combined Ping Wei San (middle-burner damp drying and abdominal qi-moving) and Wu Ling San (damp draining via urine and spleen qi tonifying and middle-burner yang warming) strategy of Wei Ling Tang - first recorded by Zhu Zhen-Heng in Dan Xi Xin Fa (1481): Spleen Support Formula treats the spleen qi and yang deficiency with damp accumulation pattern through the warming-and-drying rather than heavily-tonifying strategy that distinguishes Wei Ling Tang from other spleen-tonifying formulas: by removing the damp and cold that are suppressing the spleen's function, the spleen can recover its own transforming and transporting capacity without requiring an aggressive tonic strategy. The Ping Wei San core (Cang Zhu, Hou Po, Chen Pi, Gan Jiang, Hong Zao) dries and warms the middle burner, moves abdominal qi stagnation, and disperses the damp and cold that are suppressing spleen function. The Wu Ling San core (Ze Xie, Xiao Tong Cao, Fu Ling, Bai Zhu, Rou Gui) drains existing damp via the bladder, tonifies spleen qi to reduce new damp generation, and warms the middle burner and bladder yang to restore the yang foundation that the spleen and urinary system require for normal function. Treatment Principles: tonify spleen qi and yang, dry and dispel damp in the middle burner, drain dampness via the urinary route, move stomach qi stagnation, warm the yang of the middle burner and bladder.
• Critical contraindications and the pattern differentiation between spleen qi and yang deficiency with damp (appropriate) and heat patterns (contraindicated): this formula's warm and drying nature makes it appropriate only for cold-damp spleen deficiency patterns; heat symptoms contraindicate its use; the confirming signs are cold intolerance, swollen pale tongue with thick white greasy coat, and slippery soft pulse: Spleen Support Formula's combined warm drying strategy is specifically designed for the cold-damp spleen deficiency pattern and is contraindicated in animals with symptoms of heat, because the formula's warming and drying herbs (Cang Zhu, Gan Jiang, Rou Gui, Hou Po) would aggravate any existing heat pattern by adding heat to it. The pattern confirmation signs for appropriate use are: cold intolerance (spleen yang deficiency generating interior cold), swollen tongue with a thick white greasy coat (damp accumulation throughout the body; the white coat distinguishing cold-damp from the yellow coat of damp-heat), slippery and soft pulse (reflecting damp accumulation without the rapidity that would indicate heat transformation), limb heaviness (damp accumulating in the channels and sinews), abdominal bloating and belching (stomach qi stagnation from damp obstruction), loose stools or occasional diarrhea (spleen failing to transform and separate the clear and turbid), occasional water retention (damp accumulating in the tissues), greasy or clumping coat (damp expressing at the body's surface), and poor appetite with lethargy (spleen qi deficiency reducing the generation of post-heaven qi). Pregnant animals are contraindicated due to the uterine-stimulating and yang-dispersing actions of Rou Gui and Gan Jiang. Your authorizing veterinarian must confirm the cold-damp spleen deficiency pattern and the absence of heat signs through complete clinical and TCVM assessment before initiating this formula.

Available Forms

• 1 oz Liquid: Concentrated liquid extract; mix into food or administer directly.
• 4 oz Liquid: Larger liquid supply for ongoing use.
• 8 oz Liquid: Bulk liquid supply for extended or multi-pet use.
• 60 Tablets - 500mg: Traditional small tablet format; can be hidden in food or a soft treat for easy administration.
• 120 Tablets - 500mg: Mid-size tablet supply for ongoing use.
• 300 Tablets - 500mg: Largest tablet supply for long-term management.

Ingredients

Active Ingredients: Bai Zhu (Atractylodes macrocephala, rhizome), Cang Zhu (Atractylodes lancea, rhizome), Chen Pi (Citrus reticulata, dried rind of mature fruit), Fu Ling (Poria cocos), Hou Po (Magnolia officinalis, bark), Ze Xie (Alisma plantago-aquatica, rhizome), Xiao Tong Cao (Helwingia japonica, pith), Gan Cao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis, root and rhizome), Gan Jiang (Zingiber officinale, dried rhizome), Hong Zao (Ziziphus jujuba, red fruit), Rou Gui (Cinnamomum cassia, bark)

Inactive ingredients vary by form; liquid extracts contain alcohol and water; tablets may contain excipients standard to tablet manufacturing.

VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation

Active Ingredient TCVM Actions

Spleen Support Formula (Wei Ling Tang) combines the herb groupings of two classical formulas: the Ping Wei San core herbs (Cang Zhu, Hou Po, Chen Pi, Gan Jiang, Hong Zao, Gan Cao) that dry middle-burner damp and move abdominal qi stagnation, and the Wu Ling San core herbs (Ze Xie, Xiao Tong Cao, Fu Ling, Bai Zhu, Rou Gui) that drain damp via the urinary route, tonify spleen qi, and warm the middle-burner and bladder yang:

• Cang Zhu (Atractylodes lancea) - Cang-Zhu Atractylodes Rhizome / Gray Atractylodes: Chief damp-drying herb from the Ping Wei San core; strongly dries dampness and warms the spleen and stomach through its acrid aromatic volatile-oil action. Generally well tolerated.
• Hou Po (Magnolia officinalis) - Magnolia Bark: From the Ping Wei San core; moves qi stagnation in the abdomen, disperses stasis and bloating from the middle burner, dries dampness, and descends rebellious stomach qi. Generally well tolerated.
• Chen Pi (Citrus reticulata) - Tangerine Dried Rind of Mature Fruit / Tangerine Peel: From the Ping Wei San core; moves abdominal qi and cuts damp by restoring qi flow that breaks the damp accumulation cycle; assists stomach qi descent. Generally well tolerated.
• Gan Jiang (Zingiber officinale, dried) - Dried Ginger Rhizome: From the Ping Wei San core; warms the middle burner, disperses interior cold, and supports spleen and stomach yang. Contraindicated in pregnant animals; caution with antacids and anticoagulants.
• Hong Zao (Ziziphus jujuba, red) - Red Jujube Fruit: From the Ping Wei San core; tonifies spleen qi without being cloying, harmonizes the middle burner, and moderates the acrid drying herbs' effect on spleen fluids. Generally well tolerated.
• Ze Xie (Alisma plantago-aquatica) - Asian Water Plantain Rhizome: From the Wu Ling San core; drains accumulated damp by promoting urination; enters the kidney and bladder channels to guide middle-burner damp out through the urinary route. Monitoring warranted with diuretic medications.
• Xiao Tong Cao (Helwingia japonica) - Japanese Helwingia Pith: From the Wu Ling San core; promotes urination and drains damp from the bladder, working alongside Ze Xie and Fu Ling to guide damp out through urination. Generally well tolerated.
• Fu Ling (Poria cocos) - Poria / Hoelen: From the Wu Ling San core; strengthens spleen function, resolves dampness through bland leaching action, and promotes urination to drain existing damp; simultaneously reduces new damp production by supporting spleen fluid metabolism. Generally well tolerated.
• Bai Zhu (Atractylodes macrocephala) - White Atractylodes Rhizome: From the Wu Ling San core; tonifies spleen qi and dries middle-burner damp; complements Cang Zhu's aggressive damp-drying with spleen qi tonification that directly addresses the deficiency generating new damp. Generally well tolerated.
• Rou Gui (Cinnamomum cassia) - Chinese Cinnamon Bark: From the Wu Ling San core; warms yang of the middle burner and kidney; specifically supports healthy production and discharge of urine by the bladder through its yang-warming action on the bladder qi transformation mechanism. Coumarin content; monitoring warranted with anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications and insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents. Contraindicated in pregnant animals.
• Gan Cao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) - Chinese Licorice Root and Rhizome: Gently tonifies spleen qi and harmonizes the formula's warm acrid drying and bland-leaching damp-draining herbs. Glycyrrhizin content; monitoring warranted with corticosteroids and antihypertensive medications.

Potential Drug Interactions

Spleen Support Formula's primary drug interaction concerns center on Rou Gui and the formula's combined urinary-draining herbs. Rou Gui (Chinese cinnamon bark) contains coumarin compounds with anticoagulant activity; animals on warfarin, heparin, aspirin, clopidogrel, or other anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications warrant veterinary review before initiating. Rou Gui also has hypoglycemic effects through its cinnamon-derived compounds; monitor animals on insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents for additive hypoglycemia. The combined urinary-draining action of Ze Xie, Xiao Tong Cao, and Fu Ling may add diuretic effects in animals on prescription diuretics such as furosemide or spironolactone; fluid balance and electrolyte monitoring may be appropriate. Gan Cao's glycyrrhizin content warrants monitoring with corticosteroids (additive sodium retention) and antihypertensive medications. Gan Jiang warrants caution with antacids and anticoagulants. Rou Gui and Gan Jiang are contraindicated in pregnant animals. This formula is contraindicated in all animals with heat pattern symptoms.

Medication categories warranting extra caution: anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications (Rou Gui coumarin and Gan Jiang combined concern), insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents (Rou Gui hypoglycemic effects), diuretics (Ze Xie, Xiao Tong Cao, Fu Ling combined additive urinary-draining effect), and corticosteroids and antihypertensives (Gan Cao glycyrrhizin). Your authorizing veterinarian will determine appropriateness based on your pet's pattern assessment, tongue quality, and current medications.

VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Spleen Support Formula, and why is it described as one of the most important formulas for cats?

Spleen Support Formula (Wei Ling Tang) is a classical Chinese herbal formula first recorded in The Teachings of Dan Xi (Dan Xi Xin Fa) by Zhu Zhen-Heng in 1481. It combines two foundational classical formulas - Ping Wei San (Calm the Stomach Powder) and Wu Ling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria) - into a complete strategy for spleen qi and yang deficiency with a damp accumulation pattern. In TCVM, spleen qi deficiency is recognized as the primary constitutional pattern affecting cats; cats are considered constitutionally more prone to spleen qi deficiency than dogs, meaning the damp accumulation, digestive weakness, lethargy, weight changes, coat changes, and cold sensitivity that spleen deficiency generates are among the most common presentation patterns in feline practice. Spleen Support Formula's warming and drying approach - strengthening the spleen simply by removing the cold and damp that suppress it, rather than using an overtly heavy tonic strategy - makes it particularly well suited for cats. Because it is designed for cold-damp patterns specifically, it is contraindicated in animals with heat signs; your authorizing veterinarian will confirm the cold-damp spleen deficiency pattern through tongue, pulse, and clinical assessment.

How does Spleen Support Formula differ from Six GentlePets (Liu Jun Zi Tang), and when is each appropriate?

Both Spleen Support Formula (Wei Ling Tang) and Six GentlePets (Liu Jun Zi Tang) address spleen qi deficiency, but their strategies differ in important ways that determine which is appropriate for a specific animal. Six GentlePets takes a more directly tonifying approach, using qi tonics (ginseng, atractylodes, poria, licorice) with phlegm-resolving herbs (pinellia, tangerine peel) to build spleen qi and resolve phlegm-damp; it is better suited for animals where the deficiency is more prominent and direct tonic support is warranted. Spleen Support Formula strengthens the spleen primarily by warming and drying it, removing the cold-damp accumulation that is suppressing the spleen's function rather than directly tonifying; it is better suited for animals where the damp accumulation is more prominent than the deficiency, where the cold-damp presentation is more pronounced (greater limb heaviness, water retention, bloating, greasy coat), or where a heavily tonifying formula might feel too cloying. Spleen Support Formula also adds the Wu Ling San urinary-draining strategy that Six GentlePets lacks, making it more appropriate when damp accumulation has progressed to visible fluid retention or urinary signs. Your authorizing veterinarian will determine which formula better matches your animal's pattern through complete TCVM assessment.

How is Spleen Support Formula administered, and what animals is it appropriate for?

Spleen Support Formula is available in concentrated liquid extract (1 oz, 4 oz, or 8 oz) and 500 mg tablets (60, 120, or 300 count). You can mix the liquid directly into food or administer it with a dropper; you can give the tablets directly or hide them in food or a soft treat for easy administration. It is appropriate for dogs, cats, and horses presenting with the cold-damp spleen qi and yang deficiency pattern; it is not appropriate for animals with heat symptoms, as its warm and drying herbs would aggravate heat patterns. It is contraindicated in pregnant animals because Rou Gui and Gan Jiang stimulate the uterus. Dosing varies by species and body weight, and your authorizing veterinarian will provide specific dosing guidance.

How long does it take to see results with Spleen Support Formula, and what signs indicate the formula is working?

Because Spleen Support Formula works primarily by removing the cold-damp obstruction that is suppressing spleen function - a warming and drying strategy - rather than directly building qi through tonification, some animals may show relatively prompt improvement in digestive signs such as reduced bloating, firmer stools, reduced belching, and improved appetite as the formula's drying and moving herbs begin to clear the damp accumulation from the middle burner. Constitutional signs of spleen yang deficiency - cold intolerance, limb heaviness, coat changes, and low energy - typically require longer sustained use as the spleen's underlying yang and transforming capacity rebuilds through the formula's warming strategy. The tongue coating is a useful monitoring sign: gradual reduction in the thickness and greasiness of the tongue coating indicates that the damp accumulation is being cleared. For more chronic or firmly established cold-damp spleen deficiency patterns, you may need 6 to 12 weeks of consistent use before significant constitutional improvement is evident. Your authorizing veterinarian will monitor tongue coating quality, pulse character, digestive function, coat condition, and body weight to assess treatment progress and determine when the pattern has resolved sufficiently to reassess the formula.