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Herbsmith Rx Er Chen San is a classical Chinese herbal formula recommended by holistic veterinarians to dry dampness, transform phlegm, regulate the qi, and harmonize the middle burner in dogs, cats, and horses. Also known as Two Cured Powder, Two Cured Soup, Lucid Channel, and Citrus and Pinella Formula, this four-herb formula from the Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang (Formulary of the Bureau of Peoples Welfare Pharmacies, Song dynasty, 1107 CE) is a foundational phlegm-transforming formula of the classical Chinese herbal tradition and a base for many specialized phlegm formulas. The formula's name Er Chen (Two Cured) refers to the two principal herbs Ban Xia (pinellia rhizome) and Ju Hong (red tangerine peel), traditionally aged or cured before use. Processing details should be confirmed against the selected product's label; traditional preparation does not by itself establish the finished product's safety. The formula addresses three principal TCVM phlegm-damp patterns: Phlegm Damp Obstructing the Lungs (cough, mucus, respiratory congestion), Phlegm Rheum Abdominal Distension (digestive phlegm-damp accumulation, nausea, vomiting from phlegm obstruction of the middle jiao), and Phlegm Panting (labored breathing and panting from phlegm obstructing the lung qi's descending function). Well suited for dogs, cats, and horses presenting with the phlegm-damp pattern, characterized by productive cough with mucus or phlegm sounds from phlegm obstructing the lung qi, labored breathing or panting from phlegm obstruction, nausea and vomiting from phlegm accumulation in the middle jiao, reduced appetite and digestive disturbance from phlegm-damp obstructing the spleen and stomach, a pale or slightly dusky tongue with a white greasy or slippery coating reflecting the phlegm-damp accumulation, and a slippery pulse reflecting the phlegm and dampness. These pattern descriptions are not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis; labored breathing or respiratory distress requires immediate veterinary care. 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
If the horse initially refuses, start with a small amount mixed into grain and gradually increase until accustomed to the taste, or as directed by your veterinarian. Most horses will readily accept the herbs in their grain. Confirm the dog dose at the overlapping 80 lb boundary with your authorizing veterinarian. Veterinary authorization and medication review are required. Do not use for yin vacuity dryness, phlegm-heat, or wind-phlegm neurological presentations without a different veterinarian-directed strategy. Continue for the prescribed duration, or as directed by your veterinarian. Seek immediate veterinary care for labored breathing or respiratory distress.
Active Ingredients: Ban Xia (Rhizoma Pinelliae Ternatae) - Pinellia rhizome; Ju Hong (Pericarpium Citri Erythrocarpae) - Red tangerine peel; Fu Ling (Sclerotium Poriae Cocos) - Poria; Zhi Gan Cao (Honey-fried Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis) - Honey-fried licorice root.
Inactive Ingredient: Flaxseed.
Ingredient information: Names retain the existing listing information. Exact botanical species, citrus identity, and Ban Xia processing details have not been independently verified against a current manufacturer label. Confirm the selected blend's ingredient and preparation details with the manufacturer and your authorizing veterinarian.
VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation
Er Chen San combines four complementary roles: Ban Xia transforms phlegm and dries dampness as the principal herb; Ju Hong moves qi and assists phlegm transformation as the associate herb; Fu Ling strengthens the spleen and drains dampness as the supporting herb; and Zhi Gan Cao harmonizes and moderates as the envoy herb:
Er Chen San contains phlegm-transforming and drying Ban Xia, aromatic qi-regulating Ju Hong, damp-draining Fu Ling, and honey-fried licorice root (Zhi Gan Cao). These ingredient groups warrant review alongside prescription medications. Pets taking prescription medications should use this formula under veterinary supervision because herb-drug interaction research in dogs and cats is limited. Horses taking prescription medications also require veterinary review. Confirm Ban Xia's processed preparation before use. The drying strategy is not appropriate for yin vacuity dryness, and unmodified Er Chen San is not appropriate for phlegm-heat or wind-phlegm neurological presentations.
Medication categories warranting extra caution include anticholinergic or cholinergic medications, corticosteroids, diuretics, antihypertensive medications, medications processed by liver enzymes with narrow therapeutic ranges including cyclosporine and tacrolimus, and multiple concurrent prescriptions. Your authorizing veterinarian can determine appropriateness based on your animal's condition, current medications, and laboratory results, together with tongue, pulse, and assessment of the phlegm pattern's thermal character and location.
VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation
In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Er Chen San is selected for phlegm-damp patterns in the lung and middle jiao. Respiratory presentations may include a mucus-associated cough and congestion; digestive presentations may include reduced appetite, abdominal fullness, and nausea or vomiting in species that can vomit. These signs require veterinary diagnosis, not self-selection of a formula. The traditional pattern commonly includes a pale or slightly dusky tongue with a white greasy or slippery coating and a slippery pulse. Your authorizing veterinarian distinguishes this from phlegm-heat, yin vacuity phlegm, and wind-phlegm with neurological signs, which require different strategies. Labored breathing or respiratory distress is an emergency and should not be managed by waiting for an herbal response.
Mix the powder into food or grain. Dogs and cats use the Canine Blend. For dogs under 30 lbs, give ½ tsp twice daily, or as directed by your veterinarian. For dogs 30-80 lbs, give 1 tsp twice daily, or as directed by your veterinarian. For dogs 80-120 lbs, give 1½ tsp twice daily, or as directed by your veterinarian. For dogs over 120 lbs, give 2 tsp twice daily, or as directed by your veterinarian. For cats, give ¼ tsp twice daily, or as directed by your veterinarian. Confirm the dog dose at the overlapping 80 lb boundary with your authorizing veterinarian.
Horses use the Equine/Horse Blend. For a 1,000 lb horse, give two tablespoons twice daily, or as directed by your veterinarian. Continue the initial schedule for 20 days, or as directed by your veterinarian. Then give two tablespoons once daily in grain, or as directed by your veterinarian. If the horse initially refuses, start with a small amount mixed into grain and gradually increase until accustomed to the taste, or as directed by your veterinarian. Review all current medications before use. Your veterinarian will guide any transition to a spleen-supporting maintenance strategy as the pattern changes.
Your veterinarian will assess the diagnosed respiratory or digestive condition, appetite, comfort, mucus-associated signs, tongue coating, and pulse alongside any appropriate clinical testing. Response timing varies with the cause and duration of the signs and concurrent care; a fixed improvement timeline cannot be promised. Continue for the prescribed duration, or as directed by your veterinarian. Reassessment helps determine whether phlegm-damp remains present or the formula should be changed. Labored breathing or respiratory distress requires immediate veterinary care rather than waiting for a scheduled reassessment.
Er Chen San provides a foundational combination of phlegm transformation, qi regulation, spleen support, and harmonization. Other formulas develop related strategies by adding herbs for particular patterns: Wen Dan Tang includes Zhu Ru and Zhi Shi for a different qi-regulating and phlegm-heat strategy; Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan adds lung heat-clearing and phlegm-transforming ingredients; and Di Tan formulas use stronger phlegm-transforming and orifice-opening strategies for distinct presentations. The shared framework does not make these formulas interchangeable. Your authorizing veterinarian selects the formula according to the animal's diagnosis, thermal pattern, tissue location, and accompanying signs.
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