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Herbsmith Rx Juan Bi San is a classical Chinese herbal formula recommended by holistic veterinarians to remove wind-dampness and alleviate painful obstruction in dogs, cats, and horses. Comparable to Two Cured Powder, Two Cured Soup, Lucid Channel, and Citrus and Pinella Formula, it removes wind-dampness and alleviates painful obstruction, addressing joint stiffness and soreness that increases with cold and diminishes with warmth. An eleven-herb formula for the cold-predominant bi syndrome (painful obstruction from wind-cold-dampness invasion with cold predominating), Juan Bi San addresses the pattern through three coordinated herb groups: a wind-cold-dampness-expelling group that disperses the wind-cold-dampness from the joints and channels through the combined exterior-releasing, wind-dispersing, and dampness-removing actions of five herbs working at different levels and regions of the body; a blood-nourishing and blood-invigorating group that nourishes and moves the blood to address the blood stagnation that painful obstruction creates and to support the classical principle that wind is extinguished when the blood moves freely; and a yang-warming and qi-moving group that warms the channels, disperses cold, and moves the qi to enhance the wind-cold-dispersing action and relieve the cold obstruction of the channels. Well suited for dogs, cats, and horses presenting with cold-predominant bi syndrome, characterized by joint stiffness and soreness that worsens with cold weather or cold temperatures and improves with warmth, reduced range of motion, a pale or bluish-tinged tongue with a white coating reflecting the cold-dampness obstruction, and a wiry or tight pulse. 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
- Wind-cold-dampness expulsion and joint channel obstruction clearing: Removes wind-cold-dampness from the joints and channels using five coordinated wind-cold-dampness-expelling herbs (Qiang Huo, Du Huo, Qin Jiao, Sang Zhi, Hai Feng Teng) that address the wind-cold-dampness obstruction at different levels and body regions simultaneously, clearing the bi obstruction from the channels to restore normal qi and blood flow through the affected joints and relieve the stiffness, soreness, and reduced range of motion of the cold-predominant bi syndrome pattern in dogs, cats, and horses.
- Blood nourishment and invigoration to extinguish wind and resolve stasis: Nourishes and invigorates the blood using Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, and Ru Xiang to address the blood stagnation that the wind-cold-dampness obstruction creates in the joints and channels, supporting the classical treatment principle that wind is extinguished when the blood moves freely (the so-called "treat wind by treating the blood" strategy) and ensuring that the blood nourishment addresses any underlying blood deficiency that may be contributing to the wind invasion by failing to nourish and protect the channels from external pathogen entry.
- Cold dispersion and channel warming to relieve cold-predominant obstruction: Warms the channels and disperses the cold obstruction using Rou Gui's strong channel-warming and cold-dispersing action, directly addressing the cold predominance of the bi syndrome pattern that produces the characteristic worsening with cold temperatures and improvement with warmth, and providing the warming action that the wind-cold-dampness-expelling herbs alone cannot fully address when cold is the predominant pathogen among the three bi-causing external pathogens.
- Qi movement and channel flow restoration to support the wind-cold expulsion: Moves the qi and restores free channel flow using Mu Xiang's qi-moving action to address the qi stagnation that accompanies the blood stagnation and channel obstruction of the bi syndrome pattern, ensuring the wind-cold-dampness-expelling and blood-invigorating herbs have a free qi dynamic to work within as the obstruction is progressively cleared throughout the treatment course.
TCVM Principles
- Primary action - cold-predominant bi syndrome treatment through the triple strategy of wind-cold-dampness expulsion, blood treatment, and channel warming: Addresses cold-predominant bi syndrome (painful obstruction from wind-cold-dampness invasion with cold predominating) through three simultaneous herb groups that together address the external pathogen invasion, the secondary blood stagnation it creates, and the cold channel obstruction that distinguishes the cold-predominant bi pattern from wind-predominant and dampness-predominant bi syndromes. The wind-cold-dampness-expelling group (Qiang Huo, Du Huo, Qin Jiao, Sang Zhi, Hai Feng Teng) addresses the external pathogen invasion directly by dispersing wind, eliminating dampness, and opening the channels at multiple body levels simultaneously. The blood group (Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Ru Xiang) addresses the secondary blood stagnation that the channel obstruction creates, using nourishing action (Dang Gui) to support channel nourishment and protective function alongside invigorating action (Chuan Xiong and Ru Xiang) to move the stagnant blood and relieve the stagnation-based joint soreness and reduced range of motion. Rou Gui and Mu Xiang warm the channels and move the qi to enhance the wind-cold-dispersing action. The formula's classical clinical rationale is that wind-cold-dampness bi syndrome cannot be fully resolved by wind-cold-dampness expulsion alone because the channel obstruction creates secondary blood stagnation that perpetuates the joint soreness even after the external pathogens begin to be expelled; the blood treatment strategy addresses this secondary layer simultaneously, making the overall treatment more complete and durable.
- Secondary action - the blood treatment strategy as the distinguishing clinical feature of Juan Bi San among bi syndrome formulas: The inclusion of three blood-treating herbs (Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Ru Xiang) in a wind-dampness-expelling formula reflects the classical understanding that bi syndrome always involves blood stagnation in the affected channels as a secondary consequence of the channel obstruction, and that treating only the external wind-cold-dampness pathogen without addressing the secondary blood stagnation produces incomplete and less durable resolution. The blood treatment serves three clinical functions simultaneously: it nourishes the blood to strengthen the channel's defensive function and prevent re-invasion (Dang Gui); it invigorates the blood and moves the stasis to relieve the soreness and stiffness from blood stagnation in the obstructed joints (Chuan Xiong and Ru Xiang); and it implements the classical principle that wind naturally extinguishes when blood moves freely, since wind pathogens that have invaded the channels cannot maintain their lodging when the blood is actively moving through the channels.
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: Qiang Huo (Radix et Rhizoma Notopterygii), Du Huo (Radix Angelicae Pubescentis), Qin Jiao (Radix Gentianae Qinjiao), Sang Zhi (Ramulus Mori Albae), Hai Feng Teng (Caulis Piperis Futokadsurae), Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), Chuan Xiong (Radix Ligustici Chuanxiong), Ru Xiang (Gummi Olibanum), Mu Xiang (Radix Aucklandiae Lappae), Rou Gui (Cortex Cinnamomi Cassiae), Zhi Gan Cao (Honey-fried Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis)
Inactive Ingredient: Flaxseed
VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation
Active Ingredient TCVM Actions
Juan Bi San is an eleven-herb formula addressing cold-predominant bi syndrome through three coordinated herb groups: a five-herb wind-cold-dampness-expelling group working at different body levels, a three-herb blood-nourishing and invigorating group addressing the secondary blood stagnation of channel obstruction, and a two-herb yang-warming and qi-moving group addressing the cold predominance and qi stagnation, with Zhi Gan Cao harmonizing the formula:
- Qiang Huo (Radix et Rhizoma Notopterygii) - Notopterygium Root and Rhizome: Strongly releases the exterior, disperses wind-cold-dampness, and alleviates stiffness and soreness; the primary wind-cold-dampness-expelling herb of the formula with a strong affinity for the upper body and back, providing the most powerful wind-cold dispersing action of the formula's five expelling herbs and specifically addressing the upper body, neck, and back joints where its affinity for the tai yang channel makes it particularly effective for wind-cold-dampness bi syndrome in the upper limbs and axial skeleton.
- Du Huo (Radix Angelicae Pubescentis) - Pubescent Angelica Root: Disperses wind-cold-dampness, alleviates painful obstruction, and releases the exterior; the second major wind-cold-dampness-expelling herb with a strong affinity for the lower body, hips, and lower limbs, working as the lower-body counterpart to Qiang Huo's upper-body focus to provide comprehensive wind-cold-dampness dispersal from both the upper and lower body regions of the affected animal, together covering the full axial and appendicular musculoskeletal regions affected by the bi syndrome pattern.
- Qin Jiao (Radix Gentianae Qinjiao) - Large-leaf Gentian Root / Macrophylla Root: Disperses wind-dampness and alleviates painful obstruction, clears heat; the wind-dampness-removing herb that provides broad coverage for wind-dampness painful obstruction without the strong heating action of Qiang Huo and Du Huo, making it effective for bi syndrome across a wider range of thermal presentations and adding mild heat-clearing action that helps prevent the formula's warming herbs from generating excess heat during sustained treatment.
- Sang Zhi (Ramulus Mori Albae) - White Mulberry Twig: Disperses wind-dampness, unblocks the channels, and alleviates painful obstruction, especially in the upper limbs; the channel-unblocking and wind-dampness-removing herb with a specific affinity for the limbs and joints, particularly the upper extremities, providing targeted channel-opening and wind-dampness-clearing action in the affected limb joints that complements the broader wind-cold dispersal of Qiang Huo and Du Huo with more focused joint-specific channel-unblocking action.
- Hai Feng Teng (Caulis Piperis Futokadsurae) - Kadsura Pepper Stem / Futokadsura Stem: Disperses wind-dampness, unblocks the channels, and alleviates painful obstruction; the fifth wind-dampness-expelling herb that provides additional channel-unblocking and wind-dampness-clearing coverage in the joints and sinews, working alongside Sang Zhi to ensure comprehensive channel-unblocking action throughout the affected joints as the wind-cold-dampness pathogen is progressively expelled by the formula's expelling herbs.
- Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis) - Chinese Angelica Root / Dong Quai: Nourishes and invigorates the blood, alleviates stiffness and soreness, and moistens the intestines; the primary blood-nourishing herb that addresses any underlying blood deficiency contributing to the channel's vulnerability to wind invasion and the blood stagnation that the channel obstruction has created, nourishing the blood to strengthen the channel's defensive and nourishing function alongside the blood-invigorating action of Chuan Xiong and Ru Xiang, and implementing the classical principle that nourishing the blood supports the expulsion of wind by restoring the blood's ability to nourish and protect the channels.
- Chuan Xiong (Radix Ligustici Chuanxiong) - Sichuan Lovage Root / Ligusticum Root: Invigorates the blood, promotes the movement of qi, disperses wind, and alleviates stiffness and soreness; the primary blood-invigorating and qi-moving herb that directly addresses the blood stagnation in the obstructed channels, moving the stagnant blood and qi to relieve the soreness and reduced range of motion from stasis, and providing its own wind-dispersing action that reinforces the formula's primary wind-expelling herbs through the blood-treatment-extinguishes-wind strategy.
- Ru Xiang (Gummi Olibanum) - Frankincense Resin / Boswellia Resin: Invigorates the blood, promotes the movement of qi, alleviates stiffness and soreness, and reduces swelling; the third blood-treating herb that specifically addresses the soreness and reduced range of motion from blood stagnation in the joints, providing strong blood-invigorating and qi-moving action that complements Chuan Xiong's blood-invigorating action with additional joint-specific soreness-alleviating coverage, and moving the local blood stasis in the affected joints and sinews to relieve the obstruction-based stiffness that is the formula's primary clinical target.
- Mu Xiang (Radix Aucklandiae Lappae) - Costus Root / Saussurea Root: Promotes the movement of qi, alleviates discomfort, and strengthens the spleen; the primary qi-moving herb that addresses the qi stagnation accompanying the blood stagnation and channel obstruction of the bi syndrome pattern, ensuring the formula's wind-expelling and blood-invigorating herbs have a free qi dynamic to work within as the cold-dampness obstruction is progressively cleared, and preventing the formula's multiple warm-moving herbs from creating secondary qi stagnation through their sustained application.
- Rou Gui (Cortex Cinnamomi Cassiae) - Cinnamon Bark: Warms the kidneys and the mingmen fire, disperses cold, warms and unblocks the channels, and invigorates the blood; the principal channel-warming and cold-dispersing herb that directly addresses the cold predominance of the bi syndrome pattern, warming the channels to relieve the cold obstruction that produces the characteristic worsening with cold and improvement with warmth, tonifying the kidney yang to strengthen the body's constitutional warmth and resistance to cold-dampness invasion, and providing blood-invigorating action that reinforces the formula's blood-treatment strategy through its warming and unblocking action in the channels.
- Zhi Gan Cao (Honey-fried Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis) - Honey-fried Licorice Root: Tonifies the spleen qi, nourishes the heart, and harmonizes the formula; the harmonizing herb that moderates the interactions between the formula's multiple wind-cold-expelling, blood-invigorating, and channel-warming herbs, ensuring the sustained treatment course proceeds without creating secondary imbalances from the combined warming and moving action of the formula's active herbs, and tonifying the middle jiao to ensure the tonic and expelling herbs are effectively absorbed and utilized throughout the treatment.
Potential Drug Interactions
Juan Bi San contains Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, and Ru Xiang, which have anticoagulant and blood-invigorating properties that warrant monitoring in animals on warfarin or other anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications. Rou Gui's strong warming and blood-invigorating action may interact with anticoagulant medications and warrants monitoring for bleeding signs in animals on blood thinners. Ru Xiang (frankincense/boswellia) has documented anti-inflammatory properties that may interact with NSAIDs and other anti-inflammatory medications. Dang Gui has estrogenic properties that warrant monitoring in animals on hormonal medications. The formula's multiple warming herbs (Rou Gui, Qiang Huo, Du Huo) are contraindicated or require caution in animals with yin deficiency heat signs, active inflammatory heat bi syndrome (hot swollen joints), or heat patterns where the warming and cold-dispersing strategy would worsen the underlying condition; the formula is specifically designed for the cold-predominant bi pattern presenting with joint stiffness that worsens with cold and improves with warmth.
Medication categories warranting extra caution include anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications (Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Ru Xiang, and Rou Gui's combined anticoagulant effects), NSAIDs and anti-inflammatory medications (Ru Xiang's boswellic acid anti-inflammatory properties), and hormonal and estrogenic medications (Dang Gui). Your authorizing veterinarian will determine appropriateness based on your animal's condition, current medications, and whether the presenting joint pattern is the cold-predominant bi syndrome for which Juan Bi San is indicated, with particular attention to distinguishing cold-predominant bi from heat-predominant bi (hot swollen joints) where the formula's warm-natured herbs would be contraindicated.
VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation
Frequently Asked Questions
What conditions is Juan Bi San used for in TCVM?
In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Juan Bi San is indicated for cold-predominant bi syndrome (painful obstruction from wind-cold-dampness invasion with cold predominating), presenting with joint stiffness and soreness that worsens with cold weather or cold temperatures and improves with warmth or heat application, reduced range of motion in the affected joints, a pale or bluish-tinged tongue with a white coating reflecting the cold-dampness channel obstruction, and a wiry or tight pulse. Comparable to Two Cured Powder, Two Cured Soup, Lucid Channel, and Citrus and Pinella Formula, it is indicated specifically for the cold-predominant pattern and is not appropriate for heat-predominant bi syndrome (hot swollen joints that worsen with warmth), or for joint conditions from kidney yin deficiency, blood deficiency, or qi deficiency without the cold-predominant bi presentation. Joint stiffness that worsens with cold and improves with warmth is the primary clinical indicator that Juan Bi San's warm-natured, cold-dispersing strategy is appropriate for the individual animal.
How is Juan Bi San 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 first 20 days, then once daily for maintenance. 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. Your authorizing veterinarian will confirm the appropriate dose and schedule and will assess tongue quality, pulse, and the thermal characteristics of the joint pattern to confirm the cold-predominant bi syndrome diagnosis before beginning the treatment course.
How long does it take to see results with Juan Bi San?
Because Juan Bi San addresses both an acute external wind-cold-dampness pathogen invasion and the secondary blood stagnation that the channel obstruction creates, the timeline for improvement typically has two phases. Initial improvement in joint stiffness and ease of movement is often seen within 2 to 4 weeks of consistent use as the wind-cold-dampness is progressively expelled from the channels and the blood-invigorating herbs begin to move the stagnant blood. Sustained improvement in range of motion, the cold-sensitivity of the joints, and constitutional resistance to cold-dampness invasion typically requires 2 to 3 months or more of continued treatment, particularly in animals with a longstanding cold-predominant bi pattern. Your veterinarian will monitor joint range of motion, cold-sensitivity, tongue quality, and pulse throughout the treatment course to assess the progressive resolution of the cold-dampness obstruction and determine when to adjust or taper the formula.
Why does Juan Bi San include blood-nourishing and blood-invigorating herbs for a joint condition?
The inclusion of Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, and Ru Xiang reflects a fundamental TCVM principle: bi syndrome (painful obstruction) always involves blood stagnation in the affected channels as a secondary consequence of the channel obstruction, and wind pathogens that have invaded the channels cannot be fully expelled unless the blood is moving freely through those channels. This is the classical principle expressed as "treat wind first by treating the blood; when the blood moves, wind naturally extinguishes." Treating only the wind-cold-dampness pathogen without addressing the blood stagnation produces incomplete and less durable resolution, because the stagnant blood creates a stagnant channel environment that makes it easier for the pathogen to maintain its lodging and harder for the wind-expelling herbs to fully clear it. The blood treatment serves three functions simultaneously: nourishing the blood to restore the channel's defensive and nourishing function (Dang Gui), invigorating the blood to move the stasis and relieve the stagnation-based soreness (Chuan Xiong and Ru Xiang), and implementing the wind-blood principle to make the wind-cold-dampness expulsion more complete and durable.
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