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Herbsmith Rx Mai Men Dong Tang for Cats, Dogs and Horses

$70.00

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Herb Type

Herb Size

Herbsmith Rx Mai Men Dong Tang for Cats, Dogs and Horses rx lineup

Herbsmith Rx Mai Men Dong Tang for Cats, Dogs and Horses

Veterinary Authorization Required for TCVM Herbal Formulas - TCVM Pet Supply

Herbsmith Rx Mai Men Dong Tang is a classical Chinese herbal formula recommended by holistic veterinarians to benefit the stomach, generate fluids, and direct rebellious qi downward in dogs, cats, and horses. Comparable to Ophiopogon Combination and Ophiopogon Powder, it benefits the stomach yin, generates fluids, and directs rebellious stomach qi downward, addressing stomach yin deficiency with upward-rebelling stomach qi. A six-herb formula from Zhang Zhong Jing's classical Jin Gui Yao Lue, Mai Men Dong Tang is built around a very high dose of Mai Men Dong (ophiopogon) that profusely nourishes the stomach yin and generates fluids to replenish the yin consumed by chronic heat or illness, while a small amount of Zhi Ban Xia descends the rebellious stomach qi without drying the yin - the classical combination's defining clinical genius, where the large Mai Men Dong dose keeps the Ban Xia's drying action fully controlled while Ban Xia's downward qi-directing action addresses the rebellious qi and helps the yin-nourishing herbs penetrate the stomach more effectively. Ren Shen and Da Zao tonify the stomach and spleen qi; Jing Mi (nonglutinous rice) nourishes the stomach and protects the stomach lining; Gan Cao harmonizes. Well suited for dogs, cats, and horses presenting with stomach yin deficiency with rebellious qi, characterized by dry retching or vomiting, nausea, decreased appetite, dry mouth and throat, thirst with preference for small sips, a dry or peeled tongue or a tongue with a scanty coating reflecting the yin deficiency, and a thin, rapid pulse reflecting the yin-deficiency-and-heat pattern in the stomach. 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

  • Stomach yin nourishment and fluid generation: Profusely nourishes the stomach yin and generates fluids using Mai Men Dong as the principal herb at a classically high dose proportion, addressing the stomach yin deficiency that depletes the fluids needed to moisten the stomach and esophagus and produces the dry mouth, dry throat, decreased appetite, and thirst with preference for small sips characteristic of the stomach yin deficiency pattern in dogs, cats, and horses.
  • Rebellious stomach qi descent and nausea and vomiting relief: Directs the rebellious stomach qi downward and relieves nausea, dry retching, and vomiting using Zhi Ban Xia's downward qi-directing action in the small but strategically essential dose that descends the upward-rebelling stomach qi without drying the stomach yin being nourished by the formula's large Mai Men Dong proportion, addressing the rebellious qi rising that produces the nausea, dry retching, and vomiting of the stomach yin deficiency with rebellious qi pattern.
  • Stomach and spleen qi support alongside yin nourishment: Supports the stomach and spleen qi alongside the yin nourishment using Ren Shen's powerful qi-tonifying action, Da Zao's spleen and stomach qi-nourishing and blood-tonifying action, and Jing Mi's (nonglutinous rice's) stomach qi-nourishing and stomach-protecting action, ensuring the stomach has adequate qi alongside the restored yin to effectively receive, descend, and transform food and fluids, and preventing the formula's heavy yin-nourishing herbs from creating middle jiao stagnation.
  • Stomach lining protection and middle jiao harmonization: Protects the stomach lining and harmonizes the middle jiao using Jing Mi (nonglutinous rice) as a food-herb that nourishes and soothes the stomach directly, and Gan Cao as the harmonizing herb that coordinates the formula's yin-nourishing and qi-descending actions and moderates the interaction between the large Mai Men Dong dose and the smaller Ban Xia dose, ensuring the formula's combined stomach yin-nourishing and rebellious-qi-descending action is well tolerated throughout the sustained treatment course needed to rebuild the depleted stomach yin.

TCVM Principles

  • Primary action - stomach yin deficiency correction with rebellious qi descent through the classical large-Mai-Men-Dong and small-Ban-Xia strategy: Addresses the stomach yin deficiency with rebellious qi pattern using the classical strategy from Zhang Zhong Jing's Jin Gui Yao Lue: a very large proportion of Mai Men Dong profusely nourishes the stomach yin and generates fluids to replenish the yin consumed by chronic heat, illness, or fluid loss, while a small and carefully controlled proportion of Zhi Ban Xia descends the rebellious stomach qi that arises when stomach yin deficiency deprives the stomach of the yin needed to anchor and descend the stomach qi. The classical genius of this formula is the apparent contradiction it resolves: Ban Xia is inherently drying and warming and would normally be contraindicated in a yin deficiency pattern, but at a small proportion overwhelmed by the large Mai Men Dong dose, its drying nature is fully controlled while its essential downward qi-directing action addresses the rebellious qi and assists the yin-nourishing herbs in penetrating the stomach more effectively. This large-yin-tonic-to-small-qi-descender ratio is the formula's defining clinical structure and must be maintained for the formula to function as intended.
  • Secondary action - stomach and spleen qi tonification with food-herb stomach protection: Tonifies the stomach and spleen qi alongside the yin nourishment using Ren Shen (which tonifies the stomach and spleen qi to ensure the stomach has the functional qi capacity to receive and transform the yin-nourishing herbs and restore normal descending function), Da Zao (which nourishes the spleen and stomach qi and blood and harmonizes the middle jiao), and Jing Mi, nonglutinous rice - an unusual food-herb inclusion that reflects the formula's origin in the classical era when food and medicine were less separated than in later practice, nourishing the stomach directly through its food-grade stomach qi-nourishing and stomach-lining-protecting properties and supporting the stomach's recovery of its yin and qi foundation throughout the treatment course.

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: Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogonis Radix), Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix), Jing Mi (Nonglutinous Rice), Da Zao (Jujubae Fructus), Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix), Zhi Ban Xia (Pinelliae Rhizoma preparatum)

Inactive Ingredient: Flaxseed

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

Active Ingredient TCVM Actions

Mai Men Dong Tang is a six-herb formula from Zhang Zhong Jing's Jin Gui Yao Lue addressing stomach yin deficiency with rebellious qi through the classical strategy of profuse stomach yin nourishment combined with carefully dosed downward qi direction, built around the defining large-Mai-Men-Dong and small-Zhi-Ban-Xia proportion that is the formula's structural and clinical signature:

  • Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogonis Radix) - Ophiopogon Tuber / Lilyturf Root: Principal herb at the highest proportion; nourishes the stomach and lung yin, generates fluids, clears heat, and calms the spirit; the primary yin-nourishing and fluid-generating herb of the formula, providing the profuse stomach yin and fluid nourishment needed to replenish the yin consumed by chronic stomach heat, illness, or prolonged fluid loss, and used at a classically high proportion to ensure the stomach yin deficiency root is comprehensively addressed and to fully control the drying nature of the formula's small Zhi Ban Xia proportion. Mai Men Dong's action on both the stomach and lung channels makes it appropriate for the stomach yin deficiency pattern where the depleted stomach yin fails to anchor and descend the stomach qi, producing the dry retching, nausea, and rebellious qi rising of the classic Mai Men Dong Tang presentation.
  • Zhi Ban Xia (Pinelliae Rhizoma preparatum) - Prepared Pinellia Rhizome: Directs rebellious qi downward, dries dampness, and harmonizes the stomach; the essential rebellious-qi-descending herb used in a small proportion carefully controlled by the large Mai Men Dong dose, providing the downward qi-directing action needed to address the rebellious stomach qi without drying the stomach yin being nourished by the formula's principal herb. The prepared form (zhi ban xia, processed with ginger) moderates pinellia's inherent toxicity and warming-drying nature, making it more suitable for use within the yin-nourishing context of this formula. The classical 7:1 ratio of Mai Men Dong to Ban Xia reflects Zhang Zhong Jing's understanding that a small amount of qi-moving and downward-directing action is essential to open the stomach's qi dynamic and allow the yin nourishment to penetrate effectively, while the large yin tonic proportion ensures the drying nature of the Ban Xia is fully controlled throughout the treatment course.
  • Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix) - Ginseng Root: Powerfully tonifies the spleen and stomach qi, generates fluids, and calms the spirit; the primary qi-tonifying herb that ensures the stomach and spleen have adequate functional qi to receive, transform, and distribute the yin nourishment provided by Mai Men Dong, addressing the qi component of the combined yin-and-qi deficiency pattern and preventing the formula's heavy yin-nourishing herbs from creating middle jiao stagnation in the absence of adequate spleen and stomach qi to transport and transform them throughout the sustained treatment course.
  • Jing Mi (Nonglutinous Rice) - Nonglutinous Rice /粳米: Nourishes the stomach qi and yin, protects the stomach lining, and harmonizes the middle jiao; an unusual food-herb ingredient that reflects the formula's classical origin when food and herbal medicine were closely integrated, providing direct stomach nourishment through its food-grade stomach qi-nourishing and stomach-lining-protecting properties and supporting the stomach's recovery of its yin and qi foundation from within the middle jiao itself. Jing Mi's gentle stomach-nourishing and protective action complements the formula's herbal yin and qi nourishment by providing the stomach with direct food-source nourishment alongside the medicinal herbs, a classical strategy for supporting the stomach in rebuilding its yin and qi through both medicinal and nutritive means simultaneously.
  • Da Zao (Jujubae Fructus) - Jujube Fruit / Chinese Date: Nourishes the spleen and stomach qi and blood, harmonizes the middle jiao, and moderates the formula's herbs; the spleen and stomach qi-and-blood-nourishing harmonizing herb that supports the spleen's qi and blood alongside Ren Shen's qi tonification, harmonizes the middle jiao, and moderates the interaction between the formula's yin-nourishing and qi-descending herbs to ensure the formula is well tolerated throughout the sustained stomach yin deficiency treatment course.
  • Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix) - Licorice Root: Tonifies the spleen qi, clears heat and toxin, and harmonizes the formula; the classical harmonizing herb that coordinates the interaction between all five of the formula's other herbs and moderates the combined action of the large Mai Men Dong yin-nourishing dose and the small Zhi Ban Xia qi-descending dose, ensuring the formula's stomach yin-nourishing and rebellious-qi-descending strategy functions as a cohesive whole and is well tolerated in dogs, cats, and horses throughout the treatment course needed to rebuild the depleted stomach yin.

Potential Drug Interactions

Mai Men Dong Tang contains Ren Shen (ginseng), which has documented interactions with warfarin and anticoagulant medications, antidiabetic medications (ginseng has blood glucose-lowering effects), stimulant medications, and MAO inhibitors, and warrants monitoring in animals on these pharmaceutical classes. Zhi Ban Xia, despite processing, retains mild mucous-membrane-irritating properties and warrants monitoring in animals with pre-existing gastrointestinal mucosal sensitivity. The formula is specifically indicated for the stomach yin deficiency with rebellious qi pattern and is not appropriate for vomiting or nausea from cold patterns, excess patterns, or food stagnation without the accompanying yin deficiency signs (dry peeled tongue, dry mouth, thin rapid pulse), where the formula's yin-nourishing and cool nature may not address the root pattern. Pets on anticoagulant, antidiabetic, or stimulant medications should discuss this formula with their veterinarian before use, as herb-drug interaction research in dogs, cats, and horses remains limited.

Medication categories warranting extra caution include anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications (Ren Shen's interaction with warfarin and anticoagulants), antidiabetic medications and insulin (Ren Shen's blood glucose-lowering effects), stimulant and cardiovascular medications (Ren Shen's qi-activating and cardiovascular effects), and medications requiring careful fluid balance monitoring. Your authorizing veterinarian will determine appropriateness based on your animal's condition, current medications, and whether the presenting vomiting or nausea pattern is the stomach yin deficiency with rebellious qi pattern for which Mai Men Dong Tang is indicated.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What conditions is Mai Men Dong Tang used for in TCVM?

In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Mai Men Dong Tang is indicated for stomach yin deficiency with rebellious qi, presenting with dry retching or vomiting, nausea, decreased appetite, dry mouth and throat, thirst with preference for small sips, a dry or peeled tongue or a tongue with a scanty coating reflecting the yin deficiency, and a thin rapid pulse. Comparable to Ophiopogon Combination and Ophiopogon Powder, it is indicated specifically when the nausea and vomiting pattern is accompanied by the yin deficiency signs of dryness, thin rapid pulse, and depleted fluids rather than the excess, cold, or food stagnation patterns that require different formulas. It is particularly well suited for animals with chronic gastrointestinal nausea, vomiting, or decreased appetite following illness, prolonged heat exposure, or sustained fluid loss that has depleted the stomach yin.

How is Mai Men Dong Tang 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 for your individual animal and also confirm that adequate hydration support is in place alongside the herbal treatment, given the formula's indication for the fluid-depleted stomach yin deficiency pattern.

How long does it take to see results with Mai Men Dong Tang?

Because Mai Men Dong Tang addresses stomach yin deficiency - a pattern that typically develops gradually over time from chronic heat, illness, or fluid loss - rebuilding the depleted stomach yin requires a sustained treatment course. Many animals show improvement in nausea, vomiting frequency, and appetite within 2 to 4 weeks of consistent use as the rebellious qi is progressively descended and the stomach yin begins to be replenished. Sustained improvement in the underlying yin deficiency signs (tongue moisture, dry mouth, fluid balance) typically requires 2 to 3 months or more of continued use. Your veterinarian will monitor tongue quality, appetite, vomiting or retching frequency, hydration status, and body condition as indicators of the stomach yin deficiency's progressive resolution and the formula's effectiveness throughout the treatment course.

Why does Mai Men Dong Tang contain Ban Xia, a drying herb, in a yin-nourishing formula?

This is the most frequently asked clinical question about Mai Men Dong Tang, and the answer is the formula's defining classical insight. Ban Xia (pinellia) is normally warming and drying and would appear to contradict the formula's yin-nourishing purpose. Zhang Zhong Jing included Zhi Ban Xia at a small proportion specifically because stomach yin deficiency with rebellious qi cannot be resolved by yin nourishment alone - the rebellious qi must also be directed downward, and Ban Xia is one of the most effective downward qi-directing herbs available. The critical structural feature is that Ban Xia is used at a very small proportion relative to the large Mai Men Dong dose: the large amount of Mai Men Dong fully controls Ban Xia's drying nature, while Ban Xia's downward qi-directing action addresses the rebellious qi and helps the yin-nourishing herbs penetrate the stomach more effectively. This large-yin-tonic-to-small-qi-descender proportion is the formula's defining clinical architecture and the reason it works for a pattern that would otherwise seem to require opposing treatment strategies.

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