Is pork a cool meat?

I *think* that it's neutral.

 Neutral would be ok. I do all turkey for her treats, so she's getting cool stuffs.

neutral ... *grin*  (and isn't it kinda fun we all know what we're talking about and the rest of the world is going "huH????";) -- In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine some meats are known to further inflame the body (i.e., "hot";), some are known to be "cooling" (lamb, beef) and some are "neutral" (i.e., don't add to inflammation but don't particularly cool either)

Dr Clemmons covers a lot of the principals of feeding according to TCM in this article:

http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/neuro/courses/vem5208/tcm-food.htm

 I'm not trying to start an argument or anything, but is there any scientific proof of cool, neutral, and warm meats? I find this topic very interesting but cannot seem to find any actual data on it....just people claiming that it is so.

jettababy

 I'm not trying to start an argument or anything, but is there any scientific proof of cool, neutral, and warm meats? I find this topic very interesting but cannot seem to find any actual data on it....just people claiming that it is so.

 It is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is an ancient form of medicine that is well accepted in Asia but very much considered "alternative" medicine here. It includes not only diet but acupuncture/pressure, herbal medicine, massage, breating exercises, meditation  I doubt that you will find the sort of proof you are looking to support it.

Jettababy - try "Four Paws Five Directions" by Cheryl Schwartz, DVM.

It isn't just *veterinary* medicine - -this is all part and parcel of Eastern medicine.  The two DOM's I go to (Doctors of Oriental Medicine) both subscribe to the same thing -- it's just here it's considered "alternative". 

 And it's the massaging and acupuncturing and herbs that go WITH the different diet that make it so great.

Thanks for the article, Agile!

We've gotten so hard-wired to think that every skin reaction is a "food allergy" -- and the confusion that results can be unreal.  And this honestly can bring some sanity because it simply explains it a different way.

It is NOT, honestly, something to just try on your own though.  You honestly need a good qualified TCVM vet (and please don't just go to the "token' holistic vet in a large practice -- the TCVM vets who are *the best* tend to be the ones kind of on their own or somehow in a practice where they can devote their whole practice to practicing TCVM) to really evaluate the dog and help you put it all together.  What Jennie says is very true -- it's not just "a diet" -- it is the whole thing.

 Yep, pork IS a cool meat!

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/rock-pig.html

Sorry.  Carry on.

Prancer "runs hot" so benefits from "cool foods".  I use alot of turkey.   I've had pork off her diet forever -- in other words, she's never had it.  I've "saved it" as her allergy food and one of the reasons (I THINK !!!) is that its a cooling food so it was one of the few I could turn to to meet both allergy needs (if the need should ever arise) and a cooling food.

Four Paws Five Directions -- EXCELLENT book.  

So....I'm just learning about TVCM and I've been thinking about getting that book....but, if you have no vets in your area that actually do traditional chinese medicine, is it a waste of time getting the book? If it really is all about the combo, then would it matter just feeding "wam", "cool", or "neutral" meats, or is that in itself useless without the other stuff that goes along with it?

Have you checked the Canada TCVM link?  and you might actually email Barabara at the Chi Institute because they are getting more and more Canadian vets all the time.  Then again, I've been known to drive a ways for this kind of treatment -- I started out going to Dr. Xie up in Gainesville (which is almost 3 hours away). 

It's way way WAY more than just the meat thing -- that's a kind of tiny tiny edge of the iceberg -- because it has to go along with the diagnosis on THAT dog and what imbalances there are.  See, in other words, there are times you WANT to feed a "hot" meat (if the gut is ... for some reason ... too 'cool';) --

Food, to the Chinese, is almost a medicine -- you don't give a pill if you can tweak diet -- sometimes it's pretty minor.  And how often have you heard me tell someone to give a dog prunes if it's constipated?  Fast?  no -- but it's truly better on so many levels to let the body balance itself.

But the Eastern way sees this big correllation between time and food and illness.  Like one of the first things Megan did when Pirate was seizing last winter was to log the *time* of the seizures.  When she saw Dr. Xie up at the Institute the was almost the first question he asked (right after what DATE it started).  Because the seasons and the hours of the day make such a huge impact on health.  Because Pirate has some liver issues (man, I think I'm remembering this right) he's particularly 'weak' or more susceptible to seizing between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. (and it's almost always when he did seize if I recall correctly).  But further seizures tend to be worse in the "Spring" and Dr. Xie was quick to point out that February-March WAS "spring" in Florida (time when things 'green' and buds come out, etc.)

That's just an example -- but it's all about balancing the body and being aware that a thing may be more possible at certain times than other times.  I can almost chart Billy's allergies on a calendar -- and it has little to do with the pollen count really.  Pollen is only the outward manifestation of it all-- cos it has to do with moisture and a whole lot of other things.

I'm not trying to be deliberately vague here -- GET the book, but don't try to inhale all of it at once.  You can do a whole lot literally by accupressure and massage.

We really haven't even mentioned the 5 elements and the "personality" of the dog and how that's influenced by it all.  *smile*

My friend owns the book, and we've discussed it a bit, but I do want to get it. The last I checked there was noone within a six hour drive (one way!) for me, which is why I never jumped into it.

But, there is a vet here who does use herbs and acupuncture...she just isn't on the website. A good friend of mine uses her and LOVES her (she sends three dogs to her), so I'm going to look into her experience and see what she's all about.