Missy is a twelve year-old Sheltie with deficient signs like foot pads that crack and can bleed.Her heart is slightly enlarged. But the purple or lavender color to her tongue is a sign of stagnation. It could mean anything from arthritis to cancer. Look at the way there are tooth impressions on the outside of her tongue (indicating dampness) and the tongue is flabby (also deficient sign.) There is also significant tarter on the inside of the back left molar and perhaps the start of a oral tumor or an epilude (a benign oral tumor) next to that tooth. Ah aging is not for whimps. Missy lived another 2 years because we started to treat her with diet and herbs to invigorate and move her Qi (life force) and acupuncture with vitamin injections to boost her organ systems.