Herbalist for Animals was created in 2014, how has awareness about the care of animals living in a domestic environment evolved in your opinion?
We believe that the care of dogs and cats has been increasing, at least, our perception is that there are more and more people who care both about maintaining the health of their animals and about knowing the natural options in case of illness. Awareness has increased about natural foods and products to take care of health and reduce or complement taking medications.
In cases, for example, of dermatological or digestive problems, people are increasingly looking for the origin, which often consists of changing the diet to a natural diet and perhaps just adding some nutritional supplements. We have also noticed greater interest in natural products to avoid or reduce medication in chronic treatments for ailments such as osteoarthritis, which causes a lot of pain in animals as well. Furthermore, concern for the environment and for the hygiene and cosmetic products that we use has perhaps led us to increasingly look for natural products for dogs and cats such as shampoos, antiparasitics, eye and ear cleaners, etc. And we are very pleased to see how the offer of organically certified products for animals has been growing in recent years.
We are also very happy to see how there are more and more integrative veterinarians and the positive results of natural veterinary treatments are more numerous, normalizing the use of phytotherapy and nutritional supplements for animals.
What would you highlight about the Animal Herbalist proposal? How are you different from other online stores of products for dogs and cats?
One of our differences is that the products we offer have a recommended dosage for dogs and cats, that is, on the packaging and in the information sheet for each of them on our website, you can see the recommended quantities for the different weights of the dogs. animals. In addition, they are products made to be pleasant to the palate of our furry dogs and are designed for easy administration, usually by adding them to their food.
I would also highlight that many of our nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, and foods for dogs and cats are certified organic. For example, we have a wide range of mycotherapy, medicinal mushrooms, with BIO certification, which provides extra reliability, quality and traceability.
Our products are manufactured by European companies, many of them with more than two decades of experience in the production of these phytotherapeutic products for animals formulated by integrative veterinarians.
Finally, I would highlight that we also offer consultations natural nutrition, flower therapy (Bach flowers and other systems) and Aromatherapy remotely, by phone or video call.
What would be the five most in-demand products currently in Herbalist for animals?
It is difficult to select just five, but, due to the multiple uses they offer, I would highlight the following.
Artemisia Anna – It is mainly in demand for its good results when it comes to strengthening the immune system of dogs suffering from Leishmaniasis.
CBD – CBD oil comes in numerous concentrations depending on the need in each case. It is used, above all, as an anti-inflammatory for chronic ailments that cause a lot of pain. It is also used as a relaxant when there is anxiety in dogs and cats.
Turmeric – It gives good results due to its anti-inflammatory properties, which help with joint problems and also with gastrointestinal problems.
medicinal mushrooms – There are many medicinal mushrooms with multiple properties, perhaps the most notable is that they strengthen the immune system. They help in skin infections, bacterial and viral, and also in liver and stomach ailments, and in animals suffering from cancer.
Natural antiparasitics both internal, against intestinal parasites, and external, against fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Natural options prevent dermatitis and also contribute toxicity to the body of our animals, which can cause serious health problems.
Could you summarize for us what people's main concerns are regarding the well-being of their dogs and cats?
A very common concern that we hear about is having to give a dog or cat medication when it has been diagnosed with a chronic illness. They come to us to learn about natural alternatives that do not cause short or long-term side effects. In these cases, we sometimes suggest that they consult an integrative veterinarian, that is, one who also has knowledge of natural nutrition, phytotherapy, supplementation, acupuncture, etc. so that they can consult your case and see what the best treatment would be.
Our products are not medicines, they serve to avoid the possibility of developing common ailments and to alleviate and improve other diseases, but it is convenient for a veterinary professional with knowledge of natural medicine to establish the best treatment in each case.
You are a floral and aromatherapy therapist, how can these therapies help animals?
First of all, I would like to summarize that the so-called Bach flowers, that is, the flower therapy was created by doctor Edward Bach at the beginning of the 20th century when observing the influence of the emotional state on physical ailments. By testing and developing a formula of Bach flowers from the Mediterranean, Trembling Light... we seek to help the animal adapt to changes and new situations. As with people, an individualized consultation is more effective than wildcard formulas such as Rescue Remedy or others, but sometimes even these formulas produce very good results. Of course, they are not miracle solutions, they are a help, for example, when an adopted animal adapts to its new home, for when the family moves to another house, when traveling, for when another animal arrives at the home, or when a baby comes to the family, etc. There are times, however, that we have to assume that the animal simply needs more time or the help of an ethologist. We must also realize that sometimes we are the ones who must change and analyze whether our behavior or emotional state is negatively influencing them.
Regarding Aromatherapy, that is, the use of essential oils to improve the emotional and sometimes physical state of animals, our activity focuses, above all, on preparing the most appropriate formula to relax animals in specific occasions that cause stress. For example, a relaxing formula of essential oils in a diffuser or impregnating a piece of cloth near the dog or cat helps during times such as travel, during noise caused by fireworks, when we have meetings at home, etc. It is a non-invasive natural therapy that we also recommend is individualized, which is why we offer remote consultation. However, we also offer a ready-made relaxing formula for those who do not want/can't spend time doing a consultation.
If you had to reduce how we can take care of the physical and emotional well-being of our dogs and cats to five tips, what would they be?
- Healthy eating It is the basic treatment to improve health. A diet based on fresh ingredients is best for our dogs and cats. Hippocrates said “let your food be your medicine,” right? Well, we couldn't agree more. We have seen real changes in dogs and cats just by changing their diet to fresh, BARF or cooked, or mixed, with already prepared organic wet food. And also take care of the quality of the snacks we give them. Of course, adapting that diet to each animal and always with the help of a veterinary nutritionist. In this sense, a service that many clients appreciate is the remote natural nutrition consultation that we offer in collaboration with integrative veterinarians.
- Supplementation to keep your immune system in optimal condition, that is, reinforce at each change of season, at least, with echinacea, probiotics, medicinal mushrooms, royal jelly, propolis, etc.
- Natural antiparasitics, internal and external.
- Eco-friendly hygiene products, that is, shampoos, eye cleansers, ear cleaners, products to prevent tartar, etc.
- Help them be emotionally balanced, which implies that we are too, that we give them quality walks and adequate exercise, and that we play with them, fun is very important for health.
In Herbalist for Animals you collaborate with integrative veterinarians, why and how do you do it?
We completely share the integrative veterinary approach, that is, using the most suitable tools in each case to obtain the best results. And also take into account the emotional state of the animal and analyze how its environment, the family and the home in which it is located influences it. To do this, the veterinary professional must have knowledge of natural nutrition and natural therapies such as: phytotherapy, acupuncture, homeopathy, Bach flowers, aromatherapy, zoopharmacognosis, etc. If you also have knowledge of ethology, that's fantastic.
In integrative veterinary medicine, a natural and quality diet is prioritized, and we couldn't agree more. In fact, diet therapy, that is, making changes to the animal's diet to improve the physical and in many cases also the emotional well-being of the dog or cat, is one of the first measures that an integrative veterinarian usually prescribes.
In any case, when we are consulted about serious symptoms or existing pathologies, we always advise going to an integrative veterinarian. If the client does not know anyone, we try to redirect them to someone we know in their geographic area or who provides online consultation. Likewise, we collaborate with integrative veterinarians for the telephone or online nutrition consultation that we offer.
The same thing happens when we think that other treatments would be good, such as those from an ethologist, massage sessions, reiki, etc. The truth is that we are fortunate to have a network of contacts of great professionals that we have been getting to know since 2014.
And you also collaborate with many animal shelters. Do you think it is viable to help with natural products such as nutritional supplements, Bach flowers, etc. to these animals?
Of course, these are not very expensive products or therapies, and instead they can help a lot for animals to achieve emotional balance and be adopted sooner or adapt better and not be returned to the shelter. Many of these animals have suffered abuse, which makes them afraid, anxious, stressed... or even reactive. Flower therapy, aromatherapy and herbal painkillers, for example, can help them a lot. As I said, they are not prohibitively expensive nor are their application complicated.
Although we know that the volunteers of the shelters are often overwhelmed, there are success stories regarding the application of a natural diet, herbal medicine, acupuncture, Bach flowers, etc. like the Canópolis shelter of the Trifolium Foundation.
There are also shelters that apply to their dogs external antiparasitics based on essential oils to avoid allergies caused by many chemicals and using Bach flowers and aromatherapy to help dogs adapt better to the shelter or foster home, or before traveling to another city Country.
Finally, there are more and more feline colonies that buy natural antiparasitics from us to internally deworm their cats, adding them to the food, or that help strengthen the defenses of feral cats to better face the winter with our supplements. echinacea and other medicinal plants.
