Herbal remedies are derived from plants and form the mainstay of herbal medicine sometimes called phytotherapy. This form of alternative medicine is very old dating as far back as 2800 B.C in China and involves the traditional use of remedies made from a huge variety of plants with confirmed healing properties. Many modern pharmaceutical drugs have their origins in plant-based medicine.

The answer is no; herbal remedies are made exclusively from plants where material such as bark, leaves, seeds, flowers, and roots are used in making the remedies. Whilst some homeopathic remedies are made from plants, all homeopathic remedies are based on ultra-high dilutions of the source material and so work in a unique way.

Herbalists often use a combination of several herbs together. Many of the herbs in these mixes work synergistically, meaning that they work better together, enhancing their medicinal benefits so that end result is a better overall response. Combinations also usually contain herbs that do different things. For example, some herbs may have anti-inflammatory properties whilst others in the same mix may help bind things together, soothe inflamed tissue or help drain toxins.

Usually yes but please check with us or your own vet if uncertain.

Alcohol is used to extract the constituent parts of the plants we use, ensuring all the important and active plant compounds go into the tincture. The alcohol also preserves the plant material and ensures that it keeps its medicinal properties for longer.

Yes, the amount of alcohol in our products varies between the products and the individual herbs in the mixes, but experience has demonstrated that the actual amount is not enough to affect most animals.

Yes, it is quite possible to do this. You will need to measure out the recommended dose and pop this into an old cup. Add a little near boiling water and allow the mix to cool. This steams off the alcohol without affecting the medicinal properties of the herbs.

Steam off the alcohol as described above and whilst the diluted herbal mix is still warm, add part of a stock cube or honey and allow it to dissolve into the liquid. Allow to cool before adding to food.

Yes, you can, but some of the mixes do taste a bit bitter. You can help by steaming off the alcohol as described above but adding a little more water than usual to dilute the mix a bit more. This will not affect how the herbs work. Do not allow the glass pipette to become contaminated with saliva, instead ask your vet for a plastic syringe, and use this instead.

Herbal products for dogs are also available as powders, capsules and in semi-moist kibble form. As tinctures are in liquid form and alcohol based, they are typically absorbed faster than kibble, powders or capsules allowing the active ingredients to enter through your dog’s digestive system more rapidly, usually starting to act within 30 minutes.

That really depends on the nature of the problem you are treating. Usually, it is as long as it takes for the symptoms to resolve. For minor problems, this may only be a few days, however some long-term conditions may require on-going daily treatment.

In general herbs work quite slowly compared with drugs but this does depend on what you are treating. You should see some positive effect within two to three days for most problems, but for more chronic conditions, it may take a couple of weeks to see some significant improvement.