Gemma Stokes, Founder of The Herbal Dog Company talks powders, tonics, and supplements to keep Westies healthy and allergy-free
How did The Herbal Dog Company come about?
We have been making lotions and potions for 35 years and descend from a long line of herbalists. Founder Gemma inherited her love of dogs and flowers from her nan and has spent years perfecting what she does. What we do isn’t new! It is the same thing people have been doing for hundreds of years.
Westies are prone to allergies. What advice can you give Westie owners with regards to your product ingredients that will help alleviate allergy symptoms such as itchiness/yeast/ear infections?
The immune system is the first place to start. Our immune powder is best teamed up with a condition powder such as yeast and allergies etc to give a supper boost to get on top of allergy symptoms. Owners of a West Highland terrier should know that our dry shampoo can be effective for allergies, helping to keep particles off the fur. Dry shampoos combine effectiveness with convenience, and they are quick! There is no rinsing required, you just apply directly to your dog’s coat to clean and deodorise.
Ears can be a really sore part of allergies and our ear tonic not only relives the itching by soothing the ear cannel it can also help prevent further flare ups.
Remember that too much bathing can dry out your dog’s skin and lead to allergy flare-ups or itchiness. For this reason, dry shampooing is ideal in between a weekly full bath to keep the skin soothed had healthy. All of our products can be used on sensitive dogs, so just pick a scent you like.
What makes The Herbal Dog Company different to its competitors?
That would be the passion and experience of our team. What we do has been done for centuries – we are doing nothing new, but the key is we strive to do it better than anyone else. We are proud to use PCR plastic in our product packaging, which is manufactured from recycled household, commercial and industrial materials. We are big on helping too, with our close relationship with charities alongside Gemma being a trustee for the RSPCA.
Your products are 100 per cent natural – how important is this element with your customer base? Have you found that dog owners are becoming more educated on what’s good for their besties?
The answer to that is twofold. We believe from a consumer’s point of view; the product’s effectiveness is still the most important factor in a buying decision. However, pet owners are becoming more educated in deciphering what exactly is in the grooming products they are buying. This certainly plays into our hands as a purveyor of natural products.
Tell us about your bestselling product.
At this time of year, with damp and mud coming into the equation, our bestseller is the dry shampoo. It doesn’t just make pets dryer, cleaner and more fragrant in the autumn and winter, but it can also help to prevent colds.
Health and wellbeing starts within – tell us about your dietary supplements, powders and tonics.
We currently stock dietary supplements such as All Natural Complete Multivitamin, All Natural Super Food Supplement and All Natural Herbacare Gut Health Support Supplement. Our unrivalled range of powders and tonics includes remedies like Seasonal Soother All Natural Allergy Support Powder Supplement, and parasite solutions such as Natural Flea Spot On.
