What's in Nature's Medicine Chest for Siff Canine Joints and Dog Agility Training?

By Jackie Rive at www.brookbyherbs.co.nz
Helping horses and dogs live healthier and happier lives, naturally.


Dogs that suffer from stiff joints can benefit from herbs in many ways that possibly you hadn’t thought of before. They can provide a means of enhancing your dog's quality of life by providing a safe form of flexibility and movement in the joints, critical to a dog's enjoyment of life.

Stiff joints can be as debilitating for animals as it is for humans and maintaining a healthy body before the onset of illness is an important part of preserving quality of life.

Herbal supplements that are completely natural and without the side effects often associated with synthetic drugs are fabulous for dog agility training. These herbs are also ideal for the older dog to help keep joints supple and help create good circulation.

Devil’s Claw is a particularly popular herb for the nutritional maintenance of the musculo-skeletal system and for dogs involved in agility training this is a wonderful supportive herb.

The herbal extract can help maintain joints, muscles and connective tissue in a strong and healthy condition, and can be hugely beneficial for bith the older dog and  the competitive dog as well.

We have had some fantastic comments from people who have tried our very own 'Nature's Free Mover,' which is used for maintaining joints and muscles in a healthy condition. Based in organic cider vinegar, the product contains Devil’s Claw, White Willow, Nettle, Meadowsweet, Hawthorn, Rosehips and Kelp.

Comments from Customers

“I'm absolutely thrilled and impressed with the results of 'Nature's Free Mover'. We have an 8 year old shepherd who was in a terrible state. The vet had put him on a course of drugs for his hips and basically it was completely knocking him out at night. The poor dog was so sedated he was wetting the bed and getting very distressed. We were all terribly upset watching him go down hill with no dignity left until my daughter suggested I try your herbal extracts. We have been amazed with the results. He is a completely different dog, up playing with the cat and running around like a young pup again. I wouldn't have believed it was possible. Well done and thank you. M.Wickham, Papatoetoe, New Zealand.

My vet recommended your product as one of 2 herbal supplements that would assist in easing my dog back into enjoyment of life! - Well, I used the Nature's Free Mover in his water bowl - and he is definitely more active and happy than what he was! Not yet back up to our 1 1/2 hour walks, but we may never be again, but he is certainly bouncing after wild rabbits and chasing balls etc. Problem is, so is my elderly (20yr) cat who drinks out of the same water bowl!! Rachael Hughes

Dear Jackie, Your 'Free Mover' was of great benefit to our old dog Buffy in her last years. We thank you for your promptness in supplying us when we placed our order and for the useful tips in your newsletters. We wish your business every success and would have no hesitation in recommending your company to others pet owners. Regards Allan & Joan Collins


a healthy muscular-skeletal system and enhance dog agility

Herb Dictionary

Here are just some of the essential herbs for the maintenance of healthy canine joints and dog agility training.

Devil's Claw (root)
(Harpagophytum Procumbens)

For the maintenance of the muscular-skeletal system
Nature’s own joint remedy
Shouldn’t be fed to pregnant bitches or where gastric ulcers are present
White Willow (bark)
(Salix alba)

The origin of aspirin
Good for digestive system
Meadow Sweet (herb)
(Filipendula ulmaria)

Origin of aspirin
Neutralises the acid in the system
Nettles (aerial parts)
(Urtica dioica)

Nature’s own cleansing tonic
Rich in iron and vitamin C
Increase circulation

Visit www.brookbyherbs.co.nz for a full range of natural organic herbal health blends for animals.

Useful Winter Herbs for Horses

By Jackie Rive at www.brookbyherbs.co.nz
Helping horses and dogs live healthier and happier lives, naturally.

With winter fast approaching, it's time to start thinking about keeping your horses and dogs in tip top health over the colder months. Below you will find a few of the better known herbs for fighting winter ills.

Echinacea:

Fights infections, reduces symptoms of colds and flu, stimulates the immune system and heals minor wounds and burns. "The herb normalises the number of white blood cells in the blood and helps them surround and destroy bacteria and viruses," says Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D., director of the American Phytotherapy Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, and author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine. It also slows the spread of infection to surrounding tissues and helps flush toxins away from infected areas, he says.

Echinacea is generally considered safe, says Dr. Tyler, although an allergic reaction is always a possibility. Discontinue use if you experience any adverse effects.

Garlic:

Garlic was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, chewed by Greek Olympian athletes and thought to be essential for keeping vampires at bay! But it is also good for zapping bacteria, keeping your heart healthy, warding off coughs and colds. Garlic is an antibiotic that can actually kill infecting bacteria and at the same time protect the body from the poisons that are causing the infection. It is known that the most sensitive bacterium to garlic is the deadly Bacillus anthracis which produces the poison anthrax. Even the forefather of antibiotic medicine Louis Pasteur acknowledged garlic to be as effective as penicillin and late studies showed similar activity to a more modern antibiotic, chloramphenicol. Even the blood of garlic eaters can kill bacteria and it is also reported that the vapor from freshly cut garlic can kill bacteria at a distance of 20 cms!

Rosehips:

Rosehips are a rich source of vitamin C as well as vitamin A, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin K. Rosehips make an excellent spring tonic and are very useful for general debility and illness. Used with other herbs Rosehips will help horses return to health after illness. The high vitamin C content will help to fight infection and build up the body's defences. They also contain biotin and flavanoids for optimum hoof health. Rosehips play a major role in kidney rehabilitation and adrenal function and can be used to prevent Azoturia or "tying up". Rosehips can be made into a tea by mixing 2 dessertspoons of granules into 1 litre of boiling water and this is left to steep until cool. This tea can then be split in half and used to dampen down the morning and evening feeds. The dosage for a horse in work is one litre per day, fed grounds and all.

Fenugreek:

Soothes sore throat pain and coughs. From ancient times through the late 19th century, fenugreek played a major role in herbal healing. Then it fell by the wayside. Now things are once again looking up for the herb whose taste is an odd combination of bitter celery and maple syrup. Modern scientific research has found that fenugreek can help reduce cholesterol levels, control diabetes and minimise the symptoms of menopause. The ancient Greeks fed this herb to horses and cattle. The Romans then started using it, too, calling it "Greek hay." (In Latin, "Greek hay" is foenum-graecum, and that evolved into "fenugreek.") As fenugreek spread around the ancient Mediterranean, physicians learned that its seeds, like many seeds, contain a gummy substance called mucilage. Mixed with water, mucilage expands and becomes a gelatinous soother for irritated tissues.

Brookby Herbs have many herbs available to help your animals through the winter season. For horses we offer Echinacea Organic Plus, a natural antibiotic that also boosts the immune system and Breathe Free, a natural expectorant for treating respiratory problems such as viral coughs and colds. It will help to soothe away any irritations and unblock the airways.

Nature's Immune Booster for dogs is a certified organic blend of herbs which enhances your dog's general well-being and protects against common dog health problems like kennel cough symptoms.

Visit www.brookbyherbs.co.nz for a full range of natural organic herbal health blends for animals

Brookby Herbs Launches in Australia!!

By Jackie Rive at www.brookbyherbs.co.nz 
Helping horses and dogs live healthier and happier lives, naturally.

Brookby Herbs, New Zealand’s leading family owned supplier and manufacturer of natural and organic herbal healthcare products for pets has successfully cracked the Australian market this month.

The range can now be purchased from a number of physical and online outlets throughout Australia, including Horse Supplies Direct in New South Wales and Natural Horse World in Tasmania. An Australian based manufacturer has also been brought on board to produce and distribute the brand’s selection of dry herbal products.

Brookby Herbs founder and Managing Director, Jackie Rive, believes that there is a growing international market for natural herbal healthcare for
pets.

‘As people across the world become more health conscious and increasingly aware of the food and supplement choices they make, they are also turning their attention to the health of their pets,’ explains Jackie. ‘This trend can already be seen in countries such as the United States where, according to a recent industry report released by the Packaged Facts market research company, annual retail sales of organic and natural pet food are expected to grow three times as fast as pet food sales overall through 2015. Pet owners are paying more attention to the feed and healthcare supplements they are giving their dogs, cats and horses and are starting to recognise the benefits a more natural and holistic approach can provide.’

According to Jackie, New Zealand’s clean, green image also gives producers of natural and organic products in this country an advantage.
‘Consumers overseas think of New Zealand and automatically imagine a healthy, pure environment. This perception is ideal for Kiwi pet care brands offering natural and organic alternatives,’ says Jackie. ‘We already have a large customer base in the United States, who purchase through our website and we now have the interest from Australia as well. It is definitely a market that is expanding, despite the global economic slowdown.’

Visit www.brookbyherbs.co.nz for a full range of natural organic herbal health blends for animals.

Online Beginnings

By Jackie Rive at www.brookbyherbs.co.nz 
Helping horses and dogs live healthier and happier lives, naturally.
 

At long last, Brookby Herbs has decided to make that leap into the world of online networking. We have had our own website for some years now but it was only recently that we really dedicated ourselves to online social media. I think it'll be an excellent way to connect with customers, our stockists and anyone interested in natural herbal health for their pets on a more personal, down to earth and immediate level. I'm really looking forward to getting started! Keep an eye on this blog over the coming days, weeks and months as we will be updating it regularly with all the latest Brookby Herbs news (and there are some very exciting things in the pipelines so please keep tuned), views, advice and information, as well as anything else we feel like chatting about.

I will be posting again very soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions, comments or feedback, feel free to contact us by emailing info@brookbyherbs.co.nz

Visit www.brookbyherbs.co.nz for a full range of natural organic herbal health blends for animals.