Collection: Gold Standard Herbs™ - hold
Our Origin Story
We got the idea for Gold Standard Herbs from Dr. Steve Marsden, one of the world's foremost holistic veterinarians. He is a conventionally trained veterinarian who went on to become a naturopathic physician and board-certified Chinese medical practitioner for humans. He adapted his human medical experience to animals, becoming one of the pioneers of American holistic veterinary medicine in the process.
If you Google Dr. Marsden, you'll see over the next twenty five years that he went on to receive several awards, lecture at hundreds of veterinary colleges and conventions on five continents, write or contribute to numerous textbooks and articles, co-found CIVT (a distance learning college for vets), and start Natural Path Herb Company, to ensure the vets he was teaching had access to high quality herbal supplements.
One lesson he learned in his career is that when the right herbs are paired with a real food diet, beautiful things happen. He also learned it often takes a skilled holistic veterinarian to figure that combination out.
Another thing he noticed, though, is that at least for some conditions, he always found himself reaching for the same formulas. These specific formulas have proven their safety and worth through hundreds or even thousands of years of human use. Why not offer them directly to the public to eliminate what suffering we can in their pets?
Dr. Marsden gave us those formulas and guided us as we tested and improved upon them over the next couple of years, putting them to work for heroic organizations dedicated to improving the lives of animals.
The end result of all this work is finally available for you to try! Our formulas go well beyond run-of-the-mill supplements, because no other products on the store shelves have these ingredients. Holistic veterinarians may stock these formulas of course, but if you you're not lucky enough to have one near you, at least you can finally access them yourself.
Pure and Natural
From beginning to end, we leave nothing to chance in creating a pure and natural supplement for your pet. All our products begin as tiny seeds planted in fertile soil, where they grow under optimal conditions to be harvested at the peak of quality.
Next, they make their way to FDA-inspected and -registered facilities where they are decocted, dried and blended to our specifications using GMP practices.
Many companies standardize their extracts for one or two plant compounds, throwing away everything else. We make whole herb extracts, however, because studies have shown a synergy between all their ingredients that actually makes them stronger.
The result is a collection of concentrated whole herb human-grade extracts which have been used for centuries in people, but which animals happen to thrive on as well.
Herbs and Food: A Dynamic Duo
Many people try to restore their pet's health by changing the diet first. Adding Gold Standard Herbs in to the new food can prevent upset stomachs during a transition to a new diet and back up many of a healthy diet's benefits, including:
- Supporting a healthy microbiome
- Modulating the immune system
- Protecting digestion
- Optimizing circulation to resolve inflammation and halt degeneration
These improvements are maximized on 'real food' diets such as:
- Diets made in commercial kitchens
- Commercially made raw diets
- Freeze-dried diets
- Home-cooked meals
Maybe, though, you're not ready to change the diet. No worries. Gold Standard Herbs can get the ball rolling in terms of what a healthy diet would accomplish. If you see results, you'll know a diet change is a good next step.
How do I give the herbs to my pet?
We always shake ours up with a little kefir or broth and just pour it over the food. If your pet is a slow eater you don't want soggy food sitting around, you can try sprinkling the herbs on dry, or mixing them into something delectable like peanut butter.
How often do I give the herbs to my pet?
To make significant headway, you probably need to given them twice daily. The doses don't need to be exactly 12 hours. Just dose when convenient.Over time, if things are going great, you can see if once daily will maintain the improvements. You may even find you don't need the herbs anymore, but many people are so pleased with the results, they don't want to stop! If you do end up stopping, when you re-start, they should work just as well as they did before.
Can the herbs be used along with medications?
Over time, many pet owners find their pets don't need as much medication, but the herbs don't interfere with drugs.
What if I accidentally give too much?
Because the herbs are not drugs and are non-toxic, this is not a problem. At the most, you might see some loose stools.
Are there side effects to watch out for?
Again, about the most we expect might be some loose stools, but that's about it. We also use plants that people and animals tend not have allergies to. If you're worried about how your pet will react, try giving the herbs once daily for a bit, to make sure they are going down well