The short answer: Choose for one single need, give one product at a time and decide in advance when you will evaluate. A healthy animal on a complete food often needs no supplement at all. The table below shows what each Herbiovet product is for, what it costs per day and what it is not.
Start with the question, not the product
Most people who buy supplements already have two or three jars at home. Then there is no way of knowing which one is doing anything. So decide first what difference you want to see: the dog getting up more easily after rest, the stomach staying calm during a food change, the cat coping with the car journey. Then choose one product for exactly that.
Supplements for animals are legally called complementary feed. The Swedish Board of Agriculture states that anything given to animals as a supplement counts as feed, and that it is not permitted to claim that a feed prevents, treats or cures disease.1 That is a good rule of thumb for you as a buyer too: anyone who promises to cure something is either selling an unlicensed medicine or promising too much.
One product at a time, one thing you want to see, and a date when you decide. That is the whole method.
The whole range in one table
Cost per day is calculated on the regular price and the dosage on the pack. If you want to calculate for your own dog or cat, use the Cost per day calculator.
| Need | Product | Form and contents | Cost per day | What it is not |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Older cat or dog, kidney function | NEPHTANNU, 279 kr | Syrup 200 ml with seven herbs | 1.40 to 2.79 kr for a cat under 5 kg. 13.95 to 27.90 kr for a dog over 15 kg. | Not a renal diet, not a phosphate binder and no treatment for kidney disease. |
| Anxiety at New Year, thunder, travel | ANNUSTRESS, 259 kr | Syrup 200 ml with holy basil, ashwagandha, bacopa and amla | 12.95 kr for a kitten or puppy. 38.85 kr for a large dog at the daily dose. | Not sedating and no replacement for training or prescription help for severe fear. |
| Stiffer after rest, slower on the stairs | ANNUJOINTS, 369 kr | 60 tablets with calcium, phosphorus, D3, Cissus quadrangularis and turmeric | 6.15 kr for 10 kg and 12.30 kr for 20 kg. Double for the first three weeks. | Contains no glucosamine, chondroitin or green-lipped mussel. Does not treat osteoarthritis. |
| Unsettled stomach for a short period | DIARANNU, 399 kr | 60 tablets with pomegranate, bael, guduchi, nut grass and catechu | 46.55 to 186.20 kr per seven-day course, depending on size. | Not a probiotic and not a daily supplement. Not for acute or bloody diarrhoea. |
| Dull coat, dry skin | ANNU OMEGA-3, 329 kr | 60 tablets with vitamin E 50 mg and biotin 1.5 mg | 10.97 to 21.93 kr | Not an omega-3 supplement. The amount of omega-3 is 1.5 mg per tablet. |
| Changing seasons, less energy | IMMUGROW PLUS, 249 kr | Syrup 200 ml with vitamins, selenium and four herbs | 12.45 kr for a small puppy or kitten. 37.35 kr for a large dog. | Does not prevent or treat infections. Suits a course, not year-round use for large dogs. |
| Bones in growing and older animals | ANNUCAL, 299 kr | 60 tablets with calcium, phosphorus, D3, A and B12 | 4.98 kr for a kitten or small puppy, 9.97 kr for a cat or small dog, 19.93 kr for a large dog. | Should not be given on top of a growth food without asking the vet. More calcium is not better. |
| Everyday bath | ANNU ALOE, 189 kr | Shampoo 200 ml with aloe vera | Depends on the coat | No treatment for skin problems. |
| Coat that sheds heavily | ANNUHAIR LOSS, 189 kr | Shampoo 200 ml with amla, aloe vera and liquorice root | Depends on the coat | Does not stop shedding. Heavy or sudden hair loss should be investigated. |
| Skin that itches temporarily | ANNUBACT, 199 kr | Shampoo 200 ml with neem and basil, without chlorhexidine | Depends on the coat | Not a medicine against infection, allergy or parasites. |
| Baths during tick season | TICKANNU, 239 kr | Shampoo 200 ml | Depends on the coat | A shampoo, not a tick treatment that works between baths. |
Three things the table shows
Syrup suits small animals, tablets suit large ones
One bottle of NEPHTANNU lasts 100 to 200 days for a cat under 5 kg. The same bottle lasts 10 to 20 days for a dog over 15 kg. If you have a large dog and want to give a syrup daily it gets expensive, and then it is more honest to see the syrup as a course over a limited period.
Two of the products are courses
DIARANNU is given for seven days and then it is done. ANNUJOINTS has a double dose for the first three weeks. A dog over roughly 14 kg therefore needs more than one jar to get through the start.
We say what is not in the jar
If you are looking for glucosamine, probiotics or a high dose of omega-3, you will not find them with us today. It is in the table so that you do not discover it after buying.
How long should you give it before judging?
The stomach usually gives its answer during the course. For calm, coat and mobility you should allow several weeks, and that is why our guarantee is 42 days. Write down what you want to see before you start, and look at the note again after six weeks. More on why it takes time in the article Four weeks, not four days.
When to call the vet instead
- The animal is lame, whimpers or avoids moving.
- Diarrhoea that is bloody, or that has not improved within one to two days.2
- The cat is clearly drinking and urinating more than before.
- Itching with sores, or hair loss that comes on suddenly.
- Fear so strong that the animal hurts itself or cannot be reached.
A supplement is something you do alongside what the vet does. It never replaces an examination.
Frequently asked questions
Does my dog or cat need supplements?
Not necessarily. A healthy animal on a complete food usually manages without. Supplements are for when something specific is not working, or when the animal has extra needs because of age or strain.
Can I give several products at the same time?
Start with one. ANNUSTRESS and IMMUGROW PLUS share two herbs, ashwagandha and amla, so they are rarely needed together. If the animal is on medication, check with the vet first and bring the ingredient list.
Do the products work for cats?
The syrups are easiest, because they can be mixed into a little wet food. ANNUJOINTS is a dog product, because the tablet has to be swallowed whole.
Where are the products made?
In Saharanpur in northern India, in a GMP, HACCP and ISO certified facility. Herbiovet AB is a Swedish company in Kalmar. We do not call the products Swedish-made.
Read on
- Kidney supplements for cats: four types and what they do
- Calming herbs for dogs and cats: what we know and do not know
- Glucosamine or green-lipped mussel: what the research says
- Loose stools when changing food: a day-by-day schedule
That was the short answer. If you have a question about your own animal, email info@herbiovet.se. We reply within one working day.
Sources
- Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket), Selling feed in shops and Manufacturing feed (in Swedish).
- AniCura, Diarrhoea in dogs (in Swedish).