HerbSmith Rx
Looking at Herbsmith supplements for your dog?
Herbsmith is one of my favorite pet-specific herbal and nutritional lines because the company bridges Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Western herbs and modern nutritional support.
It was founded by holistic veterinarian and TCVM practitioner Dr. Chris Bessent, and the current line now includes products for allergies, gut health, joints, kidneys, liver, anxiety, cognition, heart support and more.
That's also the problem.
Once you start shopping Herbsmith, it becomes very easy to build a six-product bowl because every bottle sounds useful.
I would rather decide what your dog actually needs first.
I’m not here just to sell you the product. I help you decide whether it belongs in the plan at all.
This is a pet supplement company built by someone who actually practices Chinese medicine.
Herbsmith's biggest difference is not that the products contain herbs. Lots of companies can put herbs in a jar.
What makes Herbsmith useful to me is the way Dr. Bessent combines traditional Chinese herbal thinking with practical veterinary products.
Veterinarian developed
Herbsmith is owned and formulated under the direction of holistic veterinarian and TCVM practitioner Dr. Chris Bessent.
TCVM foundation
Several formulas consider patterns such as Heat, Dampness, Qi deficiency and Shen rather than simply matching one herb to one symptom.
Pet-specific products
These are designed for dogs and cats rather than asking you to adapt a human herbal product yourself.
cGMP facility
Herbsmith manufactures in its own cGMP facility under veterinary oversight.
NASC Quality Seal
The current line carries the NASC Quality Seal and Herbsmith describes both in-house and independent testing for purity and consistency.
More than herbs
The current line also includes probiotics, omega-3s, amino acids, cognitive nutrients and joint-support compounds.
Clear AllerQi and Gentian Relieve Allergies are not the same Herbsmith product.
This is important because I currently have older Herbsmith allergy content on this site that can make the names confusing.
Clear AllerQi is currently part of Herbsmith's publicly available pet supplement line.
Gentian Relieve Allergies belongs to the professional Herbsmith Rx line.
Both come from a TCVM way of thinking about allergy patterns, but I would not treat the names as interchangeable or assume the stronger professional formula is automatically appropriate because a dog itches.
Herbsmith gives us more than another anti-itch chew.
Clear AllerQi
Clear AllerQi is Herbsmith's current publicly available TCVM-inspired seasonal allergy formula.
Herbsmith describes it for dogs who run hot, become greasy, lick paws, itch at night or flare with seasonal changes.
The formula is built around the Chinese-medicine concepts of clearing Heat and Dampness while supporting a balanced histamine response.
Dana's Take: This is exactly why TCVM can add something useful to an allergy plan.
An itchy dog isn't just “a dog with histamine.”
But I still want food history, yeast, gut health, medications, environmental pattern and the entire symptom picture.
Glimmer
Glimmer is Herbsmith's nutritional skin-and-coat support product and provides fatty-acid and nutrient support for coat quality and skin health.
Dana's Take: This may be useful for dry coat or skin support.
I don't expect a coat supplement to solve chronic yeast, repeated ear infections or an unresolved food problem.
Herbsmith now has several different gut tools — because “bad digestion” is not one problem.
Microflora Plus
Microflora Plus is currently a 4-in-1 synbiotic product combining probiotics, prebiotic FOS, digestive enzymes and herbs.
The current formula provides 10 billion CFU per dose and includes Bacillus species along with Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Dana's Take: I like that this does more than simply throw a probiotic number on the label.
But probiotics still need an environment where useful bacteria can thrive.
GastroCare
GastroCare is one of Herbsmith's newer herbal GI formulas for dogs and cats with ongoing digestive problems.
Current herbs include Angelica, Atractylodes, Bupleurum, Ginger, Poria, White Peony, Licorice and Mint.
Herbsmith positions it around GI-lining support, normal motility, persistent loose stool and sensitive digestion.
Dana's Take: This is more interesting to me for a chronic pattern than repeatedly reaching for an acute diarrhea product without asking why the gut keeps destabilizing.
Slippery Elm
Herbsmith also sells a simpler Slippery Elm product for temporary soothing support.
Dana's Take: Slippery elm and GastroCare do different jobs.
One may help soothe an irritated tract; the other is a broader herbal formula intended for a persistent digestive pattern.
Herbsmith has three different ways to think about joint support.
Sound Dog Viscosity
Sound Dog Viscosity combines more traditional joint nutrients with herbs.
The current formula includes:
glucosamine HCl, MSM, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, Frankincense, Corydalis, curcumin and Yucca.
Dana's Take: This is the Herbsmith product I think of when the goal is daily structural joint and joint-fluid support.
Soothe Joints
Soothe Joints approaches mobility through Herbsmith's herbal and TCVM lens rather than simply supplying glucosamine.
Dana's Take: This can make sense when the herbal pattern and the dog's joint presentation point us in that direction.
Comfort Aches
Comfort Aches is intended more around occasional soreness and temporary musculoskeletal discomfort.
Dana's Take: That is a different job from building a dog's daily long-term joint foundation.
Herbsmith separates everyday anxiety from “something scary is happening right now.”
Calm Shen
Calm Shen is designed for dogs and cats living with ongoing, day-to-day anxiety rather than only occasional stressful events.
The herbal blend includes Rehmannia, Tang Kuei, Schisandra, Sour Jujube, Ginseng, Poria, Polygala and several other traditional Chinese herbs.
Dana's Take: This is a gradual daily-support formula.
Herbsmith itself distinguishes it from quick-acting calming products and notes that behavioral training may still belong in the plan.
July Third
July Third is Herbsmith's shorter-term calming option for events such as storms, fireworks, travel, grooming, vet visits and other acute stressors.
Dana's Take: The distinction is smart.
A dog who panics during one thunderstorm is not necessarily the same dog who lives at an anxiety level of eight out of ten every day.
Senior Dog Wisdom has become a much more substantial product than the old page suggested.
Senior Dog Wisdom
Current Senior Dog Wisdom is a multi-pathway cognitive formula rather than simply a generic senior supplement.
It currently includes:
DHA from algae, L-Carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, branched-chain amino acids and Ginkgo biloba.
Dana's Take: I like the emphasis on brain energy, antioxidant support and nerve signaling.
But pacing, nighttime waking, house accidents and staring can also be caused by pain, urinary disease, sensory loss or other medical problems.
Don't diagnose CCD from the supplement label.
Senior Doesn't Mean One Product
Depending on the dog, senior support may also include Kidney Care, Sound Dog Viscosity, Pure Krill, Microflora Plus, Milk Thistle or another targeted product.
Dana's Take: I would rather build around what the senior is actually losing: cognition, muscle, digestion, kidney reserve, mobility or resilience.
This is where supplements need to follow the lab work — not replace it.
Kidney Care
Kidney Care is Herbsmith's current kidney-toning herbal formula.
Current ingredients include prepared Rehmannia, Cornus fruit, Dioscorea, Poria, Moutan bark and Alisma.
It is designed around renal circulation, normal fluid balance and healthy kidney function.
Dana's Take: This may be a useful part of kidney support.
It does not replace looking at phosphorus, protein quality, calories, hydration, blood pressure, urine, medications and stage of CKD.
Milk Thistle
Herbsmith continues to offer a dedicated Milk Thistle product for liver and antioxidant support.
Dana's Take: Milk thistle is one of the herbs I use regularly.
I still want to understand why the liver enzymes are elevated rather than treating milk thistle as the end of the investigation.
Herbsmith now has some very practical nutritional formulas too.
Taurine Boost
Taurine Boost currently combines four nutrients I care about in cardiac nutrition:
Taurine + L-Carnitine + CoQ10 + EPA/DHA from krill.
Dana's Take: This is far more useful to me than a product that simply puts a little taurine in a chew and calls itself a heart formula.
It still does not replace echocardiography, diagnosis or cardiac medication when a dog has actual heart disease.
Support Immunity
Support Immunity is a very focused two-herb formula: Astragalus + Codonopsis.
Herbsmith positions it around immune balance, vitality, prolonged stress and recovery rather than trying to pack twenty immune ingredients into one product.
Dana's Take: I like focused formulas.
Immune support still has to be thoughtful in immune-mediated disease or when immunosuppressive medication is involved.
I agree with the philosophy. I just don't want the curated bowl becoming a supplement buffet.
Herbsmith's current website encourages dog parents to layer food and targeted supplements around the individual dog.
I actually like that philosophy.
Allergy support might include food + Clear AllerQi + skin support. Gut support might include food + GastroCare + Microflora Plus. Mobility might include structural nutrients + herbs.
But there is a point where “curating” becomes:
seven powders, four chews and no one remembers why half of them are there.
The professional line is a different conversation.
Herbsmith also has a professional TCVM line called Herbsmith Rx.
This is where you'll see formulas such as Gentian Relieve Allergies, Peony Calm Shen, Rehmannia Assist Kidney, Pueraria Support Spine, Corydalis Relieve Soreness and other more targeted Chinese herbal products.
These formulas are chosen more specifically around TCVM pattern and presentation.
That means I do not want a public page turning Herbsmith Rx into:
arthritis = buy this
seizures = buy this
kidney disease = buy that
The dog's symptoms, constitution, tongue/pulse when available, temperature patterns, medications and overall health context affect the choice.
You can buy retail — or I can help you order the right product.
Many of Herbsmith's public products can be purchased directly or through retail sellers.
I also have a professional relationship with Herbsmith and can order or dropship Herbsmith products when appropriate.
So if you already know exactly what you want, shop.
If you're choosing between Clear AllerQi, GastroCare, Microflora Plus, Kidney Care, Calm Shen, Senior Dog Wisdom or several joint products:
ask me before buying five things because they all sound right.
“Natural” isn't the same thing as “nothing to think about.”
Herbsmith publishes product-specific cautions, and those cautions matter.
I especially want to review herbs and supplements when the dog:
- takes anticoagulants or has a clotting disorder;
- takes NSAIDs, steroids or prescription pain medication;
- takes seizure medication;
- has diabetes or another glucose-regulation problem;
- has kidney or liver disease;
- has immune-mediated disease;
- takes immunosuppressive medication;
- is preparing for surgery or anesthesia;
- is pregnant or nursing; or
- already receives several herbal formulas.
Product directions and cautions also differ from formula to formula.
Follow the current label rather than assuming every Herbsmith powder uses the same amount.
Follow the dog's problem beyond the supplement.
Herbsmith products for dogs
Does Dana recommend Herbsmith?
Yes. Herbsmith is one of the pet-specific herbal and nutritional brands I use and recommend. The company was founded by holistic veterinarian and TCVM practitioner Dr. Chris Bessent and offers both public pet supplements and a professional Herbsmith Rx line.
What is Herbsmith Clear AllerQi?
Clear AllerQi is Herbsmith's current publicly available seasonal-allergy formula. It uses a TCVM-inspired approach centered around clearing Heat and Dampness and supporting a healthy histamine response.
Is Clear AllerQi the same as Herbsmith Gentian Relieve Allergies?
No. Clear AllerQi is part of Herbsmith's public product line. Gentian Relieve Allergies is part of the professional Herbsmith Rx line.
What is Herbsmith Microflora Plus?
Microflora Plus is a microbiome-support formula combining probiotics, prebiotic FOS, digestive enzymes and herbs. The current formula provides 10 billion CFU per dose.
What is Herbsmith GastroCare?
GastroCare is an herbal digestive formula intended for dogs and cats with ongoing sensitive digestion, recurrent loose stool and GI-lining or motility concerns.
What is the difference between Calm Shen and July Third?
Calm Shen is designed for ongoing daily anxiety and builds gradually with regular use. July Third is the more situational product for events such as thunderstorms, fireworks, travel and other acute stressors.
What is Senior Dog Wisdom?
Senior Dog Wisdom is Herbsmith's current cognitive-aging formula. It contains nutrients including DHA, L-Carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, branched-chain amino acids and Ginkgo biloba to support normal brain aging, memory and engagement.
What is Herbsmith Kidney Care?
Kidney Care is a TCVM-inspired kidney-toning herbal formula containing prepared Rehmannia, Cornus, Dioscorea, Poria, Moutan and Alisma. It is intended to support normal renal function, circulation and fluid balance.
What is Sound Dog Viscosity?
Sound Dog Viscosity is Herbsmith's structural joint-support formula. It combines glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid with Frankincense, Corydalis, curcumin and Yucca.
What is Taurine Boost?
Taurine Boost is a cardiac-nutrition formula containing taurine, L-Carnitine, CoQ10 and krill-derived EPA and DHA.
Can Dana order Herbsmith products for me?
Yes. I can help clients choose and order or dropship appropriate Herbsmith products. Public products are also available through retail sources.
What is Herbsmith Rx?
Herbsmith Rx is the more practitioner-focused TCVM herbal line. These formulas are selected more specifically around Chinese-medicine patterns and the individual dog's presentation rather than simply matching a Western diagnosis to a product name.
Can Dana review all the supplements my dog is already taking?
Yes. A supplement review can look at the purpose of each product, overlapping ingredients, food, medications, manufacturer directions and whether each supplement still belongs in the dog's plan.
Herbsmith gives us a big toolbox. Your dog probably doesn't need every tool in it.
If you know exactly what you need, I am happy to point you toward the product.
If your dog has allergies + gut problems + anxiety + medications + a senior brain + eight supplements already on the counter:
that's when we stop shopping by symptom and connect the pieces.
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Educational & Medical Disclaimer: Dana Brigman is not a veterinarian. Information on The Well Oiled K9 is educational and supportive in nature and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease or replace veterinary diagnosis, medication, surgery or emergency care. Herbal and nutritional supplements may have contraindications and may interact with medications. Follow current manufacturer labeling and seek appropriate veterinary guidance for significant disease, pregnancy, surgery, worsening symptoms or medication-related concerns.