Frequently Asked Questions

Each spring lots of amazing things happen in nature, and one of these is the male deer growing a new set of antlers. In their early stage of growth these antlers are called Deer Velvet, or Deer Velvet Antler and they are a soft bone/cartilage type product with an abundant blood supply and a covering of velvety skin.

At this stage they are very rich in valuable nutrients to support all these same things in the body. Bone, cartilage, joints, blood supply, skin, hair and nerves.

The velvety hair is where Deer Velvet gets its name, but its probably not something you want to consume and its not included in the capsules. It is the rest of the whole deer velvet antler that is used. It is humanely removed, frozen, freeze dried, milled, sterilised and capsulated. 100% pure and natural with nothing added.

Prized for centuries as an effective Traditional Oriental Medicine, Deer Velvet is now a well respected all round supplement that is easily accessible to customers worldwide.

Canes Deer Velvet is available in 500mg capsules. This is equivalent to 1500mg of raw unprocessed product.

Recommended dose is 500 to 3000mg taken daily. Start with just one capsule per day and build your dose up slowly over a week or two.

For general well-being, supporting the immune system and circulation we suggest 500 – 1500mg daily.

For sports performance and recovery, or for chronic joint pain such as in arthritis and rheumatism, we recommend the higher dose of 1500 -3000mg daily. Reduce this dose again to maintenance once improvements are apparent.

The benefits of Canes Deer Velvet become evident and increase over time.

Some notice changes within the first week and for others it may take 2-3 months or more to feel the benefits. This is when you can expect the body to have built up its nutrient levels enough for repair and healing to be taking place.

Likewise the optimum dose varies for everyone. Some get great results from 1 capsule daily, while others need more. Please contact us if you’d like to chat about an appropriate dose for your own specific situation, or with any other queries.

As with most dietary supplements, before using Deer Velvet it is recommended that consumers consult their health professional.

Not all deer velvet antler supplements are created equal.

Production costs can be reduced by varying the quality of the raw product. For example, the tips, which are the most potent and extremely valuable part of the velvet antler, may be excluded and sold separately, and the remainder used to produce a cheaper powder/capsule product. This end product may look the same, and have an attractive price tag, but it will not be nearly as effective.

When you choose CANES DEER VELVET we guarantee you a quality product that includes ALL parts of the antler and tips for maximum potency. What really sets us apart is that over our 30+ years of farming, we have refined our herd to produce antlers with more tips per antler, and then we get to hand pick our very best and most potent product for our capsules, and that’s why we are highly confident in its effectiveness.

For more on assessing quality see this blog article on assessing qualtiy of joint supplements.

Because Deer Velvet is a meat or bone type product, it is completely natural and unlikely to interfere with other medications. We are not aware of any medication or supplement that cannot be taken with Deer Velvet, but as with most dietary supplements it is recommended that you consult you health professional if you have a medical condition. Please contact Kathy if you’d like to discuss your own situation. If your health professional is unfamiliar with the properties of Deer Velvet please invite them to contact Kathy, she has a nursing background is happy to explain how Canes Deer Velvet works with the body.

Does removing the velvet harm them? No. We love farming deer and we care about them. All antler is removed by trained personnel, in a humane manner and in accordance with the NZ National Standard’s Code of Practice for animal welfare. Analgesia is used to ensure the deer are comfortable and they can be found grazing happily on open green pastures soon after.

If they are not removed at velvet stage, the antlers would continue to grow and eventually become long sharp hard antler, and is no longer called deer velvet, because it now resembles bone, and no longer possesses the same medicinal benefits.

The velvet is removed not only for commercial reasons, but also to prevent stags harming each other with long hard antler during the mating season. And becasue it is a natural yearly cycle, you can be assusred that deer velvet is a renewable resource.

Deer Velvet is not recommended for people who are prone to allergic reaction to proteins, or those who have any medical condition where improved circulation is not benefial.

This is a common belief, and it does have some basis. Deer Velvet promotes general well-being and healthy circulation (in all areas!) It also offers the precursors or raw materials for our bodies to make hormones. When your homones are balanced and you are feeling great you may find improved sexual function to be a very pleasant (we hope!) side effect.