FAQ’s

Each spring lots of amazing things happen in nature. One that happens on our farm, is that the male deer all get to grow a new set of antlers. In their early stage of growth these antlers are called Deer Velvet, and 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. Its the whole antler that is used. Its humanely removed, frozen, freeze dried, milled, sterilised and capsulated. 100% pure and natural with nothing added.

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

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.

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.

Our diet has changed dramatically over the years. In years gone by soups and stews were always on the cooker and included all the bones and gristle (or cartilage) to prevent waste. They were cooked for long periods to flavour and tenderise. These meals contained an abundance of nutrients including collagen and the glucosamines and chondroitin type nutrients that are found in deer velvet. In today’s busy world we tend to eat less of these and more convenient and pre prepared or processed foods. As a consequence many of us are lacking in joint nutrients and are troubled by joint pain.

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.

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 beneficial.

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.

Our son Sam Cane is a professional rugby player for New Zealand. He has used Canes Deer Velvet regularly for over 10 years, while undergoing regular drug testing to meet WADA criteria.

Canes Deer Velvet capsules at the recommend dose are, to the best of our knowledge, considered safe for use by athletes undergoing drug testing. Growth factors IGF-I and IGF-II both occur naturally in deer velvet, but will not raise the IGF levels in the blood abnormally so when taken on its own in capsule form deer velvet will not alter results of a sports drug test. Professional athletes undergoing regular drug testing currently take Canes Deer Velvet, and have done so long term.

Canes Deer Products Ltd however accept no liability based on this advice, as they have no control over other aspects of an athletes practices. If you have any questions around this subject please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Please note that concentrated extracts of IGF for sub lingual use (some producers of which have use Deer Velvet as a source) are a completely different product, and not recommended for use by professional athletes