Priority #1: The Dogs
Many companies create good products, but few are as obsessive as we are about excellence, safety, and service.
We're kind of like our dogs, that way.
We are endlessly digging up new ways to serve our best customers, the dogs whose loving humans give our best-in-class nutraceuticals.
We never forget who our true "masters" are. We are doggedly loyal to them, and to their humans, and the veterinarians and pet shop owners who help them find our products.
We're exhausted at the end of the day, it's true. We flop down and take a long snooze before getting up early to do it all over again ... but we rest easy, knowing that dogs are thriving because of what we do.
We have something special – and so do dogs around the planet. They know we have their back. And we’ve got your back, too.
![Cheerful family lying in the meadow with their golden retriever dog.
[url=http://www.istockphoto.com/search/lightbox/9786778][img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40117171/family.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.istockphoto.com/search/lightbox/9786750][img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40117171/summer.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.istockphoto.com/search/lightbox/9786797][img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40117171/people-animals.jpg[/img][/url]](https://functionalnutriments.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/dog-family.jpg "Happy family lying in the park with their dog.")
Our Interdisciplinary Team
Nature Doesn’t Work in Isolation, So Neither Do We
Our roots are veterinary medicine in Maui, Hawaii. It’s moving to think of Dr. Demian Dressler on his island home, researching dietary apoptogens, working with clients to see how they work in real life, formulating a blend of his own that could help dogs, conducting a pilot trial for Apocaps® CX to establish safety, and asking other veterinarians for their feedback.
And yet, Dr. Dressler didn’t do it all by himself. We deploy an inter-disciplinary team of scientific experts to create, make and refine our cutting-edge nutraceuticals, including veterinary oncologists, PhD’s in biochemistry, and dozens of highly trained and skilled specialists.
These professionals bring decades of wisdom, knowledge, and experience from their different fields to our evidence-based approach – and together, we create one-of-a-kind formulas.
For a long time, thinkers and creators and researchers have taken a “one molecule” approach. They tried to isolate “one problem” and find “one solution.” But that approach rarely stumbles upon a magical silver bullet.
We take nature as our model. We go back to fundamental biological basics to see how the body works. We look for patterns, we ask big questions about the big picture, and we take inspiration from other disciplines and fields.
Just like Newton “found” gravity by observing a consistent pattern in the natural world, we “find” our formulas by observing what happens when apoptogens work together. That’s why we offer a blend of apoptogens: nature does not operate in a vacuum.
We count ourselves lucky to be on the forefront of the larger interdisciplinary movement that connects cutting-edge research with practical clinical experience to support natural, normal health – and increases quality of life.
Tested, Safe, Trustworthy
To make sure that our products are as safe as possible, we manufacture in nutraceutical labs registered with, approved by, and regularly inspected by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state agencies.
Because we’re manufacturing to human-grade standards, our nutraceuticals may cost a little more than most pet supplements, but they are also put through the most rigorous testing available before, during and after the manufacturing process. For example, we make sure that there are no environmental contaminants, bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella, yeast, mold, hexane, acetone, lead, arsenic, or melamine.
This attention to quality and testing is time-consuming and costly, but it’s worth it because the resulting products are high-quality, tested, safe, and effective.
- Our labs are mandated to follow current federal Good Manufacturing Processes and must be scrupulous in their testing for purity and safety. If they don’t keep up these standards and processes, the FDA would shut them down.
- Every room used in the manufacturing process is protected by sealed doors, clean areas where technicians can “scrub in,” and tested for contamination.
- The bottles are tightly safety-sealed on the inside.
- A clear tamper-evident seal protects the neck of each bottle.
- Each product is stamped with a Lot Number and Expiration Date, so we could do a safety recall. (We have never had a recall.)
- Our products also go through a final test after packaging. Each batch of safety-sealed products are quarantined in a sterile room for seven days to give any bacteria, yeast, or mold time to grow, if it is present. Once a week has passed, the batch is sampled and tested thoroughly for microbes. If they are completely clean, they ship. If not, the entire batch is thrown out, and we start all over.
The rigorous tests our products are subject to before, during, and after manufacture ensure that there is:
- NO E. coli bacteria
- NO Salmonella bacteria
- NO Yeast
- NO Mold
- NO Melamine
- NO Lead (a heavy metal)
- NO Arsenic (a heavy metal)
- NO Acetone (a solvent)
- NO Hexane (a solvent)
- NO Environmental Contaminants
All of this takes time, energy, money, and commitment.
But aren’t dogs worth this effort? We think so!
Small Batches
Fresh Product
To ensure the freshest possible products, we manufacture our formulas in small batches from ingredients that are ordered as needed – which means we don’t have raw ingredients just sitting around.
This choice is tough on our bottom line because buying in small quantities means we usually pay more than we would if bought in bulk. While a few of the raw ingredients we use are common, many more are difficult to procure.
But we do it anyway because we want to be confident that you are getting the freshest, highest quality ingredients in every bottle and capsule.
FDA, State, and Country Inspections
When a lab is U.S. FDA-registered and approved for human nutraceutical manufacture, they must follow the current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) defined by the FDA for approved and registered labs. In addition to all the steps outlined above, they must also be inspected regularly.
Our labs are subject to regular FDA inspections, including unannounced inspections. They are also licensed by the state, and therefore inspected regularly by state inspectors.
In addition to these federal and state inspections, our labs have been inspected by and approved by various governments around the world. Taking this extra step demonstrates a deep commitment to quality and safety, and we are particularly proud of our labs having been approved by the three countries that are toughest on nutraceuticals: Canada, Australia, and Germany.
Partnering with Vets
With roots in veterinary medicine and clinical practice, we know how hard veterinarians work to serve their patients. In turn, we support veterinarians with an information portal built just for them. Veterinarians may join us at https://Vet.FunctionalNutriments.com for a copy of our white paper on dietary apoptogens, interviews with other veterinarians, special training, and all the data you’re wondering about. Get 24-hour training, or contact us to set up a product knowledge webinar specifically for your veterinary staff. Also, find comprehensive discharge papers for each of our veterinary products, appropriate for use in your practice.
Meet Demian Dressler, DVM, Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Demian Dressler is the creator of Apocaps® CX and all of our other nutraceuticals. He's also the owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing in New York, he returned to Hawaii to practice on Oahu before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. He is the co-author of the best-selling animal health book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide, a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians. He’s also a member of CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation), and an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary, which was founded by his mother and inspired his lifelong love for animals. Dr. Dressler is pictured with his very healthy, very senior dog, Bjorn. He lives with Bjorn, and his human family, on Maui.
Partnering with Retailers
We support our retailers with online training for all store employees and a special rewards program to incentivize your team to take advantage of the training. We have point-of-sale brochures, videos and other goodies to help you sell our products by informing and educating your customers. We can also arrange individualized live training for your team via web conference. Our customer support team is available week days to answer questions and provide helpful product knowledge.