I was surprised to see this product being advertised at my local show and in a dog publication as a treatment for arthritis. Deer velveting has been banned for ages in the UK as it is considered barbaric. Velveting involves stripping the velvet from the antler while it has a terrific blood and nerve supply. This cropping is done annually. They do anaesthetise the stags and cauterise the stump but I still consider this a step too far and think the product of a process banned here should not be sold. If you feel the same please question the editors of magazines advertising it and the people selling it at shows. I was informed by the sellers of this product that the stags lock antlers and die if they are not removed which is incorrect ( well only in very rare cases and never when in velvet), so don't be fobbed off with that one!
Ted

Have to be honest & say I have never heard of this being used as a remedy, but have a query. Are you saying the antlers are stripped of their velvet, or that the antlers are removed whilst in velvet?
If the former, then that must be tricky. If the latter, and its done with local, then whats the difference between de-horning stags to dehorning cattle? Presumably the velvet is obtained from farmed deer?

If the antlers are going to be taken off the deer one way or another , then why is it wrong to use them to help arthritis sufferers .
I would object if the antlers were being taken off just for that reason.
I cant see any point in throwing them away if good use can be made of them .

That was what I was getting at Mari.....friends of mine who farm deer (venison) dehorn most of their stags for safety of both humans and deer, it is done in the same way I do the cattle....with local and a wire. Very simple, no pain.

I have a really good product from a doctor come herbalist, He gave my husband tablet's
that you get in holland and barrett and they really work ,
this antler thing just sounds so bloody barbaric it's untrue.Hope it stays banned in the u.k.

Pat x

Sam
The antlers are removed whilst in velvet, calves are dehorned once in their life and the reason is to prevent them injuring themselves and their keepers. Deer have to go through this process of cropping their living tissue every year. I find that abhorrent. That is the difference.
When antlers are removed out of velvet they have no nerve or blood supply and no pain or bleeding is involved (just a matter of holding them still!)which is a completely different scenario especially as this is also done for saftey reasons only, not for comercial gain.
Ted

Ok. if what you say is correct, then I agree with you.