About Nicole Rouse
Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and how long you have been a veterinarian for?
I’m Melbourne born and bred and have been a vet for over 13 yrs including training in Sydney, a short stint in the UK but mostly my career has been as a small animal vet in Melbourne.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the pet industry?
I’m a walking cliché – I always wanted to be a vet (since I was 6) and never changed my mind. I’m forever grateful I was able to achieve my dream.
What area of veterinary care are you most passionate about?
I’m most passionate these days about educating clients and fellow vets about using the complementary approach to veterinary care. I believe we can achieve the best outcome using the best of western eastern and all that nature has on offer. Plus, I love empowering pet owners with knowledge so they can advocate for their pet’s best interests.
How has Antinol played a role in your clinic?
As a vet we have to be very careful about what products we recommend to our clients. We are trusted. So, if we say we believe a product is good then they believe us. I trust Antinol due to its composition and processing technique. It primarily plays a role in the management of arthritis in BOTH dogs and cats (I think I have an even bigger spring in my step when cat owners take it on and see the benefits as cat owners are usually more concerned about getting a tablet or supplement into their cat!). I also use it a lot for our large breed puppies to support their growing joints and clients that are invested in wellness and longevity as a nutritional support.
How did Shy Tiger come about?
Shy Tiger came about after years of frustration not being able to find what I wanted for my patients. I am passionate about living a low tox life and choosing natural products and I just couldn’t find options for my patients that I was happy with. I have a background in science and research (I did a science degree with an honours research year prior to vet) plus also have aromatherapy training so used my knowledge to create our product range alongside expert chemists, herbalists and formulators.
What drove you to offer natural, Australian products to your clients?
I believe in supporting Australian industry and want to be close to my products and trust them so it was a no brainer for me. When I say they’re natural I want to be able to see, touch and smell they’re natural so I can assure our Shy Tiger family that they can trust me. I would only produce what I would use on my own dog and own family and that’s natural so I know that there’s many people out there that align with my values.
What is your most popular and most utilised product?
There’s two products that are the most popular – our toothpaste and our Day Spray (stress spray).
What are your goals with Shy Tiger moving forward?
I would love that when people think of choosing the best natural products for their pets that they think of Shy Tiger. I want to see Shy Tiger in vet clinics around Australia. I also want to expand our range so there’s a natural option for all things in the veterinary world and perform therapeutic trials so we can make therapeutic claims. I have a lot of goals.
Tell us about your amazing lumber jack dog called Pickles. What breed is he, age etc?
Pickle is my delicious Griffon Bruxellois. I love her so much! She’s 2yrs old and we’ve had her since a pup. Ever since I met my first Griffon I wanted one!
What is life like for Pickles, what are her favourite activities?
They’re pretty lazy dogs. She comes to the clinic sometimes which is fun! She goes on 1-2 30min walks daily. She has a short 5min training session after her walk and she loves nosework activities!
Does Pickles have any quirks we should know about?
She doesn’t do drop very well – she always lies on her back ha! (I’m not the best dog trainer!) and one of her favourite treats are almonds.
What do you feed Pickles?
Not processed food! We rotate quite a few foods. Mostly pre-made raw and dehydrated. Her favourite brands are by a local brand called Bugsy’s Pet Products and a Tassie brand called Jack and Chelo. We love the treats by Laila and Me and for general staples she likes Ziwipeak and K9 Naturals. I’ll top some of her meals with eggs, yoghurt, some oils, seaweed and I always make sure she chews for 20mins a day either with a raw meaty bone or dehydrated bone or whimzee.
Do you have anything exciting coming up for yourself or Shy Tiger?
So much! I can’t give away all our secrets but this year we will launch new additions to our shampoo offering, new serums and I’m also working with the CSIRO on a new product!
Where can we find you? (Socials etc)
@shytigerhealth on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok and I also have a you tube channel under Shy Tiger.
