Invictus Botanica began with a chihuahua named Jasper — and a refusal to accept a diagnosis no one wanted to hear.
This is his story, and the belief it gave us: that what's natural, done properly, is far stronger than we're ever told.
Invictus Botanica was created because of a little man called Jasper. I had him from six weeks old, and to me, he was my child. I'd known for a long time that I would never have children of my own, so getting Jasper was life-changing.
Around ten years old he developed what we thought was just a cough. A trip to the vet brought the worst news anyone could get: Jasper had stage three congestive heart failure. I was advised to simply carry him outside to the toilet and bring him straight back in — he wouldn't be able to walk very far, they said. We were given eighteen months.
I couldn't accept it. And I blamed myself. It's our job as humans to give the best to the animals who depend on us, and I'd never really thought about the quality of the food I'd been giving him. So I started to dig. What do vitamins actually do? What are minerals, and how do they help? What are botanicals? I spent years looking into fruit, vegetables, and the best proteins for him.
Getting it right was the hard part — and believe me, there were many days where I sat with him through a bad stomach because of something I'd fed him, and went straight back to the drawing board. Back to researching. Then I came across Lily's Kitchen — organic, with botanicals. We tried it, and while it was never a cure, it agreed with him.
Soon I wasn't carrying him outside anymore. We built up to a mile, a mile and a half a day. He loved it. We steered clear of his triggers, and he was a genuinely happy dog. Eighteen months passed, and he showed no signs of going anywhere. Another year — still bouncing about. Four years on, we returned to the vet, and she told me she was downgrading his heart failure from stage three to stage two. I couldn't believe it. I was so thankful.
Along the way, I gained a real understanding of how to care for a body — and I began applying everything I'd learned to my own life, too. That's the belief Invictus Botanica is built on. The products we make will only ever be the best quality, with zero nasties.
I want you to thrive — just like Jasper did.
"Started for a little dog who wasn't ready to be written off."
Every balm we make carries the conviction that started with Jasper — organic, mineral-rich, and honest about what it is. Drawn from the coast, hand-blended in Britain.
Meet the salve