This Filipino Brand's High-End, Functional Dog Treats Are Revolutionizing the Pet Care Industry

The pandemic has spawned a new genre of parenthood in the Philippines—a fur-baby boom is upon us. A study by Rakuten in 2021 found that the country has the highest dog ownership rates in all of Asia at 67 percent. With nearly 12 million dog owners in the country, it’s no wonder that the pet category sales have been seeing exponential growth over the past few years. Fur parents (especially millennials) are more than willing to splurge on their pets’ needs, including pet insurance, veterinary care, and of course, food and nutrition.

But ensuring that your fur babies are meeting their specific nutritional needs, on top of the unconditional love they deserve, can be quite tricky, especially if you have a fussy eater. Dog wellness brand Dr. Shiba solves this problem by revolutionizing the way dogs receive their daily supplements.

After experiencing the challenges of giving supplements to their own dogs, Tyger Brands co-founders Philipp Renner and Tim Michael saw the possibility of developing products that solve this problem. Now, they offer a range of dog snacks that are actively healthy and made of artificial-free and toxin-free ingredients. These are products made for dogs, born from love from dog owners. 

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Philipp Renner and his dog.

Photo by Philipp Renner/Tyger Brands. 

Dr. Shiba is one of three brands under the umbrella of Tyger Brands, a startup founded by Renner and Michael in the Philippines roughly a year and a half ago. Tyger builds a house of semi-homegrown consumer brands tailored toward the emerging middle-class market across Southeast Asia. Joining Dr. Shiba under Tyger’s portfolio are Lyger Coffee, which offers crystallized coffee from Columbia, and Nami, a vegan and cruelty-free nail polish brand.

Having just launched in January 2022, Dr. Shiba is already disrupting the pet care market and holding its own against family name brands, the majority of which are global, multi-billion dollar companies. Within just 13 months, the brand has managed to become the number one seller on Tiktok Shop in all of the pet care category. On Lazada Mall, they have managed to snag the top second spot, just behind name brands Pedigree and Whiskas which share first place. It's a similar story for Shopee Mall, where Dr. Shiba ranks second as well.

In an exclusive interview with Esquire Philippines, co-founder Philipp Renner talked about the things that set the brand apart.

The first thing is, of course, product quality. Dr. Shiba treats are co-developed with vets and tested by independent labs in Germany to ensure that it can live up to the promised quality. According to Renner, what draws customers to their products is the need for a healthier snack alternative with added functional benefits. Since dogs are quickly becoming integrated as members of the family, as opposed to being guard dogs that are only kept outside for security, more attention is being paid to their care—and rightfully so. What parent wouldn’t want the best for their children?

Renner said: “There's a lot of treats that have sugar and other things that are actually really bad for dogs, but taste good for them. We eliminated all of these things out of our treats. The first thing is offering something that I would call a clean and healthy treat. The second piece is adding the actual benefit, which, depending on what product you buy, maybe something for gastro, good coat and fur, healthy bones and joints, or just focusing on the overall immune system.”

With Dr. Shiba products, you get what you see. Literally. Every ingredient is put on the label to let merchants know that there are no harmful additives mixed in the treats. Renner shares that they are even getting inbound requests from vets who actively prescribe or recommend their products to their clients. “We are, of course, not a medical product. Nevertheless, we do have the supplemental values that are also confirmed, by studies, by vets, which is also the reason why vets prescribe this,” the co-founder underscores.

Dr. Shiba's range of products.

Photo by Tyger Brands. 

The brand is also focused on sustainability, which is why it decided to partner with the non-profit organization Pawssion Project right from the beginning. Two percent of Dr. Shiba’s profits are allocated towards Pawssion’s projects to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome dogs in distress. 

“We looked at the Filipino ecosystem, what cool organizations are out there that truly make an impact, and Pawssion is one of the ones that really stood out to us. It's really cool what they do with the animal rescue and sheltering program. [A] very classic problem for stray dogs is, of course, that they have nutritional problems. That was the whole idea of the partnership,” Renner shares.

So, you’ve heard about the brand and what it stands for. But the real question is, who IS the mysterious Dr. Shiba? The story goes that the founders wanted to come up with a playful character that resonates with people, something pet owners can identify with for their dogs. “We just like the way Shibas are, the way Shibas look. And of course, there was this huge hype with the Shiba Inu Coin,” said Renner. The ‘doctor’ was then added as a nod to the brand’s medical-focused angle, letting people know directly that the dog treats are just as functional as they are yummy. 

Finding snacks packed full of vitamins and supplements is a luxury even for humans, making the dogs that munch on Dr. Shiba extra spoiled indeed.

Treat your pups now and get 20% off Dr. Shiba with this exclusive discount code when you order directly from the website: DRSHIBA-ESQUIRE.