Like their human companions, cats and dogs are receiving a more natural version of health and nutrition.
Whether a champion breed, or a mutt rescued from a shelter, Americans want what’s best for their “fur babies,” and natural pet product sales reflect this sentiment: The U.S. natural pet supplements market continues to grow, driven by consumer awareness about the health benefits. An increasing number of pet owners, including Millennials, are buying natural and holistic products for their pets.
According to a Packaged Facts market research report, the projected retail sales for pet supplements and nutraceutical treats in the U.S. continue to be promising and expected to reach $1.6 billion in 2017. New and improved pet supplements continue to enter the market for addressing specific health issues, including joint health, digestive problem and weight management.
In addition, the American Association of Pet Products has also reported the upward trend in pet ownership that stands at 68 percent of households in the U.S.
According to Regina Flight, pets brand manager with Illinois-based Now Foods, “The pet food and supplement space is showing steady growth. In recently released market data, pet supplements alone are expected to achieve $700 million in sales before the end of the decade. According to the market research report, Pet Supplements in the U.S., Edition 5, a compound annual growth rate of 3 percent was observed between 2010 and 2014, thus increasing the supplement market to $541 million (U.S.) in 2014.
Flight noted the company’s work with Barbara Royal, DVM, CVA, the founder and owner of The Royal Treatment Veterinary Center, and an internationally renowned pioneer in complementary medicine and physical rehabilitation. “We haven’t launched any new products since launching the NOW Pets line in 2015. When we started to work on the line we relied heavily on Dr. Royal’s knowledge and use of her formulations in her clinic over the past 20 years. Then we did an extensive amount of research and development, especially in regard to the raw material that we used to make each product.”
According to Florida-based Natural Immunogenics, their Silver Bio-Active Silver Hydrosol is the No. 1 selling silver supplement in North America for immune support and is now available for pets. Bio-Active Silver Hydrosol offers pet owners the only topical homeopathic for use in minor cuts, burn bites, bruises and skin infections that leaves no greasy or stingy residue, the company stated.
Ami DeWille, director of marketing at Natural Immunogenics, said, “Many of our customers were already using our products for their animals, but there was uncertainty around dosage and how to administer to animals. This was supported by the fact that approximately 20 percent of the calls our customer care team receives from consumers are specific to if it is ok, and if so how to use Sovereign Silver for their pets. This motivated us to launch Sovereign Silver For Pets, which debuted at EXPO West 2017 and began shipping in May 2017.
Pet Supplement Trends
In regard to pets, Dr. Frank King, the founder and president of King Bio in North Carolina said, “Natural is the biggest trend. A natural lifestyle and diet is just as important for pets as it is for humans, with one out of every two dogs developing cancer.” King pointed out that pets are exposed to more toxins than humans, with their close proximity to “chem-lawns,” bug-sprayed homes and businesses, toxins in carpets and furniture (with no shoes or clothing in between), inferior “food products” allowed in pet foods, and cheap, high carbohydrate foods that animals were never designed to digest.
“In many ways trends in pet supplements mirror those of humans,” Flight agreed. Pet owners will often believe that the supplements they use themselves are beneficial for their animal companions as well. Cats and dogs in particular often have issues with digestion, she noted.
“Similarly, joint health is a common concern, especially in large dogs,” Flight added, noting that skin issues are common and can be elusive, requiring a multi-prong approach. “Our Immune Support helps the liver and immune system, while our G.I. Support helps maintain a healthy biome in the gut, which will promote a healthy skin biome. Our Omega-3 Support has a fatty acid profile that can support joint health and the health of a pet’s hair and coat. The raw materials we use to manufacture our pet line are the same quality ingredients that we use for our human supplements and must meet strict specifications.”
NOW Pets offers a range of pet supplements specifically formulated in different delivery formats including powder, soft gels and chewables for cats and dogs. Developed by Royal, these supplements are also certified by the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) and are offered at affordable prices.
Changes in Pet Product Purchases
The humanization of pets is the biggest factor in market growth, with manufacturers continues to add new and improved formulas in their portfolio. Booming pet supplements market has also led to continued investment in research and development. Manufacturers are also focusing on their customer base for market positioning and growth of their brand for higher return on investment.
Flight elaborated, “People love their pets and view them as members of the family, and they’re willing to spend more on their pets if they feel they can increase their longevity and quality of life. This willingness to spend more on pets has definitely led to market growth.” She added, “Pet owners typically have the same concerns for their pets as they do themselves. They are looking for quality products and that the ingredients are well sourced.”
Millennials compared to their predecessor generations (Baby Boomers and Generation X) are far more conscious about their pet health. The new generation of pet owners are also seriously concerned about ingredients used in pet supplements and don’t mind paying more for natural and premium products.
There is more awareness about allergens and food sensitivities including gluten free and other intolerances. Consumers are also looking for clean label and product transparency in pet health products as they want for themselves. Availability of information at the click of the button is also helping consumer gravitate to natural supplements. Pet owners also seek natural and herbal pet supplements to mitigate the risk of adverse side effects associated with drugs that treat allergies, joint problems and digestive issues of pets.
King noted, “Natural health shoppers take their responsibility as pet parents seriously. They know their pet’s health depends on their smart choices. They look for purity and safety. Dr. King’s Natural Pet formulas offer the highest purity with our unique pure water base. And homeopathic medicine is safe, with no known negative side effects and no recorded negative drug interactions, an important sales point if a pet is taking other medications.
Flight concurred, and added, “We’re looking for studies that confirm that they are safe and effective for pets, and Dr. Royal’s knowledge in this regard has been invaluable. Pet nutrition products are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (U.S. FDA/CVM) which requires all animal food and feed to be safe and correctly manufactured and labeled.
“Pet food labeling has been based on the AAFCO’s (Association of American Food Control Officials) guidelines and overseen by FDA/CVM. The National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) advises on the safety and labeling issues of pet supplements. NOW is a member of NASC,” Flight said.
Developing New Products and Competition
The growth momentum of pet health products has surged competition among existing and new entrants in the market. Companies are launching new products keeping in perspective the needs and demands of pet owners. These companies are focused on ingredient sourcing to ensure to provide best quality products for providing best solutions for pet health.
“When developing new products,” King said, “we keep in mind what we would want for our pets: safe, effective medicine, which has no known negative side effects, and is easy to administer. Homeopathy has a 200-plus year track record of safety with impressive results in hundreds of clinical (including animal) studies worldwide.”
King described the reasons. “Chronic disease is rampant in humans and even higher in pets, with one of every two dogs developing cancer. These days, good pet parents need to protect their four-legged, furry family members from more than just running into street. It dawned on people that they needed to pay more attention to their pet’s food and care. They couldn’t necessarily trust companies to always keep their pet’s best interests in mind over profits.”
DeWill added, “Our No. 1 priority is always to produce a product that is safe, pure and effective. We want people, and their pets, to have such a great experience with Sovereign Silver that they want to tell all of their friends and family”
Increasing demand has also intensified the competition driving manufacturers to build up relationships with ingredient suppliers to offer customers better prices. The goal is to buy the best quality raw ingredients at cost-competitive prices for their products.
Flight said, “With more than 50 years in business, NOW has built strong relationships with ingredient suppliers around the world. NOW Pets capitalizes on the strengths of our parent company to secure the best raw materials at prices that allow us to price our pet products more affordably than other lines.
“NOW Pets is intended to offer pet owners an alternative to higher priced lines by providing high quality natural pet health products at affordable prices. NOW Pets parent company, NOW, has long been known for offering premium quality natural products at affordable prices,” Flight added.
Emerging Ingredient: Hemp
Still considered a niche market, hemp-based pet supplements are growing in popularity.
Kurt Forstmann, director of operations of Colorado-based Therabis said, “We are focused on hemp oil as an alternative wellness product. Hemp as a category is new but gaining popularity. Our products are great all-natural products without the stigma of cannabis as derived from the hemp plant.”
He added, “We are seeing strong growth over 30 percent sustained for last two years. The market is highly competitive as the cost of investment is low in this category, there are over 100 companies but there are few good ones offering quality products. Therabis is one of the few good hemp-based pet supplement manufacturers offering a number of hemp wellness products including Calm and Quiet, Stop the Itch, and Up and Moving for managing stress, itching and joint mobility of dogs.”
These products help pets maintain physical and emotional stability, cannabionoids interact with animals endocannabinoid system.
Therabis offers its products to pet owners through veterinarians or retail stores, as well as online. They also support retailers for educating customers about hemp as still a new category in the market. Retailer Josh Bleam, owner of Canna Company in Trinidad, CO agreed. “Therabis is very popular and we sell their full line of products, we also couple of other vendors. Basically, Calm and Quiet is their bestselling product for small and large dogs. We are the lone CBD [retailer] in the county and we are seeing a steady increase in our business.”
He added, “Sometimes we need to educate our customers about the benefits of hemp-based products. So far, no complaints have come from our customers about Therabis products. They outsell their competitors in business.”
Regarding medicinal marijuana for pets, for veterinarians, more research is necessary to fully understand the pros and cons. “In my opinion, research into cannabis as it relates to veterinary medicine is vital for a number of reasons,” said Dr. Narda Robinson, a veterinarian and director of the Colorado State University Center for Comparative and Integrative Pain Medicine. “While the anecdotal effects do sound intriguing and potentially beneficial, research will help us sort the actual effects of cannabis from those of placebo. Research would also allow us to more rigorously assess and document the adverse effects. “Only then will we as veterinarians be able to weigh the risk-benefit ratio from a scientifically informed perspective.”
Tips and Tools for Retailers
In order to boost sales, companies extend their support to retailers and create important educational tools to help them educate their customers. Social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram also are means to help customers learn about products and retail store locations.
According to King, “Retailers may want to consider a floor or display or endcap of Dr. King’s Natural Pet products to boost their sales average and raise customer awareness about how to be best pet parents possible.” He explained, “Homeopathic products always sell better in condition-specific areas. Most stores probably have a pet section, and pet products would all logically go there, foods, non-foods, supplements and medicines.”
Bleam agreed, “Yes, sometimes we need to educate our customers about dosage due to concerns.”
NOW Pets extend to retailers support materials including a training video featuring Royal where she explains the benefits of each product and why she formulated them. The company stated that it believes that there are so many products in the market, training retailers and their staff is important to make sure they are well informed to recommend their products to customers. VR
For More Information:
King Bio, www.kingbio.com
Natural Immunogenics, www.naturalimmunogenics.com
NOW, www.nowfoods.com/pethealth
Therabis, www.therabis.com
