Like Vegas itself, this year's SuperZoo, North America's largest pet retail event, was full of colorful sights and sounds and lots of buzz. As I visited various pet food and supplement manufacturers and walked the show floor and New Product Showcase, several themes emerged. Below are the buzzwords from SuperZoo 2026, along with a few examples of new products supporting them.
Fera Pets' introduced its new Longevity soft chews that support healthy aging and long-term vitality at this year's SuperZoo.Lisa Cleaver
Longevity. Pet parents aren't waiting until their fur babies are seniors to start healthy habits. Several supplement producers are bringing longevity products to the table to aid in healthy aging before pets hit the senior years. One, Fera Pets, introduced its Longevity soft chews to support healthy aging and long-term vitality with NMN, MitoPrime, Resveratrol, Phosphatidylserine and MCT Oil. Available in mid-September, the chews are designed to support cellular energy, cognitive health and antioxidant defense.
Petcurean previewed its Go! Solutions Healthy Aging recipe to address the growing need for targeted adult-to-senior pet nutrition.Lisa CleaverBut it was more than supplement companies having the healthy aging conversation. Pet food companies are incorporating "longevity" into their recipes as well. Just one example: Petcurean previewed its Go! Solutions Healthy Aging Salmon + Duck recipes for dogs and cats, designed to address what the company described as the "growing need for targeted adult-to-senior pet nutrition."
Proactive not reactive. Going hand in hand with longevity, these two words were heard from ingredient suppliers to pet food producers to supplement manufacturers. Pet parents aren't waiting for a health issue to surface; they want to get their pets on a solid foundation of health early in their life span.
"Active" and "adventure" were buzzwords common at this year's SuperZoo.Lisa CleaverActive adventure pets. Pet parents are bringing their pets with them on all types of activities these days, and many new products are catering to the adventure lifestyle. "Active" showed up in nutrition, like Purina's Pro Plan Sport Active Essentials, designed to "fuel activities like running, hiking and swimming," and in supplemental treats, like Plato Pets' Wellness Chews, marketed to active dogs. It also showed up in on-the-go packaging, like the new YowUp! shelf-stable yogurt pouches and Heavenly Hydation's reverse osmosis purified water in recyclable 16-ounce cans.
A&E Cage/BIOFEED Petfood debuted lickable squeeze treats for rabbits and guinea pigs.Lisa CleaverLickables. Speaking of on-the-go formats ... lickables are having a moment, and they're not just for cats anymore. Inaba recently debuted its Churu Terrine high-moisture, soft jelly dog treats, and A&E Cage/BIOFEED Petfood debuted its lickable squeeze treats in carrot, apple and strawberry flavors for rabbits and guinea pigs.
"Functional." This word was everywhere, on nearly every type of product, covering everything from standard skin and coat support to digestive health to cognitive function and more.
Other notes:
"Alternative formats," like air-dried, freeze-dried and fresh, are becoming mainstream — to the point one pet food manufacturer wondered whether "alternative" is still the right word for these formats.
Pet Strip Club featured its fast-dissolving oral strips that replace pills, powders and chews.Lisa CleaverA dissolvable strip format was on display in the emerging companies showcase. Pet Strip Club exhibited its fast-dissolving oral strips, designed to replace pills, powders and chews. The company currently offers dental and calming strips and plans to expand the platform into prescription pet medications.
One company, Nature's Protection, has divided its dog and cat food lineup not by breed or life stage, but by the animal's coat — dark, white and red.
Humanization is still going strong. New products like Real 7 Cereal — "best served with its Super Pawbulous Pet Milk" — Rondi's Kitchen Pancake Mix and Kernel's Puppy Popcorn all help families and their pets interact and bond, from morning to night.
What did I miss? Comment below if you saw something special or unique at this year's SuperZoo.
Fera Pets' introduced its new Longevity soft chews that support healthy aging and long-term vitality at this year's SuperZoo.Lisa Cleaver
Petcurean previewed its Go! Solutions Healthy Aging recipe to address the growing need for targeted adult-to-senior pet nutrition.Lisa Cleaver
