The pet supplement market is growing fast — and showing no signs of slowing down. Fueled by deepening bonds between pet owners and their animals, a shift toward proactive health management, and a widening array of product formats, the category has become one of the most dynamic segments in the pet industry.
The U.S. market alone is valued somewhere between US$4 billion and US$5 billion, depending on how the category is defined. Lauren DeVestern, partner with L.E.K. Consulting, said the number many cite may be conservative. "If you take a more comprehensive view — ingestibles, topicals, dental chews and related wellness products — we think it's closer to $5 billion in the U.S. alone," she said. "And it's growing double digits per year."
Humanization meets proactive health
The primary engine behind that growth is familiar: pet humanization. But experts said the trend has evolved into something more nuanced than simple anthropomorphism.
"The humanization of pet care is entering a new era characterized by increased interest in proactive health, where supplements naturally play a key role," said Nicole Hill, vice president of Strategy & Innovation with Nextin Research by MarketPlace. Hill's team surveyed 1,201 U.S. dog owners in March 2025 and found that pet supplement purchasers are high-value consumers across categories: more likely to use premium food formats, be motivated by sustainability and shop across a range of offline and online channels.
DeVestern echoed that shift from reactive to preventive, noting that approximately 75% to 80% of humans currently take multivitamins or supplements and are increasingly applying that same logic to their animals.
"With pets, it’s usually more reactive,” she explained. “You see your dog itching, and you give them something for that. Now, as humans take more multivitamins, they're mirroring that habit with their pets. Multivitamins are becoming preventive versus reactive."
Expanding health targets
As the pet supplement category grows, the range of health conditions being addressed is also broadening. Shannon Landry, research director with Packaged Facts Pet, said the most popular conditions for which supplements are currently purchased include hip, joint and mobility support and probiotics among dog owners, and probiotics and indoor pet formulas among cat owners — findings drawn from Packaged Facts' December 2025 Survey of Pet Owners.
Hill sees a clear tiering of opportunity and noted these patterns mirror what is seen in human wellness — the shift from “reactively addressing concerns” to supporting systemic health. “Skin and coat, daily wellness and joint health remain top need-states, driving volume but leaving little opportunity for growth,” she explained. “We see mid-stage momentum coming from calming, immune health, seasonal allergies and gut health benefits, which are motivating purchase at higher rates than average but still have room to grow.”
Hill said early indicators for weight management and cognitive health point to high-growth opportunities that are still emerging. “This is a pivotal moment for product and ingredient brands who invest in clinicals to lay the groundwork for long-term credibility and differentiation,” she added.
Dental care is another area drawing significant attention. DeVestern said most pet parents don't brush their pets' teeth, and supplements in this space fill a genuine gap. "Pet owners feel doing something is better than doing nothing, and a supplement can help with that," she said.
E-commerce dominance with a brick-and-mortar dimension
Online channels have reshaped how pet supplements reach consumers, and that shift shows no signs of reversing. According to Landry, approximately 70% of pet supplement sales now take place online, a trajectory that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pet owners aren't just using Amazon and Chewy, however, they're also shopping through brick-and-mortar retailers' websites and manufacturer storefronts, drawn by broader product assortment and the ease of comparing options. "Our surveys show that a significant share of pet supplements purchasers go online to read product reviews, shop around for the best price, and check social media for product information," Landry said.
Hill's Nextin data reinforces the multichannel picture: 91% of dog supplement purchasers report buying dog products online, and a majority also purchase from physical stores. "For pet supplement brands, a presence on one e-commerce platform without the other, or online without brick-and-mortar distribution, could leave market share on the table," she explained.
Ingredients and formats to watch
Consumer interest in specific ingredients is increasingly crossing over from human wellness. Hill's research identified biotics, collagen, adaptogens and functional mushrooms as trending in both human and pet nutrition. Functional mushrooms, she said, are particularly notable: dog supplement purchasers are 1.6 times more likely to have positive associations with mushroom ingredients than the average dog owner. Collagen and L-theanine are also gaining traction, she said.
Life stage targeting is also emerging as a growth segment. Landry noted that supplements designed for aging and senior pets are growing in demand, alongside products focused on overall health and wellness.
On format, soft chews remain dominant. Landry confirmed that chewable tablets and soft chews are the most popular delivery formats among supplement purchasers. Hill agreed that soft chews remain the dominant supplement format preferred by consumers, but the real movement is in food-adjacent delivery systems like supplement-sauce food toppers, broth-like liquid supplements and highly palatable powder food toppers.
Ryan Cargo, chief operating officer at the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) cautioned that while there is consumer demand for these types of formats, they could be problematic from a regulatory standpoint depending on the type of product it is. “A food supplement in this format is typically okay,” he noted. “But a health supplement is not.”
“Functional” treats
While the term "functional" is problematic from a regulatory standpoint, functional treats occupy a nuanced position. "Functional treats cannot exist under the existing regulatory scheme for these types of products," said Cargo. "They must be either supplements or treats but can't be both. While this term is loved by consumers, it is highly problematic and is often subject to a stop sale."
Hill also flagged the blurring of lines between supplements and functional treats as a consumer education challenge — and a risk for brands.
“According to Nextin data, consumers still struggle to distinguish between supplements and ‘functional’ treats, creating both opportunity and risk,” Hill said. “Consumer education about what is and isn’t a supplement is critical for pet supplement brands defending the category from products with misplaced positioning.
"Manufacturers that invest in credible claims substantiation, appropriate regulatory guardrails, and clear ingredient transparency will be best positioned to earn and retain high-value consumers who value these attributes," she added.
Looking ahead
These experts are bullish about where the category is headed, though they each see distinct growth levers in play. Hill pointed to the emergence of what Nextin calls the "Wellness Trifecta" — the 11% of dog owners who purchase across all three wellness categories: supplements, dental care and functional treats.
"This segment punches well above its size: their purchases are driven by more benefits, they buy pet products across more categories, and they purchase from a greater number of retail channels than the average dog owner," she said, suggesting this high-engagement consumer group represents a meaningful opportunity for brands willing to invest across the full wellness spectrum.
For DeVestern, the upside is broad and structural. "We're very bullish about the pet supplement market,” she said. “We see double-digit growth. Not only will pet supplement brands grow, but all those along the supply chain — third-party contractors and manufacturers — will be impacted by the growth. Penetration will grow, but so will spend per pet and volume per pet."
As the industry continues to mirror patterns from human wellness, the question for the pet space may not be whether to invest in pet supplements — but how quickly and where to place their bets.
