The COVID-19 pandemic did a number on the way we look at human health and, by extension, pet health.
“Pet owner concern about their pets’ health and wellness is by no means a new development, but the COVID pandemic, along with the accompanying stay-at-home mandates, brought pets and owners closer together than ever before,” said Packaged Facts in the executive summary of its report Pet Health and Wellness: U.S. Pet Market Trends and Opportunities. “Worried about their own health, pet owners also turned their attention to their pets, and that attention hasn’t diminished as the daily impacts of the pandemic have subsided.”
Veterinary pet food diets used to exist largely in the realm of the veterinarian’s office (read: Royal Canin, Hill’s and Purina, the heavy-hitters of the vet office with their therapeutic, Rx-required formulas), but that has changed as pet owners look to find these options wherever they happen to already shop. This has led to many therapeutic diets being available to purchase online, either as a one-time buy or as a subscription (which usually comes with a discount), making it easier than ever to not only get these diets on pet owners’ doorsteps, but also to research the options before the vet visit even happens.
Types of veterinarian diets expanding
According to an online article, “Veterinary diets for dogs and cats,” published on be.chewy.com, the types of veterinary diets is expansive: Gastrointestinal, hypoallergenic, kidney and urinary diets are staples, but formulas covering everything from dental disease to weight management to brain aging can be found, as well. Chewy.com has sections for both cat and dog veterinary diets, with further search refinement offering the ability to shop by condition as well as the website’s typical brand/food form/flavor/etc. search options.
What does this mean for the veterinary formulation space? More opportunity, via options for every ailment from digestive health to brain health; every food type from kibble to treats to frozen; myriad special diets (chicken-free, high fiber, high protein, low fat); and the ability for pet owners to compare pricing (because even online, the prices for most veterinary formulas is significantly more than US$50 per bag of dry food or case of canned food).
Get online or get out of the way
The veterinarian’s office has always been the place to go if a prescription food is required, and that’s still true in terms of getting a prescription — but the office is no longer the only place to get the actual food prescribed, with pet owners requiring convenience to take care of their pets’ needs.
“There’s still a key consumer tension there, where the veterinary channel doesn’t love to have all this inventory in the vet clinic,” said Steve Presley, chief executive officer in the Americas for Nestlé, during the 2025 Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in Boca Raton, Florida. “At the same time for the consumer, they don’t really necessarily want to drag the bag home when they’re trying to get the pet in and out of the vet. We’ve actually solved that by building new capabilities around this unmissable visibility where we have Vet Direct.” With Purina’s Vet Direct, pet owners get a prescription and order the product while in the veterinary clinic. Purina then ships the pet food direct to the pet owner’s house through a D2C model.
There are other options now, as well. Pet owners can get a prescription from the veterinarian and take it to a site like Chewy.com or PetSmart.com to purchase whatever’s prescribed. JustFoodForDogs, which has several veterinarian formulas, offers the ability to provide proof of an Rx (via email) in order to purchase direct from its website. Bumping a purchase to autoship/a subscription service can provide much-needed discounts if pet owners are in it for the long haul.
Preempting veterinary diets
Of course, several years of economic upheaval have pet owners paying attention to their dollars spent, even though surveys continue to show significant resistance to the idea of “trading down.” If anything, pet owners are looking for more, which is where functional diets come in.
“We’re seeing more and more pet owners looking for feed solutions outside of the vet clinic these days, with many preferring to either shop online or starting their journey in larger Highstreet pet retailers to see what’s out there,” said Dr. Guy Sandelowsky, BVM BVS MRCVS, veterinarian and co-founder/co-CEO of pet food company Omni (also this issue’s cover profile, see p. xx). “COVID seems to have accelerated people’s comfort around online shopping, but there are other factors, too — pet food is a heavy item we need on repeat, and having it delivered on a recurring subscription is arguably more convenient than carrying it home from the vet clinic or from a store. This change has led many brands to use the online arena to pitch their product as the solution to their pets’ ailments. With proper regulation, I think this is a good thing, as ultimately the pet owner will have more choice and the added convenience of online shopping.”
According to Packaged Facts data from a January 2024 pet owner survey, 80% of dog owners and 82% of cat owners rank pet food among the most important health products for their pets. Unsurprisingly, then, in a July–August 2024 survey, 74% of dog and cat owners said they are willing to pay more for pet foods with health and wellness benefits (up from 66% in September–October 2023), according to Packaged Facts.
“As part of the process of looking for products to maintain overall health and wellness, pet owners are seeking out functional and condition-specific pet foods,” said Packaged Facts in its report. “This trend is nothing new, but as younger pet owners shy away from veterinary visits, this type of product holds promise as a way to treat specific health conditions without a prescription. Senior/anti-aging, digestive health, allergy/skin & coat and heart health are some of the top concerns for which pet owners seek out condition-specific pet foods.”
Obviously, there is a still significant need for veterinary pet food formulations. However, the key to remaining top-of-mind for pet owners is to stay in front of them, be it in a vet office or digitally.
“With pet humanization trends spreading and pet health problems like obesity, skin and gut complaints rising, I foresee growth toward health-led, premium pet food propositions,” said Sandelowsky. “Many of the legacy vet brands offer excellent, evidence-based products, but if they are to keep up with consumer trends, they will need to reconsider the strength of their online presence, and not just rely on discovery through the vet clinic. I also believe other brands have an opportunity to specialize in particular health areas (e.g., stress) rather than cater to many different health problems. In the end, this will leave pet owners with a variety of credible options to choose from and, importantly, should make it easier for pets to get the nutritional support they need to live long, happy lives.”
PETFOOD FORUM 2025 SPECIAL
Wanted: A revolution in pet nutrition to combat pet obesity