Global pet supplements reached $2.8B with an 8.1% CAGR (USD Analytics, 2025), led by joint health at 29% of the category while calming and digestive segments grow fastest. Humanization and the soft-chew format—about 42% of supplements (NIQ, 2025)—are the core drivers.
About the pet supplements market
The pet supplements market crossed $2.8B in 2025 and is compounding at 8.1% (USD Analytics, 2025), making it one of the steadier growth pockets in pet care. Joint health dominates at 29% of the category, but calming and digestive products are the fastest movers as anxious, urban, and aging pets create new needs. This article details the size, the segments, the format shift to soft chews, and the humanization forces behind it.
How big is the pet supplements market?
Global pet supplements reached approximately $2.8B in 2025 and are growing at an 8.1% CAGR (USD Analytics, 2025). That is smaller than pet food ($136.6B in 2025, IMARC, 2025) but growing faster than the food base rate, reflecting a shift from nutrition-as-sustenance to nutrition-as-function.
The 8.1% CAGR positions supplements as a durable mid-growth category—slower than insurance’s 12.8% (Global Market Insights, 2025) but more stable, because supplementation is a daily habit once adopted.
Is supplement spend concentrated in dogs or cats?
Dogs lead supplement usage historically (joint, mobility, and calming needs are more commonly addressed in dogs), but cat supplements are rising as the “cat renaissance” lifts feline health investment—82% of cat owners view food as health (Packaged Facts, 2025). We treat the dog/cat split as dog-weighted but converging.
Which segments lead the category?
Joint health is the largest at 29% of the supplement market (USD Analytics, 2025), driven by large-breed dogs, seniors, and mobility concerns. Calming and digestive products are the fastest-growing, reflecting anxiety (urban living, separation) and gut-health trends borrowed from human wellness.
Skin-and-coat and immune supplements form a stable middle. The pattern mirrors human supplement aisles: a large legacy segment (joints) plus fast-rising wellness segments (calming, gut).
Why is calming growing so fast?
Post-pandemic pet ownership left many dogs with separation sensitivity, and owners now treat anxiety proactively. Calming chews with tryptophan, L-theanine, or CBD-adjacent botanicals meet that need. The segment also benefits from being non-prescription and retailer-friendly.
What is the soft-chew format shift?
Soft chews account for about 42% of pet supplements, blurring the line between treat and therapy (NIQ, 2025). Owners prefer them because pets accept them like snacks, improving compliance versus pills or powders.
This “functional treat” convergence is a structural trend: brands like NaturVet (joint, digestive, multivitamin, expanded into Europe by Swedencare, LinkedIn Swedencare, 2025) built portfolios around palatable chews. It also links supplements to the broader functional-treats movement.
How do supplements connect to functional treats?
Functional treats and soft chews (42% of supplements, NIQ, 2025) occupy the same shelf and use case. A calming chew is both a supplement and a treat, letting brands capture snack occasions with health claims. This overlap is why supplement and treat marketers now compete directly.
What drives supplement demand?
Pet humanization is the master variable: 43.6% of owners prioritize pet-food health over their own (Pride and Groom, 2025), and that mindset extends to add-on supplements. Aging pet populations (indoor cats live 13–17 years, Quora, 2025) raise chronic-condition management, while veterinary recommendation lends credibility.
The “cat renaissance” (Packaged Facts, 2025) and Gen Z/Millennial ownership gains (Gen Z +43.5%, APPA-tracked, Templer Tang / APPA, 2025) add younger, wellness-oriented buyers fluent in supplement language.
Are vets driving or resisting supplements?
Many vets recommend specific joint and digestive products (e.g., Hill’s Digestive Care, owner forums, 2025), but caution against unregulated claims. The FDA–AAFCO rift on ingredient definitions (BSM Partners, 2025) creates labeling uncertainty that conscientious owners should watch.
How does this compare to CBD treats?
CBD pet treats reached $1.15B (PMarketResearch, 2025) and overlap with calming supplements, but face regulatory limbo—EU Novel Food approval is expected to unlock the segment (PMarketResearch, 2025). Mainstream supplements are comparatively settled, which is why they scale ahead of CBD today.
Which brands lead supplements?
NaturVet (Swedencare, LinkedIn Swedencare, 2025), +PlusCBD Pet (CV Sciences, LinkedIn CV Sciences, 2025), and major food makers’ supplement lines compete. Consolidation is likely as the $2.8B base (USD Analytics, 2025) attracts CPG attention.
How do owners choose supplements safely?
Owners should match the product to a specific need (joint, calming, digestive), prefer brands with third-party testing, and consult a veterinarian—especially for pets on medication. The FDA–AAFCO rift on ingredient definitions (BSM Partners, 2025) creates labeling uncertainty, so reading the guaranteed analysis and active-ingredient list matters more than marketing claims.
Are supplements regulated like food?
Supplements occupy a lighter regulatory tier than drugs, which speeds launches but also invites low-quality entrants. Vets commonly recommend specific joint and digestive lines (e.g., Hill’s Digestive Care, owner forums, 2025), a useful shortcut for owners navigating the aisle.
What is the outlook for 2025–2030?
The $2.8B base (USD Analytics, 2025) should keep compounding near its 8.1% CAGR as humanization deepens (43.6% of owners prioritize pet-food health over their own, Pride and Groom, 2025) and the cat renaissance lifts feline supplement use (82% of cat owners view food as health, Packaged Facts, 2025). Calming and digestive will likely outpace joints.
How do supplements intersect with fresh and functional food?
Functional ingredients are migrating from chews into foods and toppers, blurring categories. Brands that span supplements, functional treats (soft chews ~42%, NIQ, 2025), and fortified food capture the same wellness occasion across formats—a convergence reshaping retail shelves.
Which companies are consolidating the category?
NaturVet (expanded into Europe by Swedencare, LinkedIn Swedencare, 2025) and +PlusCBD Pet (CV Sciences, LinkedIn CV Sciences, 2025) illustrate two paths: mainstream supplement scaling and CBD-adjacent calming. As the $2.8B base (USD Analytics, 2025) attracts CPG attention, more M&A is likely, paralleling the 8+ pet deals in 2025 (Petfood Industry, 2025).
What regional differences shape demand?
North America and Europe lead supplement usage, with Asia rising as urban, wellness-oriented owners adopt Western pet-care habits. In markets where commercial-food penetration is low—India at 3–4% (Petfood Forum Asia, 2025)—supplement adoption lags but represents long-term upside. Localization (taste, format, regulation) determines which global brands win region by region.
Does the cat renaissance boost supplements?
Yes. Packaged Facts’ “cat renaissance” (2025) finds cat owners unusually health-oriented, and as cats live 13–17 years (Quora, 2025), chronic-condition management (joint, kidney, digestive) creates supplement demand historically concentrated in dogs.
What are the biggest risks to supplement growth?
Regulatory uncertainty (FDA–AAFCO rift, BSM Partners, 2025) and unsubstantiated claims could trigger backlash or enforcement. Economic downturns may also deprioritize discretionary add-ons versus core food. Still, the structural humanization tailwind makes a multi-year slowdown less likely than a temporary speed bump.
The bottom line for supplement buyers
The $2.8B supplement market (USD Analytics, 2025) is a steady, humanization-driven compounder: joints lead at 29%, but calming and digestive are the fastest movers, and the soft-chew format (~42%, NIQ, 2025) is blurring treats with therapy. For owners, the practical rules are simple—match the product to a specific need, buy third-party-tested brands, and loop in a veterinarian, especially for pets on medication. The FDA–AAFCO labeling rift (BSM Partners, 2025) means marketing claims deserve skepticism; the guaranteed analysis and active-ingredient list matter more. As the “cat renaissance” (Packaged Facts, 2025) lifts feline health spend, expect supplements to keep migrating from dog-only to species-spanning portfolios.
Related reading
- CBD Pet Treats Market: $1.15B and EU Unlock
- Functional Pet Treats: Soft Chews at 42%
- Pet Humanization: 43.6% Prioritize Pet Health
FAQ
Q: How big is the pet supplements market in 2025?
A: Global pet supplements reached $2.8B in 2025 and are growing at an 8.1% CAGR (USD Analytics, 2025).
Q: Which supplement segment is largest?
A: Joint health leads at 29% of the category (USD Analytics, 2025), driven by large-breed and senior dogs.
Q: What are the fastest-growing supplement types?
A: Calming and digestive supplements are growing fastest, reflecting anxiety and gut-health trends borrowed from human wellness.
Q: Why are soft chews popular?
A: Soft chews are about 42% of supplements (NIQ, 2025) because pets accept them like snacks, improving compliance and blurring treat-versus-therapy lines.
Q: What drives supplement demand?
A: Pet humanization (43.6% prioritize pet-food health over their own, Pride and Groom, 2025), aging pets, and vet recommendations are the core drivers.
Sources
- USD Analytics (2025): Pet supplements $2.8B, 8.1% CAGR; joints 29%, calming/digestive fastest.
- NIQ (2025): Soft-chew format ~42% of pet supplements; functional treats blur snacks with therapy.
- IMARC (2025): Global pet food ~$136.6B in 2025, ~4.2% CAGR to 2034.
- Global Market Insights (2025): Pet insurance 12.8% CAGR (context comparison).
- Packaged Facts (2025): “Cat renaissance”; 82% of cat owners view food as health.
- Pride and Groom (2025): 43.6% of owners prioritize pet-food health over their own.
- Quora (2025): Indoor cats live 13–17 years.
- Templer Tang / APPA (2025): Gen Z pet ownership +43.5%.
- LinkedIn Swedencare (2025): Brought NaturVet to Europe.
- LinkedIn CV Sciences (2025): +PlusCBD Pet meets plant-based calming demand.
- BSM Partners (2025): FDA–AAFCO rift on ingredient definitions.
- PMarketResearch (2025): CBD pet treats $1.15B; EU Novel Food to unlock.
- owner forums (2025): Hill’s Digestive Care commonly advised.