1B)  Having spent many years working closely with both food and pet nutrition manufacturers, I’ve seen firsthand how quickly the pet supplements sector is evolving. There’s a real sense of excitement as new science and innovative ingredients come to market, but also some caution, especially when it comes to ensuring products are genuinely effective and safe for our pets.

I would like to highlight that pets aren’t just small humans. We still have to learn about what works best for pets. While we can sometimes take inspiration from human nutrition, the reality is that dogs, cats, and other companion animals have their own unique needs. For example, an ingredient that’s beneficial for people might not be absorbed the same way in a dog, or could even be harmful to a cat. That’s why I believe species-specific research is absolutely essential. Human data can be a starting point, but it’s not the finish line.

1C) The trend of treating pets like family members has raised the bar for quality and transparency. But it can also lead to confusion. I often hear pet owners ask for supplements because they’ve seen similar products for themselves, not realizing that pets process nutrients differently. As an industry, we have a responsibility to communicate clearly and help people make informed choices, rather than just following trends.

1D) When I talk with manufacturers about quality, we focus on three main aspects: standardization, bioavailability, and purity.

• Standardization is critical because it ensures every batch contains a consistent level of the key active ingredients (for example, a defined % of carnosic acid in rosemary extract). That consistency is critical so manufacturers don’t have to reformulate their products each time and can rely on predictable performance and efficacy.
• Purity is non-negotiable. They need to know the ingredient is free from unwanted contaminants like heavy metals, pesticide residues, or microbes. It’s essential both for pet safety and for regulatory compliance.
• Bioavailability is what makes the difference in real-life results: it’s about how well the pet can absorb and use the active ingredient. The right form of a mineral or botanical extract can have a big impact on the final effectiveness of the supplement.

1E) Clean Label and Sustainability are more than buzzwords. It’s clear that pet owners are reading labels more carefully than ever. They want to see recognizable, natural ingredients and know where those ingredients come from. Sustainability is especially important for Millennial and Gen Z pet owners. These younger generations are much more likely to ask questions about where ingredients come from, how they’re produced, and what impact they have on the environment. This is pushing all of us, suppliers and manufacturers, to be more transparent and thoughtful about our sourcing and production practices.

1F) Manufacturers often ask what level of evidence is needed to credibly support pet supplement claims. In an ideal world, every product would be backed by large, gold-standard clinical trials for every product, but in pet food that’s not always feasible.  Recruiting enough animals to achieve strong statistical power can be difficult given the diversity of breeds, sizes, diets, and underlying health conditions. Owners may also be hesitant to enroll their pets in long-term studies, and ethical considerations limit what we can test. In practice, we often rely on a combination of well-designed small-to-medium clinical studies. These studies are generally conducted by independent research organizations or veterinary institutions under appropriate ethical oversight. We also use  veterinary assessments and owners-reported outcomes, to build the right evidence base. Each of these has value, but only if the methodology is solid and the limitations are communicated clearly.

2A) From my experience working with both pet food brands and ingredient suppliers, formulation is often half the battle. Palatability is probably the number one challenge; if a supplement doesn’t taste or smell appealing, even the best science won’t matter because pets simply won’t eat it. This is especially true for cats, who can be too picky. We could spend a lot of time working on flavor masking, using natural aromas, or even developing specific formats like chews to make supplements more like treats.

Stability is another big concern. Pet supplements need to maintain their efficacy over time, often in less-than-ideal storage conditions. Ingredients like omega-3s or certain vitamins can degrade quickly if not properly protected, so technologies like encapsulation or the use of natural antioxidants (like rosemary extract) are becoming more common to help preserve potency.

Dosing accuracy is also critical, especially as more pet owners look for targeted health solutions. Unlike human supplements, where the “one size fits all” approach is more common, pets vary widely in size and metabolism. Getting the right dose into a small cat versus a large dog is a real challenge, and it’s something we have to consider at every step, from formulation to packaging.

4B) One high-leverage step to improve trust in pet supplements, would be the establishment of clearer and more consistent standards for claims and labeling - not just in one country, but internationally. Right now, what brands are allowed to say in pet supplement labels can vary widely by countries. This creates confusion for both manufacturers and pet owners, especially because products are now sold online and across borders. A shared global guidelines framework would make it much easier for pet owners to understand what they’re buying and would strengthen confidence that label claims are credible.