Category Analysis: Health and Wellness
Pet owners’ continued education and knowledge has pushed the health and wellness category forward. Owners’ demands for more natural, sustainable and unprocessed products and solutions have kept the category expanding through the years.
“Our outlook for 2025 is incredibly bright,” said Jade Dominique, General Manager of Moko Pet. “Consumers are focused on health and wellness, actively seeking natural, minimally processed products—not just for themselves, but for their pets as well. This shift in mindset aligns perfectly with Moko’s mission, and we’re poised to continue leading the charge in pet wellness.”
“Moko has already made a powerful impact in the industry. Our beautifully disruptive packaging grabs attention, but it’s what’s inside that truly sets us apart. Every product is formulated with our medical-grade mānuka honey and gentle, all-natural ingredients, delivering real, tangible benefits. As more pet owners experience these results firsthand, brand loyalty and demand will only grow,” Dominique said.
“Our outlook for 2025 is optimistic, as pet health and wellness continue to be a top priority for pet parents,” said Marisa Schmidt, Animal Portfolio Brand Manager with FoodScience. “The demand for science-backed, high-quality supplements is growing and we see significant opportunities in expanding our product offerings, particularly in areas such as mobility support, calming solutions, and gut health. We continue to lead innovation in the pet industry, with never-before-used combinations of the best ingredients possible—as seen in our new HMB Healthy Muscle & Strength formula by VetriScience.”
One of the main reasons Moko Pet has driven the health and wellness category forward is due to the success of its leadership methods and practices. “Heading into 2025, our strategy remains focused on innovation, education and expansion. We’re committed to raising awareness about the science-backed benefits of mānuka honey while continuing to develop products that redefine pet health. With consumer trust and interest in natural wellness at an all-time high, we see endless opportunities for growth,” Dominique continued.
This year, Nordic Naturals has much to celebrate as the company embarks on three decades of business. “This year is an important milestone for Nordic Naturals,” said a Nordic Naturals spokesperson. “We’re turning 30! During the past three decades we have revolutionized the omega-3 industry, setting the standard for high-quality fish oil. Today, we are the No. 1 selling fish oil brand in the US, and we remain deeply committed to our founding mission of delivering safe and effective nutrients essential to health.”
PetAg gave prominence to the company’s current outlook for 2025 as well as what factors are contributing to innovation and incremental growth. “2025 is off to a great start for PetAg,” said Sean Magee, Senior Brand Manager with PetAg. “Penetration in the pet supplement category is up across both cat and dog as more and more health-conscious consumers extend their belief in healthy supplementation to their pets. That trend is being reflected in consumption data for pet supplements across the board. The milk replacer category on the other hand, tends to correlate directly with pet population shifts with a significant growth in cat offsetting a slight decline in dog. This continued increase in cat ownership and overall cat population, along with the increased penetration in pet supplements are the two major factors driving innovation for the future!”
PetAg has continued to specialize in providing for puppies and kittens, while leading by example, said Magee. “We provide products for puppies and kittens in the most vulnerable stage of their lives and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. It is the foundation of who we are and reflected in our mission: trusted, high-quality pet nutrionfor proactive health across all life stages. Quality is and always has been our north star and our commitment to that quality has earned us consumer trust for 95 years,” Magee added.
Continuing to push the envelope and bring more to the table, “At Moko, we’re committed to pushing the health and wellness category forward by challenging the status quo. We believe in the power of nature to heal and nurture, which is why we source our mānuka honey directly from the pristine forests of New Zealand and pair it with clinically proven botanicals to create products that truly support dogs’ health and well-being. Every ingredient we use is intentional, and we stand behind the quality and effectiveness of our entire portfolio,” Dominique said. “A key pillar of our leadership strategy is education. As we expand into retail, we’re prioritizing consumer and retailer awareness around the benefits of natural ingredients—especially mānuka honey—over chemical-laden, synthetic alternatives. While this conversation is already well-established in human health, we’re leading the charge in bringing it to the pet wellness space. By bridging this knowledge gap, we’re empowering retailers to offer products they can trust and helping pet owners make more informed choices for their companions.”
“As the year progresses, we’re seeing a growing consumer awareness that not everything marketed as ‘healthy’ for them or their pets actually is. Misleading claims and confusing messaging are making it harder than ever to navigate the health and wellness space,” said Dominique. “That’s where we come in. We help retailers cut through the noise by offering products they can confidently recommend—products that truly work. By harnessing the powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits of medical-grade mānuka honey and working closely with veterinarians and organic experts to carefully formulate each product, we’re setting a new standard in the category. This level of quality and transparency gives retailers a unique opportunity to build trust and drive sales with products their customers can believe in.”
As the demands of pets and their owners have changed over time, so too has the health and wellness category. Leaders in the category have been able to adapt and evolve with the demands due to their well honed leadership practices and innovative developments and advancements.
