That ingredient evolution is being matched by a broader set of study endpoints. While gut health remains a major focus, researchers are increasingly measuring metabolic markers, inflammatory signals, mobility, intestinal barrier function, immune activity and owner-reported symptoms rather than relying only on visible outcomes such as body weight or stool quality.
Overall, the field is moving toward more mechanistic and precision-oriented approaches, although many interventions remain in early stages of validation and clinical relevance is still being established.
Below is a look at some of the latest science feeding a still maturing market focused on improving the health of furry and not-so-furry friends ranging from households cats and dogs to bearded dragons.
ADM compares pro and postbiotic effects on metabolic health markers in labradors
A study in labrador retrievers suggests that Bifidobacterium animalis CECT 8145 may influence metabolic health in dogs, even without short-term effects on body weight or body fat.
Researchers from Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) tested both a live probiotic form and a heat-treated postbiotic during separate weight-gain and weight-loss phases.
The strongest effects appeared in metabolic markers rather than visible body changes. During weight loss, dogs receiving the postbiotic showed a 6% lower post-meal glucose response than controls. The supplements also altered several gut hormones, digestive measures and fecal metabolites, with the postbiotic generally showing stronger effects than the live probiotic. The treatments did not significantly change body weight, body condition score or overall body composition.
“These findings are particularly interesting because, although biotic ingredients are well known for supporting gut health, their role in metabolic health—particularly in dogs—has been relatively underexplored,” said Sophie Nixon, head of clinical research, pet and animal well-being at ADM.
The study called for longer studies in more severely obese dogs to determine whether these biomarker changes translate into meaningful clinical benefits.
Saanroo expands Levagen+ research into companion animal health
A randomized, placebo-controlled trial suggests that Levagen+, a palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) supplement, may help ease joint pain in dogs and cats.
“Given the shared biological pathways between humans and companion animals, we had strong rationale to expect similar anti-inflammatory and mobility benefits in pets,” said Liza Pepple, Southeast sales director at Saanroo. “We looked at the mechanism and found it modulates PPAR-alpha and the endocannabinoid system, which are very similar in companion animals.”
To translate these human findings, the six-week study, affiliated with the University of Queensland and RDC Clinical in Australia funded by Sanroo, followed 100 companion animals—50 dogs and 50 cats—with owners reporting pain and mobility changes over time.
The strongest results were seen in dogs. By the end of the trial, 76% of dogs given Levagen+ were classified as successfully treated, compared with 40% of those receiving a placebo. Dogs in the supplement group also showed broader improvements in pain severity and everyday mobility, including walking, running and rising from rest.
Cats showed more limited but still notable benefits. Overall pain scores did not differ significantly between groups, but cats receiving Levagen+ had lower reported current pain at some time points and improved performance on specific tasks such as jumping up and down. The supplement was generally well tolerated in both species, with few reported side effects.
Lactic acid bacteria isolated from canine and feline microbiota show host-adapted benefits
Host-adapted probiotics taken from dogs’ and cats’ own microbiota could be promising candidates for pet health products.
“The global rise in pet ownership has increased demand for health-promoting products, particularly probiotics designed to support gastrointestinal and immune health in companion animals,” researchers from Ankara University in Turkey wrote in Veterinary Research Communications. “However, most commercial products rely on non-host-adapted strains, which may limit gastrointestinal colonization and host-specific benefits.”
Their study screened 56 lactic acid bacteria isolated from fecal and milk samples of healthy dogs and cats, ultimately identifying two standout strains: Limosilactobacillus reuteri from a dog and Enterococcus faecium from a cat.
In lab tests, both strains inhibited a range of pathogens, survived simulated gastrointestinal stress, adhered well to intestinal cells and helped block pathogen attachment. Both also showed signs of broader biological activity—reducing inflammatory signals and boosting anti-inflammatory IL-10 in canine and feline macrophage models, suggesting possible immune-modulating effects. One strain, L. reuteri, also showed stronger antioxidant activity than the feline-derived strain.
The researchers called for animal studies to determine whether these in vitro findings translate into real clinical benefits.
Plant extract may extend benefits of low-fat diet in healthy beagles
A study in healthy beagles suggests that a low-fat diet can improve several blood lipid markers and that adding a blend of plant extracts may broaden those benefits, although the intervention remains to be treated in dogs with obesity or metabolic disease.
Over eight weeks, researchers in China compared a conventional diet, a low-fat diet and a low-fat diet supplemented with extracts from Atractylodes lancea, Magnolia officinalis and Citrus reticulata.
Both low-fat diets lowered triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and total bile acids compared with the conventional diet, but the supplemented diet showed additional effects, including lower markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, along with signs of improved intestinal barrier function, they reported in the journal Veterinary Sciences. Dogs on the plant-extract diet also showed shifts in gut microbiota, including increased Lactobacillus and higher levels of potentially beneficial metabolites such as GABA and glutamine.
The diets did not produce major differences in body weight, fecal scores or most general safety measures, suggesting the intervention was well tolerated in these healthy dogs.
Prebiotic-postbiotic chew improves digestive health, subtly shifts fecal microbiota in French dogs and cats
A 28-day study in in 57 dogs and 57 cats suggests that a prebiotic-postbiotic chew may help ease mild digestive problems like soft stools, excess stool volume, flatulence or vomiting, according to a study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
The supplement, marketed as Floragest by French company Virbac, combines baobab fruit pulp and acacia gum as prebiotics with heat-killed whole cell L. helveticus HA-122 and specific fractions of the three inactivated yeast strains S. cerevisiae AQP 12260, S. cerevisiae AQP 12988 and C. jadinii AQP 12549 as postbiotics.
Owner reports pointed to broad improvements that appeared quickly, often within the first week. In both species, overall digestive health scores rose, stool odor improved, and flatulence and vomiting became much less common by the end of the study. Pets that started with abnormal stool consistency or unusually high stool volume also often shifted toward a more normal range.
Microbiome testing told a more modest story. In both dogs and cats, the supplement caused only subtle shifts in fecal bacteria, mainly affecting less abundant microbial groups rather than reshaping the overall gut community.
As limitations, the researchers noted variability between individuals and that the study lacked a control group and relied heavily on owner-reported outcomes.
Black yeast beta-glucan prompts gut and metabolomic response in beagles
A small crossover study conducted by researchers in South Korea suggests that POLYCAN, a beta-glucan derived from the black yeast Aureobasidium pullulans, may influence immune and metabolic markers in beagles without changing growth or digestion.
Over 10 weeks, eight healthy male beagles received either a control diet or the same diet supplemented with 1,000 mg per day of POLYCAN.
The supplement did not affect body weight, food intake, nutrient digestibility or fecal pH, but it was linked to higher blood levels of calcium, insulin-like growth factor 1, growth hormone and immunoglobulin G, pointing to possible immune and endocrine effects. Microbiome analyses showed little change in overall diversity or broad community structure, though some bacterial groups shifted in relative abundance. The clearest biological signal may have come from metabolomics.
“Overall, the metabolomic adaptations observed in this study indicate that POLYCAN supplementation promotes targeted metabolic modulation involving nucleotide turnover, amino acid cycling, energy metabolism and bile acid transformation,” the researchers wrote in the Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology. “These coordinated changes support gut health, metabolic efficiency and host–microbiome homeostasis, while the absence of widespread or pathological alterations further underscores the metabolic safety of POLYCAN in beagles.”
Study shows UVB exposure more effective than supplements in bearded dragons
A study in young, bearded dragons suggests that UVB exposure may matter more than the specific dietary supplement formulation for maintaining key calcium-related blood markers.
Hungarian researchers followed 36 dragons for 16 months, comparing four calcium and vitamin D supplement strategies, with or without artificial UVB light, while also tracking growth, health and blood chemistry.
Their findings, published in Acta Veterinaria Hungarica, showed that dragons exposed to 12 hours of UVB daily had significantly higher total calcium and ionized calcium levels than those without UVB, while differences among supplement types and calcium forms were not significant. None of the treatments affected body weight or body length, and all animals remained clinically healthy, with no signs of metabolic bone disease.
Malaysian cat owner survey reports prevalence, patterns and factors of dietary supplement
A survey of Malaysian cat owners suggests that dietary supplement use in pet cats is both common and shaped by owner demographics, experience and perceptions of benefit.
Among 352 respondents, 58% said they gave supplements to their cats, most often multivitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics or fiber products.
Owners mainly reported using supplements to support general health and prevent disease rather than to treat specific problems. Supplement use was more common among women, owners in their 30s, people living in urban or suburban areas, those with four or more cats, and those with more than five years of cat-owning experience. Veterinarians were a leading source of information, though social media was nearly as influential.
The survey results, published in the Australian Veterinary Journal, also highlighted a divide between users and nonusers. People who used supplements generally saw them as beneficial and easy to obtain, while nonusers were more likely to worry about product quality, safety and cost.
Overall, the findings suggest that feline supplement use is already widespread in Malaysia, even as concerns remain about oversight and evidence quality. The researchers argue that stronger regulation, better public education and closer collaboration between veterinarians and pharmacists could help promote safer, more informed use.
Key takeaways
- Pet supplement research is expanding beyond basic outcomes (stool quality, weight) toward broader domains like metabolism, mobility, immunity and quality of life.
- The gut microbiome is a central mechanism in many supplements, linking diet to metabolic, immune and inflammatory pathways, though not all supplements act primarily through this route.
- Evidence quality is still uneven, with small studies, short durations and inconsistent formulations limiting how strongly results can be interpreted.
- Biomarkers and owner-reported outcomes are common but have limitations (e.g., variability, placebo effects and lack of direct clinical validation).
- Responses vary by species: Dogs tend to show more consistent measurable responses than cats, while reptile outcomes are heavily influenced by environmental factors like UVB exposure and husbandry conditions.
- Overall, the field is promising but still early-stage, with a need for larger, longer-term studies focused on clinically meaningful endpoints rather than surrogate measures.