The pet supplement sector is evolving rapidly as consumers apply many of the same wellness expectations they have for themselves to their companion animals. Demand for targeted nutrition, preventive health solutions and clinically supported ingredients is reshaping innovation strategies across the category.
In this NutraIngredients Q&A, Mary Joe Fernandez, global vice president of sales and business development at Layn Natural Ingredients, shares her perspective on the trends driving growth, the challenges of translating human nutrition science into pet applications and the white-space opportunities emerging for ingredient suppliers.
NI: How is the ongoing “humanization of pets” trend translating into more targeted, functional nutrition, and what shifts are you seeing in how pet supplement products are being formulated today?
Mary Joe Fernandez: The ongoing “humanization of pets” trend is significantly reshaping the pet nutrition industry, particularly in the supplement space. Today, pet owners increasingly view their pets as family members, and as a result, they expect the same level of health, wellness, transparency and functionality in pet products that they seek for themselves.
This shift is driving demand toward more targeted and science-backed nutritional solutions that address specific health conditions and life-stage needs rather than general wellness claims alone. We are seeing strong growth in formulations focused on areas such as joint health, gut health, cognitive support, immune resilience, stress management, skin and coat health, healthy aging and weight management.
Another important shift is the growing focus on proactive and preventive health. Rather than reacting to health problems, many pet owners now seek daily nutritional strategies that help maintain long-term vitality and quality of life.
We are also observing increased demand for scientifically validated ingredients supported by in vivo studies and clear mechanisms of action. In many ways, the pet supplement industry is increasingly mirroring trends previously seen in human nutraceuticals, including personalization, clean-label positioning and holistic wellness approaches.
NI: Longevity and healthy aging are major drivers in human supplements. How are these concepts being adapted for pets, particularly in areas like cognitive health, mobility and metabolic support?
MJF: Longevity and healthy aging are becoming increasingly important in pet nutrition. As pets live longer due to better veterinary care and improved nutrition, pet owners are now focusing not only on lifespan, but also on “healthspan” — maintaining quality of life, mobility, cognitive function and vitality during aging.
This trend is driving the development of more targeted nutritional strategies addressing age-related challenges in pets. Cognitive health is one of the fastest-growing areas, particularly for senior dogs. Pet owners are looking for solutions that support memory, alertness, learning capacity, and behavioral balance as pets age.
Mobility and joint health continue to be major priorities as well. Aging pets frequently experience reduced mobility, stiffness and inflammation.
Metabolic health is another rapidly emerging focus area, particularly as obesity and sedentary lifestyles become more common in companion animals. We are also seeing growing interest in gut health as a key contributor to healthy aging, recognizing the strong connection between the microbiome, immunity, metabolism and cognitive wellbeing.
Overall, the industry is moving toward more holistic and preventive approaches to pet wellness.
NI: From an ingredient development standpoint, how do you approach translating human clinical or mechanistic data into pet applications, and where are the biggest scientific or validation gaps today?
MJF: Human clinical and mechanistic data can provide a very valuable starting point for pet applications. Many of the underlying biological pathways related to oxidative stress, inflammation, gut health, immune modulation, and metabolic function are conserved across species, which allows us to build initial scientific hypotheses from human research.
However, translating human data into pet nutrition requires a careful and species-specific approach. Dogs and cats have important physiological, metabolic, digestive, and microbiome differences compared to humans.
Our approach is typically built around three pillars: mechanistic understanding, safety and palatability, and species-specific validation.
One of the biggest scientific gaps today is the limited availability of robust, long-term clinical studies in pets compared to the human nutraceutical field. There is a strong need for more controlled studies evaluating biomarkers, optimal dosing strategies, long-term safety, and measurable functional outcomes in dogs and cats.
Another important gap relates to the microbiome and personalized nutrition. We are only beginning to understand how the gut microbiota influences immunity, cognition, metabolism, and healthy aging in companion animals.
Standardization and validation of botanical ingredients also remain critical challenges. Natural extracts can vary significantly depending on sourcing, processing, and composition, making consistency and reproducibility extremely important for scientific credibility and product performance.
NI: Looking ahead, where do you see the most meaningful white space for ingredient suppliers in the pet supplement category?
MJF: The next phase of innovation will likely focus on ingredients and formulations specifically designed around companion animal physiology, health conditions and longevity needs.
One major white space is healthy aging and longevity support. As pets live longer, there is growing demand for solutions targeting cognitive health, mobility, metabolic resilience, immune balance and vitality.
Another highly promising area is the gut-brain-immune axis. We are only beginning to understand the relationship between the microbiome, cognition, stress response, immunity and metabolic health in companion animals.
Personalization also represents an important future opportunity. Breed size, age, activity level, lifestyle, and even microbiome composition may increasingly influence nutritional recommendations.
Another important differentiator will be scientific credibility and measurable efficacy. The industry is moving toward greater demand for biomarkers, clinical validation, mechanistic understanding and species-specific studies.
NI: Anything else to add?
MJF: Recent studies and consumer insights suggest that cat owners have historically felt somewhat underserved by the pet industry compared to dog owners in terms of product innovation, supplement formats and targeted health solutions.
However, this is beginning to change rapidly. Cat ownership continues to increase globally, especially among younger consumers, urban households and smaller living environments.
At the same time, cats present unique formulation and physiological challenges compared to dogs, including palatability sensitivities, metabolic differences and more selective feeding behaviors. This creates significant opportunities for innovation in areas such as cognitive health, stress management, hairball support, urinary tract health, healthy aging and metabolic wellness specifically tailored for feline needs.
