Pawsitive Growth: Insights & Amazon Trends in the Pet Health Segment

As pet ownership continues to rise, so does the emphasis on keeping our pets healthy. The pet health market has seen remarkable growth, particularly across brand websites and Amazon.

In this blog, we use Similarweb’s Web Intelligence tools and Shopper Intelligence to reveal the consumer trends shaping this booming segment. We’ll highlight the leading brands and discuss strategies for success in this competitive space — with a special focus on what’s happening on Amazon, the world’s largest marketplace.

Demand surges for dog health products

Our analysis began with the creation of keyword groups for pet health. We found searches for dog health-related products, such as probiotics and salmon fish oil, have surged. Search volumes increased 25% and 54% year-over-year (YoY), respectively, from September 2023 to August 2024 compared to the previous year.

Interestingly, the total search volume for dog probiotics (778K) is 4.5 times higher than that of salmon fish oil (171K), indicating a clear preference for probiotics.

Amazon and Chewy take a major bite out of the market

Amazon remains the top destination for pet health shoppers, with Chewy close behind. However, many consumers conduct thorough research before purchasing, with publishers also capturing a significant share of clicks.

Key takeaway: To succeed in this space, brands should prioritize visibility on these marketplaces while also building credibility through partnerships with influential publishers.

Dog health supplies on Amazon reach new heights

The dog health supplies category on Amazon reached $1.6B in annual revenue with a 31% YoY increase in both revenue and units sold. This reflects sustained consumer demand.

Interestingly, prices have remained relatively stable, indicating the revenue growth is primarily driven by an uptick in sales.

Amazon’s Subscribe & Save remains a key driver

Subscribe & Save feature – the Amazon program that enables customers to automatically receive recurring shipments of select products at regular intervals – continues to gain momentum. It now accounts for around 20% of all category sales.

Over the past 18 months, its share has grown from 9% to 19.7%, making it a critical tool for brands looking to drive repeat purchases. Subscribe & Save’s convenience is particularly appealing to consumers seeking long-term pet health solutions.

Growth is seen across all subcategories

A remarkable 13 out of 15 subcategories within the dog health market have witnessed substantial growth in revenue and units sold over the past year. This broad-based trend suggests a growing consumer focus on pet health, not just individual products or brands.

The top three subcategories – Supplements & Vitamins, Hip & Joint Care, and Digestive Remedies – account for 62% of total category revenue. Digestive Remedies have seen the most significant growth, with a 51% YoY revenue increase.

Zesty Paws remains the alpha dog, but competition is heating up

Zesty Paws continues to lead the dog health category, with 14.5 million product views – double that of the second-place brand, Nutramax Laboratories. Despite this, Zesty Paws posted only modest revenue growth of 8%, while Nutramax Laboratories saw a 34% increase.

Smaller players like Petlab Co., VetIQ, and Native Pet are making rapid strides, with revenue growth rates of 71%, 86%, and 93%, respectively.

💡 Key takeaway: This surge in competition underscores the fierce battle for market share in this expanding retail segment.

The battle for brand association continues to intensify

Consumers aren’t overly fixated on specific brands when searching for dog health products, presenting both opportunities and challenges for brands. The top keywords in this category are brand-agnostic, a common feature of new or rapidly growing markets.

Several brands are actively claiming keyword ownership: Zesty Paws dominates ‘salmon oil for dogs,’ Arm & Hammer leads for ‘dog toothpaste,’ and GKD captures 40% of clicks for ‘calming chews for dogs.’ This spread of product categories further emphasizes the broad consumer interest in pet health, with no single product driving growth.

Successful brands have top products across sub-categories

Top brands like Zesty Paws, Nutramax Laboratories, and VetIQ have established top-selling products in multiple subcategories, which plays a key factor in their success.

Consumers often purchase a range of products for their pets’ health. So building trust as a brand across different product lines helps drive loyalty and cross-category sales.

Paid search is booming, now responsible for one-third of clicks

Paid search has seen a significant increase. It now accounts for approximately one-third of total clicks in the dog health category. This further highlights the growing competitiveness of the space, as brands strive for greater marketplace visibility.

💡 Key takeaway: To compete effectively, brands need to allocate a substantial portion of their budget to paid search to capture at least a third of their clicks. Organic visibility alone may not be enough in this saturated market.

Nutramax Laboratories thrives with strategic paid search investment

Nutramax Laboratories has emerged as the leader in units sold, largely due to its investment in paid search. With 40% of its product clicks coming from paid search, it’s outpacing competitors in driving sales volume.

💡 Key takeaway: Nutramax Laboratories’ example highlights the importance of paid search in securing brand recognition, especially in non-branded keyword searches where competition is fierce and brand loyalty is still forming.

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Ready to take your Amazon sales to the next level? Book a meeting with one of our Amazon experts today to see how Similarweb Shopper Intelligence can help you stay ahead of the competition.

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