The founder-led brand is wagering that veterinary involvement and plain-language labels will help it stand out as owners pour more money into preventive pet care.
Not long ago, supplements were a sleepy corner of the pet store. That has changed. Future Market Insights puts U.S. sales near $1.3 billion this year, with annual growth of about 7 percent penciled in through the mid-2030s. Dogs take most of the money. How much, exactly, depends on which research firm you trust, but the canine share of the global total runs somewhere between two-thirds and three-quarters. Paws & Whiskers is one of the newer entrants. The direct-to-consumer brand opened its online store last year on a simple idea: tell buyers who built a formula and what is in it, and they will tune out the noise around it.
Photo Courtesy: Paws and Whiskers
Where It Started
Matt’s dog was Hans, a German Shepherd he had owned since 2012. By the time the idea took shape, Hans had been diagnosed with liver cancer and arthritis. Joanne’s two Goldendoodles, Sandy and Minnie, were getting old as well, stiffer and slower and dealing with digestive issues; Sandy died in 2024. That history still runs through how the company describes itself. The voice is closer to two owners comparing notes than to anything printed on a label.
Photo Courtesy: Paws and Whiskers
The Role of the Veterinarian
Formulation is led by Dr. Petar Petrov, DVM, who, the company says, has more than 20 years in animal nutrition and holds a minority stake in the business. According to Paws & Whiskers, Petrov is involved in each product, deciding both which ingredients go into a formula and how much of each one is included.
Dosing is where the company stakes its differentiation. Shoppers tend to scan an ingredient list and stop there, but an ingredient included in the wrong amount does little, and trimming it is easy in a category where few buyers check. Canine physiology adds another complication, the company argues: a blend suited to a human product does not scale cleanly to a 60-pound retriever, let alone a small terrier. That kind of adjustment, the brand says, is the reason a veterinarian is attached to the work.
Why the Positioning Matters
Demand, meanwhile, keeps climbing. Market researchers tie the growth to “pet humanization,” the shift toward treating animals as family and spending on preventive care accordingly. Hip-and-joint products remain the largest function segment, while calming and anxiety formulas are among the fastest-growing trends that line up closely with the problems Paws & Whiskers has chosen to address.
The Product Range
There isn’t much in the catalog, by design. The site files everything under five headings: skin and coat, joint and mobility, calming and behavior, allergy support, and yeast support. Wild Alaskan salmon oil anchors the skin-and-coat side. The joint chew, pitched at older dogs, leans on glucosamine, MSM, and collagen. And for the dog that loses it during a storm, or starts in on the furniture the minute everyone leaves, there is a calming chew built around chamomile, melatonin, and L-theanine. Servings track the dog’s weight, the company says, so a beagle and a mastiff aren’t measured out the same way.
Manufacturing and Sourcing
As for how it is made: the company says production runs in the U.S., in cGMP-certified facilities, with non-GMO ingredients and no soy, corn, or artificial preservatives or flavoring. None of that is proof that the stuff works. They are claims, and a buyer can take them or leave them. But Paws & Whiskers is counting on them to add up over time, which tends to matter more when yours is the unfamiliar name sitting next to the brands everyone already knows.
Whether any of this turns into lasting market share is still anyone’s guess. The brand is new. Its direct-to-consumer model means going up against established players that already sit in stores, and in a loosely regulated field, good marketing can carry a weak product nearly as far as a strong one. The wager is that more owners are flipping the jar over to read the back these days, and that being honest about what is printed there will age better than another round of buzzwords.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is not veterinary, medical, or professional advice. Pet owners should consult a licensed veterinarian before giving any supplement to their dog, especially if the dog has an existing health condition, takes medication, is pregnant or nursing, or has known allergies. Product information, ingredients, and claims should be reviewed carefully before use.