Issue #7: Brands for the 4-Legged Consumer
3 Topics, 3 Brands, in 3-Minutes
After pet-sitting my sister’s dog, Mindy, this past week, I was inspired to look into the brands that are emerging for our four-legged consumers, specifically dogs 🐶. During my search, I discovered human-grade dog food, multivitamins, pre/probiotics, and even an online veterinary pharmacy! If you have a dog-child like my sister (and me this week), keep reading to see how you can give them the premium care they deserve.
🍽️ Would You Eat Your Dog’s Food?
Don’t be fooled by the title — I do not want to be sharing a meal with a dog. However, I do want to at least treat our meals with similar care and consideration when it comes to their ingredients.
Whether you have a picky eater or simply care about the ingredients you feed your pup, you’re probably buying expensive kibble, refrigerating some type of “natural” dog food, or preparing home-cooked meals entirely. Standard kibble often contains synthetic, anti-nutrient ingredients labeled as “Feed Grade,” aka they contain ingredients that are not safe for human consumption.
Since 2020, the U.S. pet food market surpassed $50 billion, growing nearly 10% in 2020. With this growth, dog parents are expressing an increased demand and heightened consciousness around the taste and quality of pet food, without sacrificing an affordable price.
👇 This brand is healthier than kibble, but easier to feed than home-cooked foods.
Sundays — Human-grade, all-natural, air-dried dog food.
Founded: 2020
Co-Founder: Dr. Tory Waxman
Co-Founder: Michael Waxman
Latest Funding: $10M, Series A
🔗 Sundays for Dogs Raises $10 Million Series A…
🦴 A Supplement Routine for Your Pup
With 75% of Americans using dietary supplements, why doesn’t your dog have some too? Dogs need support for their joints, heart, skin/coat, immunity, and digestion too! As dog parents become more mindful of the quality of ingredients and the holistic care they provide, brands like Dog is Human, Finn, and Native Pet are developing specialized supplement regimens to address your dog’s specific needs. If you’re looking for a more general, all-inclusive supplement, Dog is Human’s multivitamin provides just that. However, if your pup needs more targeted support for digestion, allergy & itching, recovery, and more, Finn or Native Pet may have what you need.
👇 Check out this all-in-one multivitamin for your pup.
Dog is Human — A simple vet-formulated multivitamin for your dog's daily health.
Founded: 2022
Co-Founder: Timothy Chen
Co-Founder: Kathan Mally
Latest Funding: $1.2M, Pre-Seed
🔗 Dog is Human Raises $1.2 Million to Pioneer Human-Grade Pet Health
🏥 TLDR: Your Dog Needs A Pharmacy Too
With all this talk about “human-grade” products and treating your pet like you would yourself, let’s not forget that every human needs a pharmacy — so, obviously, your dog does too!
The global pet care market size was valued at $246.66 billion (USD) in 2023 and is projected to grow to $427.75 billion (USD) by 2032. Just as we humans are leveraging the benefits of telehealth treatment and online health management tools, Mixlab is making this possible for our pups too. Mixlab’s technology allows veterinarians to write and manage prescriptions, eliminating the need for back-and-forth phone calls and faxes. So, the next time your pup needs a prescription, call up their pharmacy —Mixlab.
👇 See below the brand that is offering a full-service pharmacy for your pet.
Mixlab — Full-service veterinary pharmacy that specializes in compounded, commercial and over-the-counter medications for animals.
Founded: 2017
Co-Founder & CEO: Fred Dijols
Co-Founder: Vinnie Dam
Co-Founder: Stella Kim
Latest Funding: $10M, Series A+
🔗 Mixlab Raises $10M to Enhance its Best-in-Class Veterinary Pharmacy Platform…
That’s all for this week, see you next Sunday!
P.S. I am new to this writing thing, so if you have any tips or come across brands/topics I should cover - let’s chat!
Love this! Sending to my sister with a puppy!