Pet Supplements: When Science, Cost, and Chews Collide

After spending over a decade as a veterinarian working on the retail side of the pet food industry, I believed I had a strong grasp of what made a pet supplement great. During those 11 years, I evaluated hundreds, possibly thousands, of products. Over and over, I saw the same issues: questionable scientific support, underdosed active ingredients, and formulations that just didn’t deliver. As a veterinarian and consumer, it was perplexing. I remember thinking, “How hard can it be to make a supplement that works?” You just find ingredients with solid science behind them, combine them into a formula, and voilà, a great supplement, right?  

Then I joined BSM Partners and had the opportunity to develop my first veterinarian-formulated supplement. I was thrilled! This was the chance I had been waiting for—a chance to do it right. However, what became abundantly clear was that the roadblocks I had previously attributed to poor product development were not just isolated cases or evidence of carelessness. They were symptoms of deeper, industry-wide challenges that even the most seasoned professionals must navigate with care. 

Step 1: Scientifically Backed Ingredients  

Finding ingredients with strong, species-specific scientific support for safety and efficacy is the foundation for an efficacious product. Surprisingly, sometimes studies supporting the use of functional ingredients specifically for dogs and cats are scarce. While there is plenty of data from rodents and humans, the companion animal section is sparse. Then, when it’s narrowed down to studies that include safety data or effective doses, the list shrinks dramatically for dogs and is almost nonexistent for cats.  

This is an industry-wide limitation that product developers must contend with across the board. Does that mean a supplement is ineffective if there is no supporting data? Not necessarily. Formulators may often extrapolate from other species or use synergistic combinations at sub-efficacious levels. But when that approach is taken, validating the finished product through clinical testing is key, but that’s where the industry often stumbles. Testing finished products for efficacy is arguably the most critical step in supplement development, and it is often skipped because it can be expensive, time-consuming, and a strain on resources. However, if you're not testing your product before it goes to market, you're essentially using customers' pets as test subjects. 

Step 2: Making It Fit 

Next is formulation. An ingredient with solid scientific backing still has to “fit” within a chew or powder scoop, and that’s where another layer of difficulty emerges. Many efficacious ingredients’ research shows results at high inclusion rates—doses that simply don’t fit in a chew or daily serving. For example, take fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which support digestive health, but the dose that actually works in dogs is far more than can be realistically delivered in a small, palatable chew.  

Then there are cats—if finding data for dogs is hard, cat research is like finding water in the Sahara desert. When formulating for cats, the problem compounds: limited data, stricter palatability demands, and dosing constraints make feline supplements one of the most complex categories in the market. These are not niche concerns; they are fundamental limitations that affect nearly every company trying to build a meaningful product. 

Step 3: Cost vs. Efficacy 

Once a feasible ingredient is identified, it’s time to calculate the cost. Here's the kicker: the best-supported ingredients—for example, postbiotics with species-specific clinical trials—can cost hundreds of dollars per kilogram. Delivering a daily dose at the study-supported level could cost the consumer $15 to $20 per day, which may not be economically viable for pet parents – especially in today’s world. Companies face this dilemma: how to balance scientific rigor with cost-accessibility. It’s a strategic, not just scientific, decision, and one that profoundly shapes the final product. 

Step 4: Will It Even Work in Manufacturing? 

Now, the ingredients that are efficacious, cost-effective enough, and fit into a chew or scoop have been identified. The next question: can it be manufactured? Sometimes, a last-minute consideration, but food science and formulation engineering are critical to the process. Some ingredients are incompatible or can be rendered ineffective with certain processing methods. 

Step 5: The Marketing Reality Check 

Next, customer perception is layered into the equation. For example, a novel ingredient with supporting evidence for efficacy has been identified. Is it familiar with pet parents? Do pet parents understand the connection between the ingredients and the functionality? Formulators must balance new, innovative active ingredients with those consumers know and love.  

Step 6: Palatability Hurdle 

The steps have been taken to create an effective supplement with evidence supporting claims, and consumer perception considered, it is time to tackle palatability. Creating a tasty product is where the rubber meets the road. If this supplement is perfect on paper, but if pets won’t eat it, it might as well not exist.  

Palatability isn’t just a finishing touch; it’s a gatekeeper. Texture, aroma, flavor profiles, and even how the product breaks apart in the mouth—all these things matter, especially for cats, who can be notoriously picky. A core formulation challenge faced by every brand is making something taste good to a dog or cat while preserving the stability of active ingredients; it is a whole science of its own! 

For personal experience, when I finally finished formulating my first supplement, I felt like celebrating. Real-world experience taught me that reviewing supplements versus creating them is two separate beasts. Creating a supplement that delivers and that pets will willingly consume is harder—yet can be even more rewarding—than I ever imagined. 

Step 7: Clinical Efficacy Testing 

Here’s the piece most often missing: does the final product actually work, and is it safe? Not the individual ingredients in isolation, but the fully formulated product in the chosen format (like a chew or powder). That’s where clinical efficacy and safety testing come into the picture. This step validates whether the supplement delivers meaningful benefits in pets and whether the formulation is safe. It also helps uncover synergistic effects or limitations that cannot be predicted on paper. Unfortunately, few companies invest in this step, despite it being critical for establishing credibility and long-term success. At BSM Partners, we emphasize this phase because it closes the loop between formulation and function, allowing pet owners to truly trust that what they are purchasing is effective and safe. 

So, How Do You Make a Good Supplement? 

What I learned during this project at BSM Partners is that building a supplement that is safe, effective, manufacturable, and palatable is not simply a matter of good intentions or veterinary knowledge. It’s an exercise in navigating a complex landscape of real-world tradeoffs that impact every brand in this space. These aren't just personal lessons; they are industry-wide realities that demand technical fluency, strategic restraint, and scientific integrity. That’s what makes this work both challenging and deeply rewarding. 

At BSM Partners, we bring all these elements together under one roof. Whether building a new supplement brand or refining an existing product line, we can help strike the balance between scientific integrity, practical formulation, and consumer appeal. It's not easy, but when done right, it's worth it. 

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest updates on all things happening here at BSM Partners.

About the Author

Dr. Katy Miller works as the Director of Veterinary Services at BSM Partners. She earned her veterinary degree at Ross University and completed her clinical year at Louisiana State University. She previously served for 11 years as the Director of Dog and Cat Health and Nutrition for Mud Bay where she earned multiple certifications and specialized in pet food nutriton, prior to which she practiced general and emergency medicine for seven years. She is also a competitive three-day eventer, licensed falconer, and claims only two (Golden and Mini Doxie) of their nine dogs.