Pets Home Health Care Is Getting More and More Popular

Customers are becoming more conscious of the fact that they can treat many common ailments in their pets at home instead of constantly rushing to the vet and incurring large costs. Consequently, retailers continue to see strong sales of wellness products such as paw balms, anti-itch sprays, ear and eye cleaners, bandages for small cuts, and much more.

According to Geoff Hamby, director of marketing at Vetericyn Animal Wellness, a manufacturer located in Rialto, California, the demand for at-home care among pet owners has undoubtedly increased. Hamby stated that retailers have a great opportunity to step in and support pet owners as this category grows. Nothing beats having a face-to-face conversation with the local pet shop expert, even though many people are doing their research online.

While it's true that a lot of pet owners feel at ease trying to treat small cuts, sores, or problems with their ears and eyes on their own, Hamby pointed out that this raises a lot of questions and presents a chance for retailers.

Pet Pantry's owner/manager, Sally Crowley, concurred that retailers become invaluable resources when they can help pet owners avoid visiting the veterinarian by providing them with information and products. Pet Pantry is located in Harbor Springs, Michigan. In her store, she has noticed a rise in customers' interest in wellness products.

"By letting pet parents know what's available, the internet has done a great service for this category," said Crowley. "They understand that there are products available to support them and things they can do at home." They can see how to perform these care tasks and which products are best, whether it's basic eye, dental, or skin care.

Pet owners are frequently educating themselves in this area, according to Daniel Geer, senior consumer marketing manager at Fort Worth, Texas-based Vetoquinol USA, the company that manufactures Tomlyn pet health products.

Veterinarians "can hardly hope to be familiar with every brand of pet wellness product available on the market," he said. It is imperative to create high-quality formulations that ensure the safety of pets because owners are compelled to conduct their own research. We at Tomlyn believe that getting veterinarian approval for our formulas is crucial.

A Shift Toward Preventive Care

According to Matt O'Leary, owner of Felix & Oscar, a pet supply store in Springfield, Virginia, pet owners who prefer to be proactive rather than reactive have been a major driving force behind the at-home healthcare trend.

"Pet parents used to wait until there was an issue to address; now, they're more concerned with attempting to prevent it in the first place," he said.

Pet King Brands, a Texas-based company that makes Zymox and Oratene products, has a director of marketing named Debra Decker who said that this is pretty similar to how pet owners are responding to their own health.

"The humanization of pets is still on the rise," the spokesperson stated. This supports our goal of offering pet care products that are easy to use, efficient, stress-free, and straightforward.

According to Decker, sales of the company's Zymox Ear Cleanser are strong. It is a non-stinging product that is free of antibiotics and is safe and mild for the skin of pets.

Many pet owners are looking for cost-effective and time-efficient ways to treat their pets' health concerns, and preventive wellness and natural remedies are their first choice, according to Jenny Gilcrest, vice president of marketing at Skout's Honor, an Oceanside, California-based company that makes grooming and wellness products.

To guarantee continued wellbeing, she stated, "products that do more than just 'treat' an issue are important." In particular, pet parents are looking for wellness products for their skin and coat that address common issues like itchiness, odor, shedding, and hot spots while also promoting the pet's general health, which will ultimately enhance their quality of life.

Prebiotic Pet Balm for paws and noses has proven to be a best-seller, according to Gilcrest of the company. A near second in this category and one of the brand's more recent offerings is Skout's Honor's Probiotic Paw Spray.

Building an Assortment

Pet owners are known to conduct extensive online research, so according to Crowley, it is the retailer's responsibility to stay up to date on the latest products and ensure that customers can find items in this broad category at their neighborhood store.

"This is where I think going to SuperZoo and Global [Pet Expo] is so beneficial as a retailer, to make sure we are keeping up with the products and the trends," said Crowley. "If we have the products and the information they need, people will come to us.”

When choosing which products to stock in this category, retailers should make a distinction between genuine innovation and fads.

"Retailers should consider a brand's presence in the industry in addition to what consumers should look for to verify a product's claims," he stated. "Are they committed to the category, or are they just making me-too products? Do they create content to encourage customers to buy products and to help educate them? Does the product have clinical evidence to support it? Does the company offer marketing assistance or conduct in-store trainings?

Responding to these inquiries, according to Hamby, can assist retailers in choosing which brands to feature in their establishments.

It's also important to set up the store so that pet owners can easily find what they need.

According to Gilcrest, "grooming and skin care wellness products tend to go hand in hand." We have discovered that grouping our products together as a brand block on the shelf yields the best results for us. When options are displayed together, customers who are loyal to Skout's Honor brand are more likely to purchase multiple products or solutions.

As many of the more common skin conditions can be treated at home, Hamby advises having a variety of products on hand.

He stated, "These are typically minor cuts and scrapes or topical skin conditions like hot spots, ripped pads, and sores." "Having our wound care liquid and hydrogel products on hand for these situations is great because they offer immediate relief and accelerate the healing process.”

Hamby mentioned that irritations of the ears and eyes are other frequent problems.

"Our ear rinse and eye wash are perfect because they help manage dirt, debris, fungus, and bacteria while cleaning and flushing those areas and providing immediate relief," continued Hamby. It's important to remember that while emergency preparedness is important, preventative maintenance is even more so. Take care of your eyes and ears, for instance. You can significantly lower the risk of irrigation or infection by simply cleaning or flushing your pet's eyes and ears on a regular basis.

The Pet Wellness Center, a gravity-feed exhibit showcasing best-selling Vetericyn Plus skin, eye, and ear care products, is one of Vetericyn's most well-liked products.

According to Hamby, "store owners can easily add a complete wellness and first aid station to their set because it can hang on an endcap or stand on its own."

When pet owners can quickly locate products and feel like they are receiving the appropriate responses to their inquiries, it makes a difference.

O'Leary summarized, saying, "We always want to be viewed as a helpful resource to our clients." "They come to trust us because of the products we carry and the guidance we can provide."