Petworking

If you're a pet parent, you've likely experienced the anxiety of wondering if your furry companion is in pain or discomfort. However, for many pet parents, the cost of veterinary care, and the inability to know whether a pet is truly experiencing health issues, results in a decision to postpone a visit to the vet, which ultimately results in poor health outcomes for the pet. As a pet paren...

This podcast episode features Peter Kenseth, Vice President & Partner at Maia Strategy Group, interviewing Miles Thorson, founder and CEO of Odie Pet Insurance. Key points discussed: Pet insurance adoption is still low in the US (~4% for dogs), so there is a huge potential market. Most carriers are not competing for share yet, but trying to grow the overall market. Odie Pet Insurance is taking...

In this episode of Petworking, host Peter Kenseth interviews Greg Kean, Global VP of Innovation & Nutrition at Wellness Pet Company. They discuss Wellness's extensive testing protocols for its pet food products, which go above and beyond the industry standard. Key points from the discussion: Wellness is investing 3-4 million dollars to put their entire product portfolio through AAFCO feedi...

It might come as a surprise to learn that the pet food industry is a significant contributor to the global waste stream, accounting for 3% of all flexible packaging (about 300 million pounds annually). Currently, 99% of the 300 million pounds of plastic waste produced by the pet food industry each year wind up in landfills. Put another way, pet food packaging is adding 297 million pounds of plasti...

Dr. Greg Aldrich, Chief Operating Officer at Nulo Pet Food, recently joined Petworking host Peter Kenseth to discuss Nulo's latest innovations in minimally processed pet foods and the brand's philosophy on optimal pet nutrition. Aldrich, who previously worked as an associate professor at Kansas State University studying pet nutrition, joined Nulo about 15 months ago after consulting with t...

Happy Earth Day! Miscanthus is a perennial grass, and represents a highly sustainable and effective fiber source. In addition to serving as a source of dietary fiber, it also enhances the structural integrity of pet foods during manufacturing processes, contributing to better kibble cohesion and moisture retention. Miscanthus is primarily cultivated in southwest Missouri and stands out due to its...

Loyal for Dogs (Loyal / Cellular Longevity) is redefining the paradigm of aging in dogs. NAD+ supplements currently on the market claim to "slow the effects of aging," and to "support health as [dogs] age," but they do not promise to extend lifespan. Nor are they FDA-approved. Loyal emphasizes that aging is the primary modifiable risk factor for most degenerative and chronic di...

The veterinary field is on the cusp of a revolutionary transformation, driven by technological advancements, a deeper understanding of pet nutrition, and an evolving approach to pet care that prioritizes convenience and efficiency. This shift was vividly illustrated at the recent Western Vet Conference in Las Vegas, where my colleague, Jessica Stewart and I explored into the trends shaping the fut...

A look at topics that I'm excited to explore at WVC 2024: - The Creation of the Pet Care/Animal Health Ecosystem - Wearables - At-Home Diagnostics - Pet Insurance - DNA/Genomics/Precision Medicine and Precision Nutrition - Sustainability

Research from Demandsage 2.0 indicates that on a worldwide basis, 23% of men and 21.8% of women own a smartwatch. In the U.S., that number is even smaller, as 12.2% of Americans are reported to use a smartwatch or a fitness tracker. However, when we get to the pet space, that number drops even further. Market awareness for pet trackers in the United States is approximately 5% of pet-owning househo...

If you've experienced the joy of adopting a pet, you know that the wonderful feeling of welcoming a new family member to your home is often preceded by involves numerous challenges that can be both cumbersome and emotionally draining. Prospective pet owners frequently encounter a convoluted and extended application process, necessitating comprehensive questionnaires about their living conditio...

On the latest episode of Petworking, I was fortunate enough to be joined by 🐾Yvethe Tyszka, Vice President of Marketing, and Bob Kalill, Vice President of Research and Product Development at Zesty Paws (part of H&H Group). Zesty Paws is the top pet supplement brand in the U.S., as verified by Euromonitor. Yvethe, Bob and I discussed the rapid growth of the pet supplements market, and the curr...

In the previous episode of Petworking, Daryl Hatton and I delved into the difficult topic of financial euthanasia and its role in the increasing compassion fatigue among veterinarians. We highlighted the alarming mental health crisis in the veterinary field, underscored by a high suicide rate and the startling statistic from Royal Canin that 70% of veterinarians have known a colleague or peer who...

This week on Petworking, I sat down with Daryl Hatton, CEO of ConnectionPoint, to discuss some crucial and timely issues, related to the need for crowdfunding solutions in veterinary care. ConnectionPoint's Petfundr brand is specifically designed for pet-related projects and needs. It operates similarly to other crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter or GoFundMe but is focused exclusively on...

The Human-Animal Bond. We've all seen it, even if we haven't realized it yet. Look around you, and in the course of a given day, I would bet that it's impossible not to see evidence of it somewhere. It's there in the gentle nudge of a dog waiting patiently for its owner outside a store, in the contented purr of a cat curled up on a sunny windowsill, and in the quiet companionship o...

The profound emotional and psychological impact of pet ownership often serves as a catalyst for the inception of numerous pet brands. This deep, emotive connection with their pet(s) fosters a unique empathy and understanding of the intricate needs of animals, driving individuals to venture into creating solutions that address health, nutrition, comfort, and emotional well-being of pets globally. I...

Preventative diagnostics is a critically important component of veterinary care. In the U.S., only 40-50% of pet owners take their pets to the vet once a year. While the costs of vet visits continue to increase, the cost of not taking your pet to the vet regularly can far outweigh the cost of a vet visit. With the cost of a simple vet visit now approaching $100 in some areas, and the costs of any...

I had the chance to meet Dr.  James Templeman , Director of Nutrition at  Primal Pet Foods  at SuperZoo this summer, and we had a great chat about the nutritional benefits of raw, freeze-dried, and gently-cooked diets. Adding even a little bit of one of these food forms to your pet's kibble can go a long way towards improving their overall health. Since SuperZoo, I've made a conscious effo...

In the latest episode of Petworking, Daisy Chavez, BS, CVT of Pet Insurance Review and I sat down to discuss the current state of the pet insurance industry, why adoption rates are so low, and the benefits that pet parents can expect from investing in pet insurance. Many pet parents overestimate the cost of pet insurance, don't think they'll need it, or have been misinformed about the bene...

SuperZoo has become an annual August tradition for me. Despite the fact that it tends to coincide with my birthday, I love the networking and trendspotting, the chance to see new product launches, to meet new people, and reconnect with old friends. And as each year passes, the number of people I'm reconnecting with at SuperZoo continues to grow. This year was special for me, as it represented...

A recap of conversations from the Pet Sustainability Coalition's Impact Unleashed conference. We chatted with Corey Dobbs of Canidae, Jessica Krueger and Karlyn Kubin of Ziwi, Hannah Hughes of Fera Pet Organics, Meredith Small of KONG, and Amber Simpson of Petcurean about their thoughts on the conference, and the sustainability initiatives they are employing at their companies.

On the 9th episode of  Petworking , we cover a topic that has the potential to drive profound reverberations across the pet food ecosystem, the human food ecosystem, and in the fight against climate change. Regenerative agriculture is a system of farming principles and practices that seeks to rehabilitate and enhance the entire ecosystem of the farm by placing a heavy premium on soil health. It is...

Have you ever noticed how some families are just good at certain things? The Bush and Kennedy families were political dynamos. The Ripken and Griffey families were baseball savants. In pet food, it's the Scott family. Jim Scott Sr. bought Old Mother Hubbard in 1961, and instilled his passion for animal nutrition in his son, Jim Scott Jr. Jim Scott Jr. founded Wellness pet food in 1997, and is...

In the latest episode of Petworking, we had the pleasure of hosting Matthew Sherman, SVP of Marketing at PetPlate, for a deep dive into the rapidly growing fresh/frozen refrigerated pet food market. In a market that has been long been dominated by Freshpet in the grocery space, and DTC players such as The Farmer's Dog, Nom Nom, JustFoodForDogs, and Ollie , an increasing number of traditional m...

We introduce listeners to Jessica Stewart, a Senior Manager at Maia Strategy Group, and a former Diagnostic Support Consultant at IDEXX. Jess will be supporting Petworking with her expertise in Animal Health Diagnostics. We discuss recent developments in cancer diagnostics, focusing on Oncotect, a Raleight-based start-up that has launched a urine test that can assess a dog's risk for cancer. F...