We come from a deer farming background, where breeding and nurturing these majestic creatures has been our life's work. After 35 years of understanding and nurturing our deer, and the benefits of their by-products for human health nutrition, we began to wonder why our beloved pets should miss out. That's where our journey began - creating a range of premium superfood powders for pets.
We embarked on a journey of global research, trends, product R and D, to ensure our idea really could cater to the demands of global pet owners. We knew we have a very special and unique product that got results! But further to that, we wanted to understand the key consumer trends that we could support to ensure we were truly helping pet owners around the world.
TREND 1. HUMANISATION OF PETS.
The pet supplements market has grown in tandem with the big growth in the human supplements market. Consumers who are sold on the benefits of supplements for themselves, naturally assume that supplements are beneficial for their pets too. As specific ingredients become popular in human supplements, pet owners begin to want these ingredients in the supplements they give to their pets.
Furthermore, the trend of pet humanisation has been growing across the world, which has increased the number of pet owners spending significantly on pet food and supplements to keep their pets active and healthy. Consumers don’t want traditional pet foods. They want healthy ingredients and they want to understand the ingredients list. They are researching more about their pet foods, even going to the extent of buying and making more “human” style food and nutrition for their pets.
TREND 2. FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS.
“Functional ingredients” in the pet industry are becoming hugely popular. Meaning foods that contain nutrients and other components that have a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition.
With both dogs and cats living longer, many pet owners are looking for supplements to help their ageing pets with joint problems, support slowing metabolisms, support immune, cognitive and heart health, and mobility support. Supplements are seen by many pet owners as necessities for dogs and cats of any age to support existing health concerns, and in addition, supplements are seen as a type of preventive care that can help avoid the need for veterinary visits.
A key aspect to the Nutrideer product vision was to appeal to trending demands with functional ingredients that are safe for pets and importantly, backed by science.
TREND 3. SPECIFIC PRODUCT CLAIMS – EFFICACY.
Pet owners are seeking more specificity in product claims, so it was important to us to NOT just be another brand with generic claims. We have sourced and embraced specific ingredients and technologies that had scientifically proven health benefits. Efficacy and results were a huge driver for us. Joint/mobility, multivitamins/general health, skin coat, senior support and immunity are among the most popular condition-specific supplements for both dogs and cats. Again, we are fortunate that our hero ingredient deer milk contains many of the rich nutrients that can support these health concerns.
TREND 4. ALL NATURAL, HUMAN GRADE INGREDIENTS.
Pet owners are especially interested in pet supplements that are made with natural and organic ingredients with no additives, binding agents or preservatives. And ingredients that are human grade. As a New Zealand company, Nutrideer are very fortunate to source the most reputable and credible ingredients in the World. With this in mind, the format of our products was also key for us. Every step of processing of an ingredient can impact the profile of the bioactive compounds. So it was important to us to have the ingredients in their most natural format, protecting the integrity of the bioactives. Hence, our products are POWDERS, rather than a pill, tablet, chew, capsule which other brands do. Tablets, chews, pills, capsules require binding agents, preservatives, lecithin’s or other additives to squeeze the ingredients into a tablet or treat. Powders are the most natural form of the product with minimal processing. Supplements in powder form are absorbed more quickly than tablets or pills, are easy to consume, and can be easily mixed into foods and beverages.
And luckily deer milk powder has a wonderful texture and taste that pets LOVE!
To summarise, pet supplements are globally becoming a staple in pet owners' nutrition routines for good reasons. Nutrideer’s commitment to using natural and science-backed ingredients, while catering to specific pet health concerns, is a journey that we have not just plucked out of thin air. A huge amount of hard work, research and resource has gone into developing our brand and products, and we are very proud to be finally making a difference in many pets, AND pet owners lives!