High Protein Dog Food Market

Market Overview

The Culture of Pet Parenting is Boosting Dog Health Concerns vis-a-vis Pet Nutrition

Broader culture narratives surrounding the concept of parenting are being heavily borrowed by the younger generation, as the number of pet parents without children is increasing around the world.

According to a 2013 study by Mintel, more than 91% pet parents in the United States of America consider their pets as a part of their family. A survey conducted by Wakefield Research on the ‘New petfood consumers: what US millennials are looking for’, in 2014, finds that more than half the millennial pet owners in the country are convinced that it is important to dine with their pets.

With the increasing number of less-traditional families around the world, a mounting number of pet parents, especially the younger ones, are developing a deeper relationship with their pets which has heightened the concerns about dog health and dog nutrition.

Evidently, the global demand for high protein dog food is on the rise, and it is mainly triggered by the growing awareness about the importance of including protein in their diets for their wholesome growth.

The rapid move to pet parenting worldwide will continue to have a paramount impact on the pet food industry, and eventually giving boost to the growth of the high protein dog food market.

Demand for Natural, Vegan, and Plant-based Protein in Dog Food will Surge

The number of consumers shifting to veganism is multiplying dramatically around the world, and the trend is no longer limited to human consumers.

Pet food industry is also witnessing a drastic rise in awareness about the potential harms of animal-based dog food and positive impacts of plant-based protein in dog food, which is giving rise to new trends in the dog food market.

A mounting number of dog parents are inclined towards giving plant-based nutrition to their pets and this is triggering the demand for meatless protein in dog food.

With more pet parents seeking high quality dog protein derived from plant or natural sourced, a mounting number of stakeholders in the high protein dog food market are introducing dog food formulas using proteins derived from potato, corn, legumes, soy, wheat, etc.

Growing demand for animal-free dog protein is also triggering heavy investments in biotechnological research & development in order to derive novel protein sources that can replicate similar proteins as their conventional meat counterparts.

Manufacturers are catering to the end users’ needs by inculcating sustainability and veganism in their brand strategies, and this will boost the trend of discovering innovative plant protein sources in the high protein dog food market, in the coming future.

High Protein Dog Food Market: Region-wise Analysis

Based on the geographical factors, the high protein dog food market is broadly segmented into seven regions - North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, and Middle East & Africa.

North America is emerging as a leading market for high quality dog food, accounting for nearly one-third revenue share of the global market.

Increasing awareness about the importance of including protein in dog food is significantly high in the region, and the demand for natural sources of protein in dog food is expected to remain high in the North American market for high protein dog food.

Growing inclination towards plant-based and vegan sources of protein in dog food will influence emerging trends in the regional market.

Leading players in the North America high protein dog food market are expected to invest heavily in research & development to introduce natural and plant-based alternatives that can nutritionally replicate their animal-based counterparts.

This is expected to drive local players’ attention towards biotechnology for the development of vegan high protein dog foods in the coming years.

On the other hand, the Asia Pacific region is also expected to exhibit positive growth prospects with the increasing demand for high quality dog food products in emerging economies in the region.

China, India, and Japan are expected to emerge as lucrative markets in the region, mainly attributed to the growing culture of pet parenting in these countries.

High Protein Dog Food Market: Competitive Landscape

• Diamond Naturals
• Crave
• Purina
• Wellness Complete Health
• Solid Gold
• Whole Earth Farms
• Nulo Freestyle
• Victor
• Nature’s Logic
• Taste of the Wild
• Canidae
• Avoderm Naturals
• Tim’s
• Instinct Raw Brand
• Ultra
• Diamond Naturals
• Orijen
• Nutro Ultra
• Eagle Pack
• Holistic Select.

Leading players in the high protein dog food market are innovating around the quality of protein and experimenting with animal-derived and plant-derived proteins. Innovations in the plant-based high protein dog food are expected to influence market players’ upcoming strategies in the coming future.

In October 2019, Wild Earth Inc. - a technology startup developing clean protein pet foods - announced that it has introduced its first dog food product in the North American market. The company is a specialist in making koji protein dog foods and its new product has yeast protein as an integral ingredient that makes it a balanced and complete diet for dogs.

In February 2020, Wellness Pet Food - a leading pet foods brand - announced that it has expanded its range of dog food products including Wellness® CORE® RawRev™ and Wellness® CORE® recipes.

The company has introduced a new fish-based Wellness CORE RawRev™ recipe along with high-quality, wholesome grains recipes to cater to the pet parents’ concerns about offering protein and high-quality nutrition to their dogs.

In March 2020, Nulo, Inc. - a global player in the pet food industry and a leading manufacturer of dog and cat healthcare products - announced that it has introduced its new dog food line - Challenger.

The company stated that the new product line includes high protein dog foods with animal-sourced proteins along with organic ancient grains including millet, oats, and barley.

The company also declared that the new product line features and 83% of the crude protein in this diet comes from animal ingredients. Challenger also includes 83% animal-based protein through a haddock, salmon and Acadian redfish formula for puppies and adult dogs.

High Protein Dog Food Market: Key Players (this is an indicative list – full list of key players available upon request)

• Schell & Kampeter, Inc.
• Canidae Pet Food
• Breeder's Choice, Inc.
• Victor Pet Food
• Nestle S.A.
• Mars Incorporated
• Billy + Margot Ltd.
• Merrick Pet Care, Inc.
• Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.
• Fromm Family Foods LLC
• PetAg, Inc.
• NutriSource
• Nutro Company
• Precise Pet Products
• Royal Canin
• Petcurean
• Blue Buffalo Co., Ltd.
• WellPet LLC
• GoFromm.com, Inc.

Regions and Countries Analyzed in the Report

• North America (U.S., Canada)
• Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Rest of LATAM)
• Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Russia, Rest of Europe)
• East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea)
• South Asia (India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia)
• Oceania (Australia, New Zealand)
• Middle East & Africa (GCC Countries, Turkey, Northern Africa, South Africa)

Report Highlights

• The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain.
• The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments.
• The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.