2024 industry pet trends

2024 was a big year for pets. Wearable technology, individualized nutrition, and customizable pet healthcare plans are all trends helping pet owners care for their furry friends in new and exciting ways.  

Wearables 

As tech and pet ownership continue to integrate, wearables that track your pet’s whereabouts, movement, and health are becoming more popular with pet owners. These smart devices offer a variety of functionalities such as tracking your pet’s weight, monitoring their sleeping patterns and scratching habits, detecting skin and allergy symptoms, and sending helpful information straight to your pet’s veterinarian. Some even include GPS trackers in case your pet gets loose. 

Individualized pet nutrition  

The pet food industry is a multibillion-dollar business, fueled by pet owners looking for new and unique ways to feed their pets nutritious food. It can be complicated to find the best food for your pet, so Banfield offers one-on-one nutrition coaching with a trained advisor through our Optimum Wellness Plans^®. These sessions let pet owners talk to a veterinary professional on the phone about their pet’s nutrition and weight. 

We also offer an in-house program where a credentialed veterinary technician can become a certified pet nutrition advisor (PNA). Our PNAs help clients understand the importance of nutrition for their pet’s wellness and help guide selection of proper diets to support it. 

Pet wellness 

Concerns for their pet’s health were at the top of pet owners' minds this year. At Banfield, we help owners support their pet’s wellness journey through our custom-made, budget-friendly Optimum Wellness Plans^®.

Our plans include preventive services such as 24/7 Pet Chat™, unlimited office visits, vaccinations, diagnostic testing, fecal exams, preventive X-rays, dental cleanings, and deworming. Learn more about our Optimum Wellness Plans for all stages of life, from the puppy and kitten years to the senior ones.

Sustainability

Sustainability is important to many pet owners, and the market reflects their growing interest. Toys and pet accessories made from recycled materials, organic foods, and biodegradable poop bags and litter are just a few examples of trending eco-friendly pet products. 

Sustainability is important to us too! At Banfield, we aim to reduce our environmental impact through Mars’ Sustainable in a Generation Plan and Net Zero Roadmap, Mars’ goal to “cut emissions 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero GHG emissions across our full value chain by 2050.” 

Some of our hospitals source renewable electricity from a large-scale wind farm in Illinois, and we offer a checklist to help our hospitals reduce their environmental footprint and make smart sustainability choices. Learn more about our sustainability practices.