Pet Owners Are Zeroing In On Skin and Coat Health – PetProductNews.com

Pet health concerns span nose to tail, with skin and coat condition an increasing focus for dog and cat owners. In fact, retailers reported that sales of grooming products that address skin and coat issues have increased.
“Our grooming and skin care categories kind of blend,” said Jennifer Larsen, co-owner of Firehouse Pet Shop in Wenatchee, Wash. “The grooming category is up 18 percent over 2020, and skin care items are up approximately 48 percent.”
Key factors that affect skin and coat health are internal and external, said Dawn Leoso Duncan, vice president of Glo-Marr Pet Products, a manufacturer in Lawrenceburg, Ky.
“Diet is always a big issue that can cause dental and skin problems,” she said. “Environment is another factor that can contribute to skin issues.”
Because skin issues can be year-round and take time to resolve, prepared pet product retailers can expect steady, if not increasing, sales in this category, industry insiders explained.
“Skin problems will always drive sales,” Leoso Duncan said. “Pet owners will always be in the market for products that provide relief and promote healthy skin and coats.”
Leoso Duncan reported that therapeutic skin care products are selling best, including the company’s Kalaya Emu Oil products. The line includes skin cream, shampoo and spray.
Larsen’s top sellers include natural dog balms and chlorhexidine gluconate products, which have disinfectant and antiseptic properties when used on the skin. She also sells a lot of salmon oil, whole food supplements and food sensitivities tests for customers seeking to treat their pets from the inside out, she said.
Robert Fawcett, owner of The Pet Set, which has two stores in Atlanta, said he’s finding a more educated clientele coming in for grooming products to address skin and coat health.
“We try to promote the nutritional needs of the skin and coat along with brushing and combing needs,” he said.
Some distinct trends are bubbling up in the skin and coat grooming segment, insiders said. One is a focus on wellness, said Pete Stirling, co-founder and CEO of Skout’s Honor, a manufacturer in Oceanside, Calif.
“Younger and more [health-]conscious pet parents are driving the wellness trend,” he said. “The old way of thinking about health as something that is dealt with symptomatically has been disrupted and people are thinking more long-term, both in terms of their personal health and that of their pet’s.”
Where once pet owners looked primarily to their veterinarian in their decision making, Stirling said that “they now have a wide variety of data points to reference and have become more aware of available natural options that can contribute to ongoing health and longevity without the need for medical intervention.”
This is especially seen in rising demand for nutraceutical pet products, which essentially are “natural alternatives to traditional medicated solutions,” Stirling said. “This trend goes hand in hand with a move away from the more invasive medicated formulas that focus on treating an acute symptom, versus a more preventative wellness approach.”
Ingredients showing up in countless grooming products for pets are cannabidiol (CBD) and probiotics, insiders said.
“CBD is in everything now, including shampoos and bath bombs, trending off the human CBD market,” Larsen said. “Probiotics are also in almost everything, from shampoos to topical skin sprays.”
For Skout’s Honor, probiotic products have performed best. Popular products include Probiotic Shampoo + Conditioner, Probiotic Deodorizer, Probiotic Itch Relief Spray and Probiotic Ear Cleaner.
The company also launched a probiotic grooming line for puppies in September 2021. The new Happy Puppy Collection features a white lilac and linen fragrance and is formulated for pups of all ages. The new line includes Probiotic Happy Puppy Shampoo + Conditioner, Probiotic Happy Puppy Deodorizer Spray and Probiotic Happy Puppy Detangler.
Independent pet supply retailers with solid product knowledge are in a good position to help consumers with their pets’ skin and coat health needs.
Since 2020, many pet owners have been unwilling or unable to get in to see their veterinarians, so more people have sought out pet specialty retailers for solutions, such as for skin and coat concerns, said Jennifer Larsen, co-owner of Firehouse Pet Shop in Wenatchee, Wash.
“Customers come to us begging for help as they can’t get into the vet, so we find we are dealing with much bigger—or worse—issues lately,” she said.
This heightened need from consumers highlights the importance of having an educated staff to help them.
“Retailers need to know the brands they carry so that they can help pet owners determine what product is best for them,” said Dawn Leoso Duncan, vice president of Glo-Marr Pet Products, a manufacturer in Lawrenceburg, Ky. “Pet owners will listen, and they have to trust that the retailer knows what they are selling.”
Firehouse Pet Shop offers a training program for each “department” in the store.
“Grooming/first aid is only a four-hour training initially, but we have ongoing training on the job,” Larsen said. “We also do weekly staff meetings when we can, and those cover product trainings [as well].”
Savvy retailers use in-store experts to help with staff and customer education.
“The groomer is king,” said Robert Fawcett, owner of The Pet Set, which has two stores in Atlanta. “If they tell the client what to do, they will do it.”
Firehouse Pet Shop has a couple of former vet techs/vet assistants on staff “who have been very helpful for customers and helping educate the rest of the staff about different skin issues,” Larsen said.
She recommended that store associates be well versed in both internal and external options to address immediate and long-term skin and coat concerns.
Not only does an educated staff ensure better sales, it builds trust and loyalty with dog and cat owners.
“You will have a customer for life if you take the time to listen, and then steer them in the right direction,” Leoso Duncan said.
As pet owners better understand the relationship between good grooming habits and dog or cat health and well-being, the more important it is for specialty retailers to provide an ample selection of products for skin and coat care.
“Pet parents are starting to realize how, just like it is for humans, grooming is an essential part of a pet’s daily health and wellness routine,” said Pete Stirling, co-founder and CEO of Skout’s Honor, a manufacturer in Oceanside, Calif. “I would say it is second only to nutrition in the potential benefit to the animal.”
Industry insiders offered several recommendations to ensure a well-stocked section of grooming products that address skin and coat health for dogs and cats.
“Stick with quality products and brands,” said Robert Fawcett, owner of The Pet Set, which has two stores in Atlanta. “There are so many brands out there, but we like to go with salon-type quality products.”
“An ideal assortment would include skin care shampoo, an accompanying spray and accompanying cream,” said Dawn Leoso Duncan, vice president of Glo-Marr Pet Products, a manufacturer in Lawrenceburg, Ky. “A bath is always beneficial but not ideal at certain times. A spray can be used easily and can provide instant relief to the specific problem area. A cream allows for a more concentrated application.”
“I’m a big fan of a good, better, best selection, but I think the industry is moving towards a solution-based assortment with natural [and] traditional/medicated subcategories,” Stirling said.
“We try to have something for any condition/issue that might pop up,” said Jennifer Larsen, co-owner of Firehouse Pet Shop in Wenatchee, Wash. “We also try to have options for preventative and maintenance. [For example], get them something to treat the hot spot or yeast, but get them on some products to prevent more in the future.”
“Dog owners seem to spend more than cat owners, but we have both high and low [price offerings] in both dog and cat,” Larsen said. “For skin care items like shampoos, customers don’t seem to care about the price if it’s for a skin issue; they just want it resolved. If they don’t have any issues, then they seem to be more price conscious.”
In areas where fleas and/or ticks flourish, so can topical pet products formulated to combat these pests safely and effectively.
The push for natural offerings has remained constant since 2018, said Regina Flight, pet brand manager for NOW Health Group, a manufacturer in Bloomingdale, Ill.
“Pet owners are looking for a chemical-free option that is safe for their dog,” she said. “Pet owners like the idea of a natural alternative to the harsh chemicals that their dog’s skin can come in contact with.”
The company offers NOW Pets Flea & Tick Spray for Dogs, an essential oil-based repellent to defend against fleas, ticks, flies and other pests.
“It is formulated by renowned holistic veterinarian Dr. Barbara Royal and made exclusively for dogs,” Flight said, adding that the product is free of DEET, synthetic pesticides, pyrethrins, and artificial colors and fragrances.
Skout’s Honor in Oceanside, Calif., also offers a topical spray featuring essential oils. The Flea + Tick Dog & Home Spray contains peppermint and cedarwood and is formulated to kill fleas and ticks, including their larvae and eggs, plus repel mosquitoes, company officials said.
Many parts of the country experienced strong flea and tick seasons last year, so sales of topical solutions were substantial, retailers reported.
“2021 was up 28 percent over 2020 in flea and tick, and that was mainly in the natural segment,” said Jennifer Larsen, co-owner of Firehouse Pet Shop in Wenatchee, Wash.
Drops are the most popular topical, said Robert Fawcett, owner of The Pet Set, which has two stores in Atlanta, where they typically experience robust flea seasons. Larsen said customer favorites at her store include cedar oil and essential oils, collar attachments, Insect Shield products and diatomaceous earth.
Ultimately, owners want what works, and sometimes traditional, more-established options, such as collars and drops that contain pesticides, are sought for their reputation for effectiveness.
“We sell a lot of natural options, but the ticks are so bad here that they don’t always work as well as chemical options,” she explained. “We try to sell them based on the need.”
Because of the area’s active hiking community and large percentage of orchards, many dogs spend their days outdoors in tick-friendly areas.
“It’s less realistic that owners are going to spray their dog every other day with natural spray, so we still sell [traditional flea and tick products] for outdoor dogs spending their days in orchards or outdoors,” Larsen said. “[But] we don’t stock them on the floor. This way we have the conversation and try to educate the customer before they just grab the [traditional] option without understanding the [potential] side effects.”
Another important characteristic for topical flea and tick products is the smell, Flight said.
Pete Stirling, co-founder and CEO of Skout’s Honor, agreed.
“They want them to work, but an often-overlooked attribute in this category is the smell of the products. In short: They have to smell good,” he said. “You’re potentially using these products for a few months every year, and it’s easier to find a scent you can love than learn to love a scent you hate.”
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