What “Functional Pet Food” Really Means to Pet Owners Today

“Functional,” according to Oxford Languages, means “having a special purpose or practical use.” In pet food formulation, where diets must be complete and balanced, it could be argued that every ingredient is functional in some way.

However, in modern pet nutrition—as in human food trends—the term “functional ingredients” usually refers to components added for specific health or wellness benefits beyond basic nutrition. This raises an interesting question: do pet owners interpret “functional” ingredients the same way they do in their own diets?

Recent survey data suggests many do. In 2024, a Packaged Facts survey found that 74% of U.S. pet owners are willing to pay more for foods that offer health and wellness benefits. Among those already purchasing functional pet foods, the most valued benefits included digestive health, oral health, and skin and coat support.

These preferences are broadly supported by Nextin Research findings from a 2024 survey of 572 U.S. dog owners. The most commonly cited “need states” influencing dog food purchases were skin and coat health (30%), joint health (27%), daily wellness (24%), digestion (22%), and gut health (19%). Cat owners showed a similar pattern, with digestion (22%), skin and coat (20%), daily wellness (19%), urinary and kidney health (16%), and joint health (15%) ranking highest. Notably, the largest single response among cat owners was “none of the above” at 24%, suggesting more variability in perceived needs for cats.

Across both datasets, “daily wellness” and “general health” consistently ranked near the top, reinforcing a broader mindset rather than a focus on single-issue solutions. Packaged Facts also found that “general health” was selected by 17% of both dog and cat owners when considering functional pet food benefits.

This aligns with the idea that every ingredient in a complete and balanced pet food serves a purpose, even if consumers do not always think of it that way. While some pet owners may be influenced by online claims about “fillers,” the data suggests a strong overall awareness of nutrition’s role in pet health. In fact, 80% of surveyed owners identified pet food as the most important product category for supporting health and wellness—far ahead of other categories such as flea and tick prevention products (54%).

Taken together, these findings suggest that while pet owners may not always define “functional ingredients” in technical terms, they clearly recognize the importance of nutrition in supporting their pets’ overall health.