Pet Medications in the U.S., 6th Edition


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Pet Medications in the U.S., 6th Edition

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This report, Pet Medications in the U.S., 6th Edition, examines the retail market for medications for dogs and cats, with a focus on products purchased directly by consumers. These products include prescription, over-the-counter (also called OTC or retail products), and “ethical” products (nonprescription medications that are only distributed to veterinarians).

The primary focus of Pet Medications in the U.S., 6th Edition is on the core types of antiparasitics/parasiticides—heartworm prevention, flea/tick prevention, heartworm/flea combo products, and other dewormers (some of which also target other external parasites such as mosquitoes, flies, ear mites, lice, and sarcoptic mange, and/or other types of internal parasites such as hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, and tapeworms), but it also covers market-shaping developments in areas including anxiety, pain management, cancer, cognitive dysfunction, and obesity/diabetes.


  • Executive Summary
    • Market Trends
      • Scope and Methodology
      • Market Size & Composition
      • Market Outlook
    • Marketers and Products
      • Competitive Overview
    • Product Trends
    • Retail Trends
      • A Shifting Paradigm
      • The Vet Channel
      • Online Sales
      • Pet Specialty
      • Mass-Market Retailers
    • Consumer Trends
      • Pet Medication Purchasing Patterns
      • Demographic Trends
    • Market Opportunities
      • Opportunity 1 – Human/Animal Bond
      • Opportunity 2 – Veterinary Services Expansion
      • Opportunity 3 – E-Commerce
      • Opportunity 4 – Generics and Patent Expiration Fuel New Product Pipeline
      • Opportunity 5 – Innovative Product Delivery Systems
      • Opportunity 6 – Combo Products
      • Opportunity 7 – Parasiticides: OTC v. Prescription
      • Opportunity 8 – Weather Patterns, Parasiticides, and Consumer Education
      • Opportunity 9 – Tapping (Further) into Natural
  • Market Trends
    • Chapter Highlights
    • Scope and Methodology
      • Market Definition
      • Report Methodology
    • Market Size & Composition
      • U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Medications Top $9 Billion in 2018
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Medications, 2014-2018 (billions of dollars)
      • Share of Sales by Animal Type
      • Share of Sales by Distribution Channel
        • Table Share of U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Medications by Distribution Channel, 2018 (percent and billions of dollars)
      • Share of Sales by Product Type
        • Table Share of U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Medications by Product Type, 2018 (percent and billions of dollars)
      • Parasiticide Sales by Type
        • Table Share of U.S. Retail Sales of Parasiticides by Product Type: Prescription vs. OTC, 2018 (percent and millions of dollars)
        • Table Share of U.S. Retail Sales of Parasiticides by Product Type: Dogs vs. Cats, 2018 (percent and millions of dollars)
    • Market Outlook
      • Overall Pet Market Focus on Health and Wellness
      • Innovation Spurred by Cost, Convenience, and Safety
      • Strong Veterinary Market Underpins Pet Medications
        • Table Expenditures on Pet Products in Veterinary Clinics by Dog and Cat Owners in Past 12 Months, 2018 (percent of dog and cat owners)
        • Table Expenditures on Veterinary Services by Dog and Cat Owners in Past 12 Months, 2018 (percent of dog and cat owners)
      • Growth in Pet Health Monitoring and DNA Testing
      • Pet Medications Sales Shifting to Online Platforms
      • Parasiticide Use Impacted by Product Confusion, Perception of Risk
        • Table Use of Parasiticide Products by Location, 2018/2019 (percent of dog and cat owners)
      • FDA Issues Warning on Some Flea and Tick Products
      • Natural Flea and Tick Protection
      • Overall Pet Market Trends Impacting Pet Medications
        • Table Age of Dogs and Cats, 2018 (percent of pet owners)
    • Looking Ahead
      • Pet Medication Sales to Surpass $12 Billion by 2022
        • Table Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Medications, 2018-2022 (billions of dollars)
  • Marketers and Products
    • Chapter Highlights
    • Competitive Overview
      • Pharmaceutical and OTC Marketers
      • M&A and Investment Activity
      • Global and U.S. Conglomerates Dominate Pet Medications Market
        • Table Global Pharmaceutical Marketers Total Sales vs. Animal Health Sales, 2018 (millions of dollars)
        • Table Global Pharmaceutical Marketers Animal Health vs. Overall Sales, 2017 vs. 2018 (millions of dollars)
      • Generics Increasing Competition and Spurring Innovation
    • Marketer Profiles
      • Bayer Companion Animal
      • Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health
      • Central Garden & Pet
      • Ceva Animal Health
      • Elanco (Eli Lilly Animal Health)
      • Hartz Mountain Corp.
      • Merck Animal Health
      • PetIQ
      • Vetoquinol
      • Virbac
      • Zoetis
    • Product Trends
      • Parasiticides
      • Flea and Tick Products
      • The Heartworm Market
      • Combination Products
      • Broad Spectrum Wormers
      • First Aid Products
      • Vaccines and Other Drugs
      • Product Introductions and Advancements
      • New FDA Approvals
  • Retail Trends
    • Chapter Highlights
    • Introduction
      • A Shifting Paradigm
    • The Vet Channel
      • Pet Owners Rely on Vets for Pet Medication Advice
      • Most Pet Owners Purchase Prescription Meds Through Vets
        • Table Purchase Rates by Channel for Prescription Pet Medications, 2019 (percent of dog and cat owners who purchased prescription pet medications)
        • Table Channel Usage in Past Three Months by Product Type, 2019 (U.S. dog and cat owners, from online survey sample)
        • Table Retail Outlet Choice in Past Three Months by Product Type , 2019 (U.S. dog and cat owners)
      • Veterinarians Countering E-Tailers with Online Pharmacies of Their Own
    • Online Sales
      • Online Pet Medication Sales Booming
        • Table Online Shopping Website Use in Past Three Months by Product Type, 2019 (percent of dog and cat owners who purchased pet supplies online)
      • Chewy Sets Sights on Prescription Pet Medications
      • Chewy.com Pharmacy Answered with WalmartPetRx.com
      • Small Growth Means Lost Share for PetMed Express in Booming Online Market
        • Table PetMed Express Sales, 2009-2019 (millions of dollars)
      • Amazon's PillPack Acquisition May Lead to Prescription Pet Meds
    • Pet Specialty
      • Veterinary Services Inside Pet Superstores
      • PetSmart Pharmacy Moves to Chewy.com
      • PetSmart Site Visit
      • Petco Invests in Online Platforms and In-Store Services
      • Pet Specialty Retailers Focus on OTC Medications
    • Mass-Market Retailers
      • Walmart Emphasizes Vet Care and Pet Meds
      • Walgreens and CVS Partnering with Veterinary Service Providers
      • Costco Pet Pharmacy
      • Tractor Supply For the Do-It-Yourself Pet Owner
  • Consumer Trends
    • Chapter Highlights
    • Pet Medication Purchasing Patterns
      • Most Dog or Cat Households Use Parasiticide Products
        • Table Percentage of Dog or Cat Owners Who Purchase or Use Parasiticides, 2016-2019 (percent and thousands of dog- or cat-owning households)
        • Table Percentage of Dog or Cat Owners Who Purchase Any Flea and Tick Care Medications or Medicated Products, 2016-2019 (percent and thousands of dog- or cat-owning households)
        • Table Percentage of Dog or Cat Owners Who Purchase Flea and Tick Care Topicals or Oral Medications, 2016- 2019 (percent and thousands of dog- or cat-owning households)
        • Table Percentage of Dog or Cat Owners Who Use Heartworm Medication, 2016-2019 (percent and thousands of dog- or cat-owning households)
      • Vet-Prescribed and OTC Flea and Tick Meds Most Popular
        • Table Medications/Drugs Given in Past 12 Months, 2018 (percent of U.S. dog and cat owners)
      • More Pet Owners Use Flea/Tick Products as Prevention
      • Oral Flea/Tick Medication More Popular Among Dog Owners
        • Table Share of Flea and Tick Care Product Purchasers by Type, 2018/19 (U.S. dog and cat owners)
      • Parasiticide Usage by Number of Pets
        • Table Share of Flea and Tick Care Product Purchasers by Type, 2018/19 (U.S. dog and cat owners)
      • FRONTLINE Most Frequently Purchased Flea/Tick Brand
        • Table Share of Flea and Tick Care Medication Purchasers by Brand, 2018/19 (U.S. dog and cat owners)
      • Consumer Expenditures on Prescription Pet Meds
      • Consumer Usage of Vet-Recommended Products
      • Veterinarians a Major Factor in Usage/Purchasing of Dewormers Other than Heartworm
      • Consumer Usage of Alternative Medicine
      • DNA/Health Screening Kits Detect Potential for Inherited Conditions
    • Demographic Trends
      • Demographics by Medication Type
        • Table Select Demographics for Purchase of Heartworm and Flea/Tick Medications, 2018/19 (percent, thousands of U.S. dog and cat owners, and index)
        • Table Select Demographics for Purchase of Heartworm and Flea/Tick Medications, 2018/19 (percent, thousands of U.S. dog owners, and index)
        • Table Select Demographics for Purchase of Heartworm and Flea/Tick Medications, 2018/19 (percent, thousands of U.S. cat owners, and index)
      • Demographics for Flea and Tick Brands
        • Table Demographic Indexes for Flea and Tick Care Medication Purchases, 2018/19 (U.S. dog and cat owners)

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