A focus on pet health and wellness has driven growth in the pet medications market in the US even as economic challenges have dampened consumer spending in the market. The US market for pet medications for dogs and cats reached $12.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a moderate pace through 2029. Growth is dependent upon a return to financial stability, a recovery in the dog population, and a continued interest in the part of pet owners in maintaining their pets’ health and wellness.
This report covers pet medications for dogs and cats by animal type, product type, and sales channel.
Sales by product are presented for:
Parasticides
Vaccines
Anti-infectives
Pain medication
All other
Parasiticide sales are broken out for:
Prescription products vs. over-the-counter products
Flea/tick
Heartworm
Combination flea/tick/heartworm
Sales by channel are presented for:
Veterinary channel
E-commerce
Pet specialty
Mass market
All other
Scope of the report:
This report examines the $12.6 billion market for pet medications for dogs and cats, with a focus on products purchased directly by consumers. These include both prescription and over-the-counter (also called OTC or retail) medications. The primary focus of this report is on the core types of antiparasitics/parasiticides – heartworm preventatives, flea/tick preventatives, and 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). Also covered are market-shaping developments in other areas, including anxiety, pain management, cancer, cognitive dysfunction, and obesity/diabetes. The report takes a deep dive into key trends in marketing and new products, retail channel trends, and consumer trends. Consumer data comes from Packaged Facts’ proprietary Surveys of Pet Owners and includes purchase rates by product type and by channel, demographic data, and psychographics exploring purchase attitudes and motivations. Historical data are provided for 2019 through 2024, with projections for 2025 through 2029.
- Executive Summary
- Scope and Methodology
- Market Size & Composition
- Market Outlook
- Competitive Overview
- Retail Trends
- Opportunities
- Market Trends
- Chapter Highlights
- Market Size & Composition
- Pet Medications Growth Moderates
- Table US Retail Sales of Pet Medications, 2019-2024 (dollars in millions)
- Share of Sales by Animal Type
- Share of Sales by Distribution Channel
- Table Share of US Retail Sales of Pet Medications by Distribution Channel, 2024 (percent and dollars in millions)
- Pet Medications Sales by Pet-Owning Household
- Table Dollar Sales of Pet Medications by Sector Per Pet-Owning Household, 2020-2024 (dollars in millions and dollars)
- Table Dollar Sales of Pet Medications Per Dog-Owning Household and Dog by Sector, 2024 (dollars in millions and dollars)
- Table Dollar Sales of Pet Medications Per Cat-Owning Household and Cat by Sector, 2024 (dollars in millions and dollars)
- Share of Sales by Product Type
- Table Share of US Retail Sales of Pet Medications by Product Type, 2024 (percent and dollars in millions)
- Parasiticide Sales by Type
- Table Share of US Retail Sales of Parasiticides by Product Type: Prescription vs. OTC, 2024 (percent and dollars in millions)
- Table Share of US Retail Sales of Parasiticides by Product Type: Dogs vs. Cats, 2024 (percent and dollars in millions)
- Pet Medications Growth Moderates
- Market Outlook
- Long-Term Elevated Prices Challenging Pet Ownership
- Pet Owners Struggle with Pet Medications Costs
- Current and Anticipated Pet Medications Spending Changes
- Table Pet Owner Spending Changes, 2024 vs 2023 2024-2025 (percent of pet owners)
- Table Pet Owner Spending Changes on Pet Medications, 2024 vs 2023 2024 (percent of pet-owning households earning <$60,000)
- Table Anticipated Changes in Levels of Pet Spending, 2025 vs. 2024, 2024 (percent of pet owners)
- Table Anticipated Changes in Levels of Pet Spending, 2025 vs. 2024, 2024 (percent of pet-owning households earning <$60,000)
- Pet Health Remains Top Priority
- Exercise, Nutrition Among Top Pet Health Concerns
- Table Top Pet Health and Wellness Concerns, Gen Z vs. Boomers, 2024 (percent of dog and cat owners)
- Dermatitis, Gastroenteritis Top Health Claims
- Pet Anxiety and Stress Are Part of Health and Wellness Concerns
- Pet Medications Among Top Pet Health Products
- Pet Obesity and Aging Pets Contribute to Health Concerns
- Table Dogs and Cats by Age, All and Acquired Last 12 Months, 2025 (percent of dog- and cat-owning households)
- “Pets as Family”
- Cautious Optimism About Dog Population Recovery
- Table Dog-Owning Household Population by Generational Cohort, 2018-2024 (number in millions)
- Pet Medication Sales Dependent on Challenged Veterinary Sector
- Table Veterinary Service Usage Rates: Overall and by Dog/Cat Ownership, 2019 – 2024 (percent of dog/cat owning households)
- Table Client Base for Veterinary Services vs. Overall Dog/Cat Household Population, 2013, 2018, 2023, and 2024 (in millions of households)
- Why Some Pet Owners Don’t Use Pet Medications
- Table Top Reasons Pet Owners Don’t Use Pet Medications by Income Level, 2024 (percent of pet owners who have not purchased pet meds in past 12 months)
- Impact of Generics
- Competition from Supplements and Pet Food/Treats
- Product Regulation
- Looking Ahead
- Pet Medication Sales to Top $14 Billion by 2029
- Table Projected US Retail Sales of Pet Medications, 2024-2029 (dollars in millions)
- Pet Medication Sales to Top $14 Billion by 2029
- Competitive and Retail Channel Trends
- Chapter Highlights
- Competitive Overview
- Prescription and OTC Marketers
- M&A and Investment Activity
- Global and US Conglomerates Dominate Pet Medications Market
- Innovation Spurred by Cost, Convenience, and Safety
- Generics Increasing Competition and Spurring Innovation
- Table Select Generic Equivalents of Parasiticide Brands, 2025
- Human Pharma Company Enters Pet Compounding Business
- Retail Trends
- Pet Medication Sales Trending Online
- Veterinary Influence Not as Strong in Younger Generations
- Table Most Important Sources of Pet Care Information, by Generation 2025 (percent of pet owners)
- Pet Specialty Brick & Mortar Stores Focus on OTC Medications
- Prescription Products
- Chapter Highlights
- Prescription Products Market Share
- Prescription Products Account for Over 80% of Pet Medications Market
- Table Retail Sales of Prescription Pet Medications by Product Type, 2024 (dollars in millions and percent share)
- Prescription Products Account for Over 80% of Pet Medications Market
- Marketer Profiles
- Dozens of Marketers Participate in Prescription Pet Medications Market
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health
- Elanco
- Merck Animal Health
- Virbac
- Zoetis
- Marketing and New Product Trends
- Parasiticides
- Table Prescription Parasiticide Brands, 2025
- Flea and Tick Products
- The Heartworm Market
- Combination Products
- Broad Spectrum Wormers
- Vaccines and Other Drugs
- Parasiticides
- OTC Products
- Chapter Highlights
- OTC Product Sales
- OTC Products Account for 19% of Overall Pet Medications Market
- Table Retail Sales of Over-the-Counter Pet Medications by Product Type, 2024 (dollars in millions and percent share)
- OTC Products Account for 19% of Overall Pet Medications Market
- Marketer Profiles
- OTC Marketers Focus on Parasiticides, First Aid Products
- Central Garden & Pet
- Ceva Animal Health
- Hartz Mountain Corp.
- PetIQ
- Vetoquinol
- Marketing and New Product Trends
- Parasiticides
- Table Examples of Leading Over-the-Counter Flea/Tick Brands, 2025 Brand/Marketer Active Ingredient Application
- Flea and Tick Products
- Broad Spectrum Wormers and Mite Treatments
- Natural Products
- First Aid Products
- Parasiticides
- Consumer Trends
- Chapter Highlights
- Pet Medication Purchasing Patterns
- Purchasing Rates by Product Type
- Table Pet Medications Usage by Type in Last 12 Months, by Household Income, 2024 (percent)
- Two-Thirds of Dog or Cat Households Use Parasiticide Products
- Table Percentage and Number of Dog or Cat Owners Who Use Flea/Tick or Other Parasiticides, Fall 2024 (percent and thousands of dog- or cat-owning households)
- Table Percentage and Number of Dog or Cat Owners Who Use Flea/Tick Prevention or Other Parasiticides, Fall 2020-Fall 2024 (percent and thousands of dog- or cat-owning households)
- Table Number of Dog or Cat Owners Who Use Prescription Parasiticides, Spring 2023-Fall 2024 (percent and thousands of dog- or cat-owning households)
- Table Number of Dog or Cat Owners Who Use Over-the-Counter Parasiticides, Spring 2024-Fall 2024 (percent and thousands of dog- or cat-owning households)
- Nearly Half of Dog Owners Use Oral Parasiticides
- Table Usage Rates of Parasiticides by Type, Fall 2024 (percent of dog- or cat-owning households)
- Parasiticide Usage by Number, Age of Pets
- Frontline Most Frequently Used Flea/Tick Brand
- Table Share of Flea, Tick, and Parasite Product Usage by Brand, Fall 2024 (percent of parasiticide users)
- Purchasing Rates by Product Type
- Pet Medications Purchasing Patterns by Channel
- Vet Clinics Most Frequently Used Channel for Prescription Medication Purchases
- Table Prescription Pet Medications Purchases by Channel, by Generation 2024 (percent of pet owners using prescription pet medications)
- Online-Only Retailers Most Frequently Used Channel for OTC Medication Purchases
- Most Parasiticide Purchases Made at Veterinary Clinics
- Table Parasiticide Purchase Patterns by Channel, Past 12 Months, Fall 2024 (percent of dog and cat owners)
- Boomers Most Likely to Purchase Pet Medications Online
- Share of Spending on Prescription Pet Medications by Channel
- Table Share of Spending on Prescription Pet Medications by Channel, 2024 (percent of prescription pet medication purchasers)
- Changes in Parasiticide Purchasing
- Table Changes in Pet Medication Purchasing in Past 12 months, 2024 (percent of dog and cat owners)
- Vet Clinics Most Frequently Used Channel for Prescription Medication Purchases
Research Assistance
Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.
Download eBook