China Pet Supplements Market 2025: Size & Fastest Growth

Executive Summary#

Pet health supplements are the fastest-growing segment of online pet food sales in China. Across three of China's largest marketplaces, supplement sales reached CN¥ 3.69 billion in the twelve months to November 2025 (the moving annual total, or MAT), a 20.3% year-on-year (YoY) increase that is more than double the growth of staple food (+7.6%) and snacks (+8.1%). Unit volume grew even faster, rising 22.1% to 61.6 million units, which means the growth in sales comes from more units sold, at slightly lower average prices. Within the category, sales of cardiovascular health supplements more than doubled, growing 107.9% YoY, as demand moves from basic nutrition toward targeted, preventive health management.

A Market That Is Accelerating#

Supplement sales did more than grow during the year, because the rate of growth also rose. Nine of the twelve months between December 2024 and November 2025 recorded double-digit YoY growth, and May 2025 reached 38.2%, the highest monthly growth rate in the segment. Growth stayed above 19% in every month from May through November 2025, which points to sustained momentum that did not depend on a single promotion.

The peak sales months, May at CN¥ 402.8 million and November at CN¥ 397.9 million, coincide with the 618 and Double 11 shopping festivals. Supplements show less seasonal variation relative to their baseline than staple food and snacks do, however, which suggests that purchases come from ongoing health routines more than from buying on impulse during events. We believe this pattern supports subscription and repeat-purchase business models, which give brands more predictable revenue.

From Coat Care to Cardiac Health: Advanced Functions Grow Fastest#

The supplement category grows at two speeds. Established functions such as coat health (CN¥ 877 million, +5.8%) and the digestive system (CN¥ 839 million, +7.3%) provide a stable base of revenue, while advanced health functions are growing much faster from smaller bases.

Cardiovascular health more than doubled to CN¥ 249 million (+107.9% YoY), and weight and body condition management expanded to CN¥ 249.5 million (+79.4%). Eye care reached CN¥ 102 million (+54.7%) and liver and kidney support grew to CN¥ 127 million (+52.6%). The bones and joints segment, already large at CN¥ 638 million, continued to expand at 31.3%, while immune system supplements reached CN¥ 539 million with growth of 35.2%.

This pattern follows the path that human health supplements took. Early supplement buying focused on visible, easily understood benefits such as a shinier coat or better digestion. As pet owners became better informed and more willing to invest in preventive care, demand expanded into the management of specific organs. The growth of cardiovascular health shows this most clearly. Products in the segment, such as DLOVE's Enhanced Water-Soluble Coenzyme Q10 for Senior Dogs and SIAEKEY's Taurine & NAD+ formulation, adapt approaches from human pharmaceuticals for pets.

Gut Health and Probiotics: An Established Base#

Digestive health is the category's second-largest function at CN¥ 839 million, and probiotics are its main ingredient. Growth in gut health has slowed to 7.3% YoY as the segment matures, but the segment continues to expand as brands develop new formulations, improve palatability and add further benefits to their products.

Among ingredients, professional nutrient enhancers, the ingredient group that includes probiotics, are the largest group and grew 19.2%, while premium animal protein grew 10.6% and natural fruits and vegetables grew 11.3%. The ingredient data shows that consumers judge supplements on two things at once, the scientific credibility of what is in the product and the health outcome it promises. Product Benefits (CN¥ 2.84 billion, +14.9%) and Ingredients (CN¥ 2.82 billion, +10.9%) together account for over 70% of the market's selling-point landscape. (Selling-point dimensions are not mutually exclusive; a single product may be tagged across multiple dimensions. Totals therefore exceed overall market size.)

The products that sell best combine an established ingredient, such as fish oil, probiotics or krill oil, with an emerging functional claim such as cardiovascular support or care for a specific organ, in a format that is both scientifically credible and easy for consumers to understand.

Domestic Brands Gain Ground#

Domestic brands grew faster than imported ones in the year to November 2025, although imported brands from the UK and the USA kept an advantage in scale. Sales are spread across many brands, which leaves considerable room for new entrants.

Much of the category's growth is coming from younger domestic brands. We believe that within two to three years they could match imported brands in scale, helped by stronger domestic R&D, faster go-to-market cycles and prices that are closer to what mainstream consumers expect to pay.

Life-Stage Targeting and Species Specialisation#

Pet Characteristics, which covers species and life-stage positioning, is the third-largest selling-point dimension at CN¥ 1.29 billion, but its growth of just 0.4% shows that general age and species positioning has matured. In the year to November 2025, growth came from combining life-stage targeting with advanced functional claims.

For cats, the best-selling products centre on hairball management and coat health, and new products build on this by combining digestive support with hairball elimination. For dogs, the focus is on comprehensive health management for wear from exercise and for ageing, with a clear move from broad-spectrum supplements toward products that target a single function.

Breed-specific formulas are a further source of growth at CN¥ 134.1 million (+36.7%), which reflects how brands are positioning products ever more precisely in order to stand out.

About the Data#

This analysis draws on data from section 4 ("Health Products Market Insights") of the 2025 Pet Food Market Trend Insights report by Moojing Market Intelligence (魔镜洞察). Sales data covers the MAT period ending November 2025 and is sourced from major Chinese e-commerce platforms. All currency figures are in CN¥. Growth rates are calculated on a YoY basis unless otherwise noted.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Online supplement sales across three of China's largest marketplaces reached CN¥ 3.69 billion in the twelve months to November 2025, up 20.3% year on year, which is more than double the growth of staple pet food (+7.6%) and snacks (+8.1%). Unit volume grew faster still, by 22.1% to 61.6 million units, so the growth in sales comes from more units sold at slightly lower average prices. Nine of the twelve months from December 2024 to November 2025 posted double-digit growth, and every month from May through November stayed above 19%, which points to sustained expansion that did not depend on a single promotion.

The category runs at two speeds. Established functions provide most of the revenue and grow modestly, with coat health at CN¥ 877 million (+5.8%) and digestive support at CN¥ 839 million (+7.3%). Advanced functions are growing much faster from smaller bases: cardiovascular health more than doubled to CN¥ 249 million (+107.9%), weight and body condition management reached CN¥ 249.5 million (+79.4%), eye care CN¥ 102 million (+54.7%) and liver and kidney support CN¥ 127 million (+52.6%). Bones and joints is both large and fast-growing, at CN¥ 638 million and +31.3%, and immune support reached CN¥ 539 million (+35.2%).

It says that pet supplement buying is following the path human supplement buying took. Early buying concentrates on visible, easily understood outcomes, such as a shinier coat or better digestion. As owners become better informed and more willing to spend on prevention, demand moves into organ-specific management, which is what the +107.9% cardiovascular figure represents, and products in that segment adapt human pharmaceutical approaches for pets. Buyers judge products on two things at once, the credibility of what is in them and the outcome they promise. Product benefits (CN¥ 2.84 billion, +14.9%) and ingredients (CN¥ 2.82 billion, +10.9%) together account for over 70% of the selling-point landscape.

Sales are spread across many brands, and much of the growth is coming from younger domestic brands, helped by faster R&D cycles, quicker go-to-market and pricing aligned to mainstream expectations, so we believe domestic brands could match imported brands in scale within two to three years. The product opening is more specific: general age and species positioning has plateaued, with pet characteristics at CN¥ 1.29 billion and only +0.4% growth, while breed-specific formulas grew 36.7% to CN¥ 134.1 million. What works is an established ingredient platform, such as fish oil, probiotics or krill oil, carrying an emerging functional claim and layered onto a life stage, in place of a product sold as general nutrition.