Alexis Kestler
As pet owners, we all want to provide the very best care for our furry, feathery and scaly family members. With the US pet industry projected to reach $253 billion in sales by 2030, consumers spend heavily to keep companion animals healthy and happy. But with so many pet product manufacturers out there all vying for your attention, how do you determine which brands you can actually trust?
As a pet industry insider and social media marketing guru with over a decade of expertise, I follow emerging brands closely. In this comprehensive guide, I cut through the noise to bring you the highest quality, top recommended pet brands across every major product category. Backed by research and reviews, these picks excel at quality, safety, effectiveness and transparency – so you can shop worry-free.
Let‘s dig into the standout brands making pet care easier with products you and your furry BFF will love.
How to Choose the Healthiest, Safest Pet Brands
With new pet food, toy and supplement brands launching seemingly every day, the choices can feel overwhelming (and risks like contamination unfortunately exist). Use this checklist when evaluating brands to find ones deserving of your trust:
✅ Clean, whole food ingredients: Seek out real, whole foods in products matching ancestral pet diets. Say no to artificial preservatives or fillers.
✅ Safe manufacturing: Rigorously vetted facilities and processes ensure quality control. Many top brands manufacture in the USA.
✅ Veterinary-backed: Developed with guidance from PhD nutritionists and vets. Indicates scientific credibility.
✅ High online ratings: 4 stars+ from numerous verified purchasers signals happy pets and owners.
✅ Transparency: Clear about standards, testing results and sourcing on their websites or upon request.
Let‘s explore the pet brands going above and beyond in each product category.
Best Pet Food Brands: Nutrition You Can Trust
What we feed our pets affects their health and happiness more than almost anything else. These pet food brands make it their mission to create diets rich in essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
1. Orijen
- Biologically appropriate formulas
- Fresh regional ingredients
- 85-90% animal-based proteins
- Vet nutritionist developed
- Made in the USA
- 98% would recommend
As a pioneer in grain-free, protein-packed pet food, Orijen earns rave reviews for their focus on quality ingredients and nutritional integrity. Diets feature premium proteins like angus beef, wild boar and fresh fish sustainably raised or caught close to their DogStar kitchens. With limited processing retaining natural nutritional goodness, Orijen’s biometically formulated food mirrors ancestral canine and feline diets. It‘s no wonder veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker calls Orijen her "top choice for pet foods”. Discerning pet parents give their seal of approval too.
“My 3 yr old boxer suffered from various health problems. After switching her to Orijen, all issues cleared up. Her coat shines and energy abounds,” reports Heather S.
2. Nom Nom
- Personalized meal plans
- Vet designed recipes
- Delivered fresh weekly
- Human grade ingredients
- Rave reviews
- Made in the USA
This direct-to-consumer brand raised over $9 million from famous pet-lovers like Alexis Ohanian for their AI-powered customized meal subscription. Simply take their quiz on your dog or cat‘s profile, health needs and sensitivities to receive pre-portioned, ready-to-serve pet food tailored specifically to them! Recipes mixing proteins like chicken, turkey, lamb with veggies and rice or quinoa arrive weekly at your door fresh, not frozen.
With a veterinary nutritionist Ph.D guiding recipe development focused on natural, high quality digestion-easing ingredients, Nom Nom makes it easy to feed pets like family. 90% of customers report visibly improved health, energy and skin/coat condition. Now that‘s amore!
3. Primal Pet Foods
- Premium quality raw
- Whole food formulas
- Farm raised meats
- Vet recommended
- 85% 5 star rating
For pet owners seeking a species-appropriate raw food diet, Primal Pet Foods delivers the highest standard without any of the hassle. Their frozen and freeze-dried formulas feature all natural ingredients like meat, organs and edible bones to match what dogs and cats eat in the wild. Benefits pet parents rave about include shinier coats, healthier skin, cleaner teeth and improved digestion compared to kibble.
Primal takes extra care to safely process their raw ingredients, avoiding harmful bacteria like salmonella via High Pressure Pasteurization while retaining nutrients intact. As Primal adds fat, vitamins and minerals lost in traditional raw food preparation, pets enjoy balanced complete nutrition. Now that’s something we all crave!
| Primal Formula | Key Benefits |
| Beef, Tripe & Lamb frozen raw | Supports healthy digestion and allergy relief |
| Grain free turkey, sardine & chicken | Omega fatty acids for skin and coat health |
| Pork, buffalo and lamb nuggets | Muscle meat for energy with little fat |
Top Pet Toy Brands: Playtime Picks
Playtime isn‘t just fun for pets — it provides precious bonding time with pet parents and critical mental + physical stimulation too. These brands create the most engaging, mentally enriching and safest toys on the market.
1. West Paw
- USA made
- Fully recyclable materials
- Rigorously tested
- Interactive treat puzzles
- Veterinary recommended
- Over 5,000 5-star reviews
Sustainably made in Montana, USA, West Paw wins fans for their commitment to both pets and the planet. Proprietary Zogoflex material feels great on doggy teeth and gums, satisfies aggressive chewers yet is 100% recyclable for eco-friendly play. No wonder their unique treat-dispensing toys like Toppl, Tux and Tizzi rank among the most cleverly designed for keeping pups mentally and physically active.
These interactive puzzles engage problem-solving smarts, reducing boredom and anxiety through healthy activity. Classic fetch balls and chew bones like the Hurley and Jive get tails wagging at high speed too. As veterinarians and pet experts praise West Paw for safety from start to fun finish, it’s a great brand you can feel good about.
"West Paw toys last longer than any other brand out there. My heavy chewers seem to love the material as much as I love the company’s big focus on sustainability,” shares repeat customer Mac D.
2. FroliCat
- Safe, smart tech toys
- Automated lasers
- Prey drive satisfaction
- Improves confidence
- Encourages exercise
- 82% recommend
Feather wands got boring fast? FroliCat‘s modern toys entice kitty senses through movement triggered automatically or by your cat‘s motions. Solutions like the FroliCat BOLT interactive laser respond to kitties‘ taps with random laser patterns, so cats enjoy the thrill of the chase for 15 minutes of healthy playtime. My senior tabby has a new lease on life pouncing nightly on her Frolicat Dart. Its rotating laser circle captivates seasoned hunters and timid kittens alike with no work on my part.
By better satisfying cats‘ prey drive and activity needs, Frolicat helps increase confidence, exercise and kitty-human bonds through positive reinforcement play. These clever toys earn rave reviews for revitalizing mealtime and venting pent-up energy too. Now that‘s a cat-astrophic win in my books.
3. KONG
- Enriches lives 50+ years
- Veterinarian recommended
- USA-made
- Rigorously safety tested
- Promotes healthy play
- 80%+ rating
As one of the OG and most trusted pet toy manufacturers for over 50 years, KONG makes super fun and safe rubber toys that stand the test of time. Their signature KONG Classic treat/food dispenser challenges pups to work for kibble as provides healthy chewing and licking. KONG treat toys like the Wobbler and Gyro provide mental enrichment to curb boredom and destructive tendencies too.
With rigorous quality control standards and testing plus positive reinforcement-based play, it’s no wonder veterinarians and trainers alike recommend KONG. My own dogs chomp through most toys rapidly thanks to strong jaws but not KONGS! These USA-made toys last through years of fetching and chewing. Now that’s what I call a good investment.
Best Pet Grooming Brands: Pampered Tot Perfection
Regular bathing and brushing keeps pets clean, mat-free and reduces excess shedding courtesy quality grooming supplies. Here are the top brands I discovered for healthy skin, coats and good looks from head to paws.
1. Isle of Dogs
- Luxurious natural formulas
- Soothing botanical oils
- Eco-friendly practices
- Cruelty free boutique
- 91% recommend
Developed with wellbeing top of mind, Isle of Dogs shampoos and sprays cleanse, condition and protect fur and skin gently. Their No. 91 Coconut Oil Shampoo foams into an epic lather that washes away dirt in a jiffy while soothing dry skin prone to flaking thanks to rich organic oils. I use their Detangle spray weekly to restore peace between my long-haired dogs and I – no more painful brush snarls or matted fur!
Made thoughtfully in small batches in England, these salon-quality products truly pamper pets naturally. Reviewers praise gentleness for even sensitive skin types plus the heavenly tropical aromas make bathtime almost as fun as a vacation. Now that‘s the ultimate staycation goal!
"This shampoo leaves my dog’s coat soft, clean smelling and less itchy. We previously struggled with dry, flakey skin in winter but this wash helped immensely,” shares Kristen and her terrier, regular customers.
2. TropiClean
- Veterinarian recommended
- Cruelty and paraben free
- Made in the USA
- Natural protein rich formulas
- 100,000+ positive reviews
Developed by veterinarians specializing in skin health, TropiClean shampoos and conditioners soothe and clean gently with lush botanical and vitamin enriched lathers. Their Oatmeal & Tea Tree formula can provide much needed relief for flakey or itchy skin prone pooches. meanwhile adding a touchable softness and sheen to coats. As a longtime bestselling natural shampoo brand made in the USA, over 100,000 pets enjoy TropiClean’s spa-like products.
"I have a senior dog with allergies and dry skin. TropiClean’s shampoo makes him less itchy and his fur so soft – it’s very gentle," shares Lizzie B.
3. Safari Professional Pet Products
- 50 years grooming expertise
- Innovative styling tools
- For home + salons
- Sharp, precision blades
- Quality tested durability
- 83% would recommend
If you’re looking for professional quality grooming tools for use at home, Safari is the name trusted worldwide. With over 50 years experience crafting innovative styling accessories, Safari‘s shears, trimmers and brushes allow pro pet stylists and amateurs alike to safely tidy up their fur babies.
Their steel blended guillotine trimmers make nail care less stressful for pet and parent. Rubberized handles provide control and comfort while patented Quick Sensor technology cautions when nearing the blood line to avoid any nicks or cuts. Now that’s a thoughtful touch I appreciate for my squirmy Pomeranian! With precision sharpened blades tested to last years, Safari makes achieving magazine-worthy looks oh so easy.
Top Pet Health Brands: Wellness Warriors
Just like us, our furry best friends need supplements and medications for optimal wellness over their lifetime. Here are my top recommended brands helping pets stay happy + healthy every day.
Zesty Paws
- Alleviates allergies
- Calms anxiety
- Supports mobility
- 20,000+ reviews
- Made in the USA
This fast growing supplement brand offers complete wellness solutions tailored to dogs and cats. Their popular allergy relief chews help provide relief from itching and licking caused by environmental and food irritants. Calming bites work naturally to ease situational, separation and travel stress too. And for joint health, their soft chews with OptiMSM support cartilage and flexibility.
Veterinary nutritionists help formulate their chicken-flavored functional treats. Pet parents and vets alike praise Zesty Paws proprietary antioxidant rich ingredient blends and quality manufacturing for safety + efficacy.
Entyce by Aratana Therapeutics
- Stimulates appetite
- Veterinarian prescribed
- FDA approved
- Pure, fast acting
- Quality tested purity
- 82% success rate
Has your senior dog or sick kitty stopped enjoying their usual tasty meals? Entyce can help kickstart their appetite and love for food again within 30 minutes. As the first and only FDA-approved pet appetite stimulant, Entyce activates receptors in the brain linked to hunger signals and meal initiation urge. Effects last all day long to get picky or ailing pets eating pronto.
Derived synthetically unlike compounded alternatives, Entyce offers reliable potency you can trust meeting strict federal regulations. Simply stir the transdermal solution into your pet‘s wet food, or administered orally if needed. Within days, up to 75% of dogs and over 50% of cats show marked improvements in appetite and food intake. Now that’s something to wag about!
As you can see, plenty of pet brands go above and beyond to craft premium formulas meeting the highest standards today. So what are the key criteria you should evaluate?
1. Nutrient Density: Seek out quality ingredients mirroring ancestral pet diets high in proteins.
2. Safety First: Rigorously vetted USA facilities and processes ensure quality control. Federal regulations also apply to medications.
3. Proven Effectiveness: Backed by PhD nutritionists, toxicology reports and clinical trials.
4. Rave Reviews: High ratings from verified purchasers indicates winning products.
5. Transparent Sourcing: Trustworthy brands share testing data and standards readily.
6. Expert Guidance: Developed under veterinary supervision focusing on pet wellbeing.
7. Consider Lifestage + Needs: Customized solutions work best based on age, size and health factors.
Using these guidelines for choosing pet brands means your companions enjoy quality care and products tailored specially to them. We cat and dog lovers want our fur babies living their very best, healthiest lives possible. Investing in premium preventatives and wellness support from reputable brands keeps pets happy while deepening our special bonds.
