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Pet food and supplement companies are expanding postbiotic products beyond digestive health into areas including joint mobility, skin health and immunity. Product development is advancing, but research in pets remains limited: a review of 69 studies found no significant difference between postbiotics and placebo in the outcomes it analyzed.
Pet health companies are extending postbiotic products beyond digestive health, exploring applications for joint mobility, skin health and immunity as owners show interest in preventive care. The expansion is a product-development trend, not proof that postbiotics provide those benefits in pets: evidence from animal studies remains limited, and a review of 69 studies found no significant difference from placebo in the results it assessed.
Postbiotics are inanimate microorganisms or their components that may deliver health benefits when consumed. Unlike probiotics, they do not rely on keeping microorganisms alive, a feature that suppliers say can make them easier to incorporate into powders, extruded treats, and dry and wet food. Manufacturers and ingredient companies are developing products for a wider range of pet-health claims, although the products and research do not establish that every proposed benefit is effective.
ADM expanded its postbiotic portfolio earlier in the year with an application for joint health. James Kyffin, the company’s global director of pet and animal wellbeing, told GlobalPETS that research increasingly suggests the gut microbiome may influence joint function through immune and inflammatory pathways. This proposed connection, sometimes called the gut-joint axis, is a rationale for further research rather than a confirmed clinical outcome for postbiotic products.
In May, UK veterinary joint-supplement brand YuMOVE launched a product combining prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics. The company said the ingredients are intended to support gut balance, stool quality and natural defenses. Innovation manager Vish Thapar told GlobalPETS that the company wanted to take a more comprehensive approach to digestive health. The report also cited company and industry research on consumer interest, but the available figures describe reported attitudes and purchasing preferences, not clinical effects.
More Uses, Unsettled Evidence
The shift matters because postbiotics’ production characteristics may let manufacturers add them to a broader range of foods and supplements than ingredients that depend on live microorganisms. That could make it easier for companies to develop products marketed for needs beyond digestion, including skin, joints and immunity. For pet owners, the distinction between a promising application and an established benefit is important: a new formulation or health claim does not by itself show that a product improves an animal’s condition.
Consumer understanding also trails product development. Data from the International Probiotics Association cited by GlobalPETS found that 8% of pet owners perceived postbiotics as beneficial to animal health, compared with 32% for probiotics and 17% for prebiotics. The association also reported that fewer than 25% of owners said they understood the terms well. These figures suggest a need for clear explanations of what the ingredients are and what evidence supports specific uses.
ADM’s consumer research, as reported by GlobalPETS, found that 71% of pet owners globally actively seek products supporting longevity and 65% look specifically for products containing “biotics.” Those preferences indicate commercial interest, but they do not show that postbiotics extend pets’ lives or deliver a particular health outcome. The central issue for buyers and manufacturers is whether well-designed studies in pets can substantiate benefits attached to individual products.
dog postbiotics supplement for joints
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From Digestive Products to New Claims
Postbiotics have mainly been associated with digestive health, but companies are now investigating their use in products aimed at other aspects of animal wellbeing. Some brands combine them with prebiotics and probiotics rather than positioning them as a standalone ingredient. YuMOVE’s May launch is one example; ADM’s joint-health application is another. These developments reflect growing interest in preventive pet care, while the science supporting each proposed use remains uneven.
Research cited in the GlobalPETS report includes industry-funded work as well as studies by academic researchers. ADM’s preclinical studies have identified potential effects involving intestinal permeability, fat accumulation and muscle structure; US ingredient company Kingdom has examined stool consistency in dogs. Because suppliers have commercial interests in the ingredients, their findings should be distinguished from independent evidence and treated as preliminary where appropriate.
Researchers at Jeonbuk National University in South Korea reported that a bioactive postbiotic could reduce the expression of inflammatory cytokines linked to itching and skin irritation and improve skin-barrier health in dogs. Separately, researchers at Complutense University of Madrid reviewed 69 studies published through October 2024. They found no statistically significant differences between animals receiving postbiotics and those receiving placebo in the outcomes they analyzed. The review discussed possible benefits suggested by research in other species, but those possibilities do not resolve the limits of evidence in pets.
“Research increasingly suggests changes in the gut microbiome can influence joint function through immune and inflammatory pathways.”
— James Kyffin, ADM’s global director of pet and animal wellbeing, speaking to GlobalPETS
Clinical Benefits Still Unproven
The available material does not establish whether postbiotics improve joint mobility, skin conditions, immunity or other outcomes in pets when used in commercial products. The Madrid review’s finding of no significant difference from placebo applies to the studies and outcomes it analyzed through October 2024; it does not prove that every formulation has no effect, nor does it confirm benefits suggested by studies in other species.
Some of the research cited is preclinical or funded by companies with commercial interests. The report says more independent, well-designed clinical studies in pets are needed. It is also unclear how findings for one postbiotic ingredient or formulation would apply to another, and whether any observed effects would be meaningful in day-to-day pet health. The consumer-awareness figures are survey findings, not measures of product effectiveness.
Independent Pet Trials Needed
The next evidence milestone is further independent, well-designed clinical research in companion animals, with clear methods and outcomes tied to specific ingredients and formulations. Such studies would help determine whether reported effects can be reproduced and whether they translate into meaningful health benefits for pets. The source report does not give a schedule for new trials or identify a confirmed regulatory or clinical milestone.
Companies are likely to continue developing products and explaining the ingredients to consumers, while researchers examine microbiome interactions and possible uses beyond digestion. Until stronger evidence is available, pet owners should distinguish a product’s intended or marketed purpose from a benefit demonstrated in clinical studies. Claims about a pet’s health should be discussed with a veterinarian.
Key Questions
What are postbiotics?
Postbiotics are inanimate microorganisms or their components that may provide health benefits when consumed. They are distinct from probiotics, which rely on live microorganisms.
What health uses are companies exploring?
Companies are exploring postbiotics for joint mobility, skin health and immunity, in addition to digestive health. These are areas of product development, not all proven benefits in pets.
Does current research prove postbiotics work for pets?
No. A review of 69 studies published through October 2024 found no significant differences between postbiotics and placebo in the outcomes it analyzed. More independent clinical studies in pets are needed.
Why are manufacturers interested in postbiotics?
Because postbiotics do not depend on keeping microorganisms alive, suppliers say they can be easier to incorporate into powders, treats, and dry or wet food. This production advantage does not establish a health effect.
What should pet owners take from the new products?
New product launches show growing commercial interest, but they are not proof of effectiveness. Owners can ask a veterinarian about a product and look for evidence relevant to its specific ingredients and health claims.
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