How Most Pet Supplements Are Made (The Industry You Don't See)
Most pet supplement manufacturers don't advertise their process. Here's what actually happens: cheap fillers form the base, high-heat processing destroys natural nutrients, synthetic vitamins are sprayed back on, and artificial flavors mask the processed taste. This is why your dog's supplement looks nothing like real food—and why it might not work as well as you'd hope.
The Standard Pet Supplement Manufacturing Process
- Step 1: Start with cheap base fillers (maltodextrin, rice flour, wheat) to bulk up the product
- Step 2: Add active ingredients (often minimal amounts to keep costs low)
- Step 3: Heat process at 200-400°F (extrusion, baking, pressing) for shelf stability
- Step 4: This destroys 50-90% of heat-sensitive vitamins, enzymes, and probiotics
- Step 5: Spray synthetic vitamins back on to meet label claims
- Step 6: Add artificial flavors because heat processing tastes terrible
- Result: A shelf-stable product that's cheap to make but far less bioavailable than whole food
Step 1: Start with Cheap Fillers as the Base
Look at the ingredient list on most pet supplements. The first 3 ingredients are often:
- Maltodextrin — A cheap bulking agent made from corn or wheat starch
- Rice flour or rice bran — Inexpensive filler that's hypoallergenic
- Soy flour or wheat flour — Binding agents that hold the product together
These fillers serve one purpose: to reduce manufacturing costs by using less of the expensive active ingredients.
If a supplement claims to contain glucosamine, probiotics, or omega-3s, manufacturers can use fillers to stretch these costly ingredients. Instead of a product made from nutrient-dense whole foods, you're getting a base of starch with a sprinkle of active compounds.
Why manufacturers use fillers: If beef liver costs $8/lb and maltodextrin costs $0.50/lb, it's easy to see why manufacturers choose fillers. They can create a 60-chew bottle for $2 in materials instead of $12. The difference is pocketed as profit or used for marketing spend.
Step 2: Heat Processing (Where the Damage Happens)
Once the base ingredients are mixed, most manufacturers use high-heat processing to create the final product:
Extrusion (250-400°F)
This is the same process used to make kibble. Ingredients are mixed into a slurry, forced through an extruder under extreme heat and pressure, then cut into shapes.
What this does to nutrients:
- B vitamins lose 50-70% of their activity
- Vitamin C loses 70-90%
- Enzymes are completely denatured (killed) above 118°F
- Probiotics die at high temperatures
- Omega-3 fatty acids oxidize and become rancid
Baking and Tableting (200-350°F)
Hard tablets and baked treats undergo similar heat exposure. Even "oven-baked" supplements—marketed as a gentler process—still destroy heat-sensitive nutrients.
Why Manufacturers Use Heat Processing
Heat processing is chosen because it's:
- Fast: Extruders can produce thousands of units per hour
- Cheap: High volume = low cost per unit
- Shelf-stable: Heat kills bacteria, extending shelf life to 18-24 months
- Allows lower-quality ingredients: Heat sanitizes ingredients that wouldn't be safe raw
The problem? What's good for shelf life and profit margins is terrible for nutrient retention.
| Nutrient | Sensitivity to Heat | Loss During Heat Processing |
|---|---|---|
| B Vitamins (B1, B9, B12) | Very high | 50-70% destroyed |
| Vitamin C | Very high | 70-90% destroyed |
| Vitamin A | Moderate | 30-50% destroyed |
| Enzymes | Very high | 100% denatured above 118°F |
| Probiotics | Very high | 100% killed by heat |
| Omega-3 fatty acids | Moderate | Oxidizes, becomes rancid |
Step 3: Add Synthetic Vitamins Back (Fortification)
Once heat processing destroys the natural vitamins, manufacturers spray synthetic vitamins onto the finished product.
This is called "fortification." It allows manufacturers to meet the nutrient levels printed on the label—at least on paper.
Common Synthetic Vitamins Added:
- Ascorbic acid (synthetic vitamin C)
- Cyanocobalamin (synthetic B12)
- Synthetic vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopherol)
- Thiamine mononitrate (synthetic B1)
- Folic acid (synthetic folate)
The Problem with Synthetic Vitamins
Synthetic vitamins are not the same as whole-food vitamins:
- Lower bioavailability: Synthetic vitamins are isolated compounds without the cofactors, enzymes, and complementary nutrients found in whole foods. Absorption rates are 30-70% compared to 70-90% for whole-food nutrients.
- Your dog's body doesn't recognize them as food: Isolated compounds are processed differently than nutrients embedded in real food matrices.
- No synergistic compounds: Whole foods contain hundreds of beneficial compounds that work together. Synthetic vitamins are single molecules in isolation.
Example: Vitamin C from acerola cherry includes bioflavonoids, rutin, and hesperidin—compounds that enhance absorption and antioxidant activity. Ascorbic acid (synthetic vitamin C) is just one isolated molecule. Studies show whole-food vitamin C is retained in tissues 4x longer than synthetic ascorbic acid.
Step 4: Add Artificial Flavors (Because It Tastes Terrible)
After heat processing and synthetic fortification, the product tastes like cardboard—or worse.
Manufacturers solve this problem with artificial flavors:
- Natural bacon flavor
- Chicken digest (a hydrolyzed spray-on flavoring)
- Artificial beef flavor
- Liver flavor (but no actual liver)
- Peanut butter flavor
These flavors are spray-coated onto the product to mask the taste of heat-processed fillers. They're cheap, effective, and allow manufacturers to use minimal amounts of real meat.
Why Real Meat Isn't Used for Flavor
Real meat is expensive. It's cheaper to use 1-2% chicken digest or artificial bacon flavor than to use 30-50% real beef liver or heart as the primary ingredient.
This is why many supplements have a strong artificial smell—your dog can detect that it's not real food, even if the flavor coating tricks them initially.
Step 5: Package and Market as "Premium"
Once the product is manufactured, it's packaged with marketing claims designed to make it sound high-quality:
- "Veterinarian formulated"
- "Scientifically backed"
- "Made with real chicken" (even if chicken is the 10th ingredient)
- "Contains 25 essential vitamins" (all synthetic)
- "Delicious bacon flavor dogs love!"
None of these claims address:
- How much filler is in the product
- Whether nutrients are synthetic or whole-food
- How much heat processing was used
- What the bioavailability actually is
Marketing vs. Reality: A supplement can be "veterinarian formulated" and still be 60% maltodextrin with synthetic vitamins. "Scientifically backed" might mean one ingredient has research—not the final product. Always read the ingredient list, not the front-of-package claims.
The Cost Breakdown: Why This Process Is So Profitable
Here's why most manufacturers use this process—it's extremely profitable:
| Manufacturing Approach | Ingredient Cost (60 chews) | Retail Price | Gross Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filler-based, heat-processed, synthetic vitamins | $2-4 | $35-50 | 88-94% |
| Whole-food, air-dried, no fillers | $12-18 | $45-60 | 65-73% |
The filler-heavy, heat-processed approach allows for much higher profit margins—or more budget for advertising. This is why you see heavily processed supplements with massive marketing budgets, while whole-food alternatives often have smaller brands with less visibility.
Are There Alternatives?
Yes. Some manufacturers use low-heat or no-heat processing to preserve nutrients:
Air-Drying (95-115°F)
Slowly removes moisture at low temperatures, preserving heat-sensitive vitamins, enzymes, and probiotics. This process takes 24-48 hours instead of minutes, making it more expensive—but it preserves up to 95% of nutrients.
Freeze-Drying
Removes moisture through sublimation (frozen water turns directly to vapor) without heat. Preserves nearly 100% of nutrients but is the most expensive method.
Cold-Pressing
Uses mechanical pressure instead of heat to form tablets or chews. Retains more nutrients than baking or extrusion, though not as effective as air-drying.
Whole-Food Ingredient Bases
Instead of starting with maltodextrin, some manufacturers use real food as the base:
- Beef liver (nutrient-dense organ meat)
- Beef heart (rich in CoQ10 and taurine)
- Kidney (natural source of B vitamins)
- Sweet potato or pumpkin (natural binding agents)
These ingredients are more expensive, but they provide naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and enzymes—no synthetic fortification needed.
What Watts does differently: We start with 100% human-grade organ meats (liver, heart, kidney) and air-dry at low temperatures to preserve natural nutrients. No fillers, no synthetic vitamins, no artificial flavors. Just real food, gently dehydrated. This approach costs more to produce, but it delivers exponentially more bioavailable nutrition per serving.
How to Identify Heavily Processed Supplements
When evaluating a pet supplement, check for these red flags:
1. Filler Ingredients in the First 3 Spots
If maltodextrin, rice flour, or wheat flour are listed first, the product is mostly filler.
2. Long List of Synthetic Vitamins
If you see ascorbic acid, cyanocobalamin, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, dl-alpha tocopherol, it's been heat-processed and fortified.
3. Artificial Flavors
If the label says "natural bacon flavor," "chicken digest," or "beef flavor," it's masking a poor-quality base.
4. Soft Chews or Hard Tablets
These formats almost always require heat processing or heavy compression, which degrades nutrients.
5. Extremely Low Price
If a 60-count bottle costs $15-25, it's likely made with cheap fillers and synthetic vitamins. Quality whole-food supplements cost more to produce.
What to Look For Instead:
- Real food ingredients first: Liver, heart, kidney, whole fish, etc.
- Air-dried, freeze-dried, or cold-pressed: Processing method should be stated
- No synthetic vitamin list: Nutrients come from the food itself
- No artificial flavors: Real meat doesn't need flavor masking
- Transparent sourcing: Look for human-grade, traceable ingredients
Why This Matters for Your Dog
You're not just paying for a product—you're investing in your dog's health. If that product is 60% filler, has degraded nutrients from heat processing, and relies on poorly absorbed synthetic vitamins, you're not getting what you paid for.
Dogs can't tell you if their supplement is working. They can't read labels or compare bioavailability. That's your job.
Choose supplements made from real food, processed gently, and formulated with transparency. Your dog deserves nutrition that's as close to nature as possible—not a heat-processed mix of fillers and lab-created vitamins.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are most pet supplements manufactured?
Most pet supplements start with cheap base fillers (maltodextrin, rice flour), get mixed with active ingredients, then undergo high-heat processing (extrusion, baking, or pressing at 200-400°F). This heat destroys many vitamins and enzymes. Synthetic vitamins are then sprayed back on, and artificial flavors are added to mask the processed taste. The result is a shelf-stable product that's cheap to manufacture but significantly less bioavailable than whole-food alternatives.
Why do pet supplement manufacturers use heat processing?
Heat processing (extrusion, baking, pelleting) is used because it's fast, cheap, and creates shelf-stable products. High temperatures kill bacteria and allow manufacturers to use lower-quality ingredients safely. It also makes products easier to form into specific shapes (chews, tablets). However, heat destroys heat-sensitive nutrients: B vitamins lose 50-70%, vitamin C loses 70-90%, and enzymes are completely denatured. This is why synthetic vitamins must be added back after processing.
What nutrients are lost during pet supplement manufacturing?
Heat processing destroys heat-sensitive nutrients: B vitamins (thiamin, folate, B12) lose 50-70% of activity, vitamin C loses 70-90%, vitamin A loses 30-50%, enzymes are completely denatured above 118°F, probiotics die at high temperatures, and omega-3 fatty acids oxidize and become rancid. This is why most processed supplements rely heavily on synthetic vitamin fortification after manufacturing.
Why are synthetic vitamins added to pet supplements?
Synthetic vitamins are added because heat processing destroys natural vitamins in the base ingredients. Manufacturers spray synthetic vitamins onto finished products to meet NASC or AAFCO nutrient profiles on paper. However, synthetic vitamins have lower bioavailability (30-70% absorption) compared to whole-food nutrients (70-90% absorption) because they lack the cofactors, enzymes, and complementary compounds that aid absorption in nature.
What are the most common fillers in pet supplements?
The most common fillers are maltodextrin (cheap bulking agent made from corn or wheat starch), rice flour or rice bran (inexpensive, hypoallergenic filler), soy flour (cheap protein source but potential allergen), wheat flour or wheat middlings (binding agent), and cellulose powder (plant fiber used to add bulk). These ingredients are used because they're extremely cheap, create the desired texture, and allow manufacturers to use less of expensive active ingredients.
Why do pet supplements need artificial flavors?
Artificial flavors are needed because heat-processed supplements taste terrible to dogs. High temperatures create bitter, burnt, or cardboard-like flavors. Since the base is mostly cheap fillers with minimal meat content, there's no natural palatability. Manufacturers add artificial bacon, chicken, beef, or peanut butter flavors to mask the processed taste. This is why some dogs refuse supplements even with flavoring—they can still detect the underlying poor quality.
Is extrusion the same process used for kibble?
Yes, many soft chew pet supplements use extrusion—the exact same high-heat, high-pressure process used to make kibble. Ingredients are mixed into a slurry, forced through an extruder at 250-400°F under extreme pressure, then cut into shapes. This creates a uniform, shelf-stable product but destroys heat-sensitive nutrients. It's essentially kibble in supplement form, which is why extruded supplements require heavy synthetic vitamin fortification.
What's the difference between synthetic and whole-food nutrients?
Synthetic nutrients are isolated chemical compounds created in labs (e.g., ascorbic acid for vitamin C, cyanocobalamin for B12). They're cheap and shelf-stable but have 30-70% bioavailability because they lack cofactors. Whole-food nutrients come from real food sources (e.g., vitamin C from acerola cherry, B12 from liver) and include natural cofactors, enzymes, and complementary compounds that enhance absorption. Whole-food nutrients have 70-90% bioavailability and are recognized by the body as food, not isolated chemicals.
Can you make pet supplements without heat processing?
Yes. Air-drying, freeze-drying, and cold-pressing preserve nutrients without high heat. Air-drying at low temperatures (95-115°F) slowly removes moisture while preserving heat-sensitive vitamins, enzymes, and probiotics. Freeze-drying removes moisture through sublimation without heat. Cold-pressing uses mechanical pressure instead of heat. These methods are more expensive and time-consuming, which is why most manufacturers don't use them—but they preserve up to 95% of natural nutrients compared to 30-50% retention with heat processing.
How can you tell if a pet supplement is heavily processed?
Check the ingredient list: if maltodextrin, rice flour, or wheat flour are in the first 3 ingredients, it's filler-heavy. If you see many synthetic vitamins listed (ascorbic acid, cyanocobalamin, synthetic vitamin E), it's been heat-processed and fortified. If artificial flavors like "natural bacon flavor" or "chicken digest" are present, it needs masking agents. Soft chews, hard tablets, and extruded treats are almost always heat-processed. Whole-food supplements list real food ingredients (liver, heart, kidney) first and don't need long lists of synthetic additives.