Real Science Exchange - Companion Animal

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Guests introduce themselves and their backgrounds (00:56)

Dr. Gross gives an overview of her presentation, including the rise of pet obesity and the lack of industry response in providing products for today’s less active pets. Upwards of 60% of dogs and cats in the US are considered overweight or obese. Her talk focused on what the industry can do to help pet parents battle obesity issues in their pets. Options include creating new pet foods, using different ingredients in pet foods, and educ...

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Guests introduce themselves and their backgrounds (00:59)

Nicole’s presentation at Petfood Forum was based on two surveys her company conducted in March and April 2025, asking 1200+ dog parents and 1200+ cat parents about species-specific decisions they make for pet nutrition and care, focused on novel proteins. They asked which novel proteins of a comprehensive list would pet parents be willing to offer their pet a sample of as an ingredient in a pet food. Options ranged from bison and elk to alligator, ostrich, insects, and cul...

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Alexandra and Jim begin by introducing themselves and their backgrounds, as well as sharing what they do in their current roles. (00:58)

Dr. Ranovic gives an overview of her presentation at the conference, including a review of how dogs and cats metabolize fatty acids, current recommendations for EPA and DHA requirements, and alternative fatty acid sources like algae oil. She notes some of the differences in fatty acid metabolism between dogs and cats and whether or not adult animals really have a recommended requirement f...

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Panelists introduce themselves and their backgrounds (00:56)

Angelique shares about her company, Montego Pet Nutrition, and what they do. They are located in the Karoo area of South Africa which is famous for large herds of springbok. Springbok meat was a major export to the EU; however a foot and mouth disease outbreak resulted in an export ban in 2011, which had a major impact on the springbok industry. South Africa published a game meat strategy in 2023, but made a major oversight by no...

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Diana predicts the global pet industry to reach about $500 billion by the end of the decade, compared to $380 billion currently. The US will remain the largest market, comprising about 40%, and is predicted to reach $200 billion compared to $150 billion currently. Healthcare is expected to be the biggest driver over the next five years, and food will remain the largest expense. (5:37)

The panel discusses some of the drivers behind pet owner decisions, including the humanization of pets. Nicole notes in some of her co...

Welcome to our Real Science Exchange- Companion Animal Podcast, the podcast that opens up the bag and looks at what really goes into better pet nutrition. In this introductory video, you’ll meet the experts and the science behind Balchem’s ingredient solutions, and hear how they’re used by formulators to support digestion, skin & coat, energy metabolism, and overall well being. Subscribe to follow along as we unpack the latest research, practical formulation tips, and stories from across the pet food industry.