SUPERZOO 2026 brought more than 22,000 pet professionals and more than 1,100 exhibitors to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas Aug. 12-14, but the size of the show told only part of the story.
Across more than 350,000 square feet of exhibit space, the floor reflected a pet industry placing greater emphasis on health, wellness, prevention, technology, and education. More than 1,000 new products were introduced at the show, while dedicated areas helped buyers navigate categories ranging from natural and health products to emerging brands, grooming, specialty products, and international exhibitors.
The show floor also included a New Product Showcase near the main registration area, an Emerging Brands Stage, a Show Floor Talk Stage, a Groomer’s Innovation Stage, a Groomer’s Skill Lab, and several networking spaces.
For exhibitors, that meant SUPERZOO was more than a place to put products on shelves. Companies used booth design, product launches, demonstrations, and conversations with buyers to explain where they believe pet care is headed.
“What really stood out to me at SuperZoo is how much the industry is evolving,” says Ana Prodanovich of Welltayl. “Pet parents are thinking about wellness in a much bigger way than they used to. It’s not just about what their pets are eating or taking them to the vet when something is wrong. They’re thinking about skin and coat health, mobility, enrichment, preventative care and mental stimulation.”
The exhibitor mix ranged from major pet brands and retailers to hundreds of smaller and emerging companies, giving buyers a broad look at products and services competing for attention in the marketplace.
Booth design turns dental care into a visual story
Oxyfresh took a literal approach to education, designing its booth to resemble a dentist’s waiting room for dogs and cats.
The concept gave the company a recognizable setting for conversations about companion-animal dental care while providing a visual connection between its products and the problem they are intended to address.
Oxyfresh displayed water additives, dental kits, toothpaste, sprays, chew toys, and a new dental powder containing probiotics, mushrooms, pumpkin, green tea, and cranberry. The company says the powder is designed to reduce bad breath and support dental health, with results possible within 14 days.
“We’re just showcasing our dental products here, but we also offer other pet products,” says Nikki Rust, national sales manager. “We attend SUPERZOO every year and have been coming for as long as we can remember.”
Rust says the show gives Oxyfresh a chance to connect with new customers while seeing existing accounts and others across the industry.
“SUPERZOO allows us to connect with new and existing customers, catch up with industry friends, meet fellow exhibitors and, of course, see all the dogs and cats,” she says. “But our favorite part is seeing all of our exis
New products become part of the show experience
Product launches also played a visible role on the floor.
Two days after officially launching TiCK TEST, founder and chief executive officer Olivia Abrams and the TiCK MiTT team won first place in the Smart Tech/AI category of the SUPERZOO New Product Showcase.
According to TiCK MiTT, the at-home test is designed to detect bacteria associated with Lyme disease in a removed tick in about 10 minutes. The product followed nearly two years of development and expands the company’s work beyond tick prevention and removal.
The win added another point of conversation during TiCK MiTT’s third year at SUPERZOO.
Prodanovich says those product conversations are becoming more detailed as consumers and buyers ask companies to explain what is behind their claims.
“I think the biggest shift will be how much more informed pet parents become about the products they’re buying,” she says. “We’re already seeing people look past what’s on the front of the package and ask more questions about ingredients, testing, certifications, and whether a product actually works.”
She expects education to become a larger part of how pet brands communicate with consumers.
“Brands will need to be more transparent and do a better job of explaining not just what their products do, but why they work,” she says.
Technology adds another layer to wellness
Tim Maliyil, co-founder and chief technology officer of PerkyPet AI, is working in another part of the wellness market, helping pet owners better understand changes in animal health, behavior, and well-being between veterinary visits.
In July, PerkyPet AI surveyed 1,250 U.S. pet parents ages 18 to 64 about pet health, veterinary care, and the role pets play in their daily lives. According to the company’s survey, nearly 83 percent of respondents said their pet’s health directly affects their stress levels and emotional well-being. Nearly 80 percent said they prioritize their pet’s health as much as their own.
Because PerkyPet AI conducted the survey, the findings represent company research rather than an independent industry study.
Still, the questions reflect a broader theme heard during SUPERZOO. Pet health increasingly extends beyond responding when an animal becomes sick. Companies are developing products and services around monitoring, prevention, mobility, enrichment, dental care, and other parts of an animal’s daily life.
Wellness expands beyond products
Carrie K. Kelley, founder of Vitalis Light, attended SUPERZOO 2026 with a different perspective on the expanding definition of pet wellness.
Kelley is a Reiki Master and Animal Reiki Practitioner with more than 30 years of experience caring for animals. She worked at Best Friends Animal Society for almost 10 years as an administrator at Horse Haven and became a certified practitioner in 2016.
Vitalis Light offers distance Reiki for animals and their owners. Kelley says the practice is offered alongside veterinary care and never as a replacement for it.
“I have worked for private veterinary practices, both large and small animal, and I regard veterinarians as a force for good,” Kelley says. “They studied for years, and they are experts in their field for a reason.”
For Kelley, the changing conversation around wellness includes the relationship between animals and the people caring for them.
“Every product on that floor is made for the animal,” she says. “I believe the next evolution in pet wellness includes the person, and I built my entire company on that conviction.”
SUPERZOO has been part of the pet industry since 1950 and celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2025. In 2026, the story on the tradeshow floor was less about an anniversary and more about how exhibitors are responding to buyers looking for new products, more information, and broader approaches to animal health and wellness.
For the companies competing for attention in Las Vegas, the exhibit itself became part of that conversation.
SUPERZOO is presented by the World Pet Association (WPA) and brings together pet retailers, suppliers, manufacturers, and other industry professionals. For more information, visit superzoo.org.
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