Pet Supplement Manufacturing: Soft Chew and Tablet OEM Guide

# Pet Supplement Manufacturing Guide

Pet supplements are becoming a standalone category. But supplement co-packing is different from pet food.

Dosage forms

| Form | Pros | Use case |

|------|------|----------|

| Soft chew | Palatable, pets eat willingly | Vitamins, joint, gut |

| Tablet | Low cost, accurate dose | Minerals, basics |

| Capsule | Stable ingredients | Fish oil, probiotics |

| Powder | Mixable with food | Probiotics, fiber |

| Liquid | Fast absorption | Fish oil, taurine |

What to look for

1. GMP supplement facility

Look for a dedicated supplement clean room, batch records, and traceability.

2. Soft chew expertise

Can they do different flavors? How do they control hardness and moisture? Do active ingredients survive processing (probiotics, vitamin C)?

3. Compliance

Ingredients must be on the approved feed additive catalog. No therapeutic claims. You can say "supports joint health" but not "treats arthritis."

4. Third-party testing

Every batch needs active ingredient assay, heavy metal and micro testing, and dissolution testing for tablets.

MOQ and cost

• Soft chew: 5,000-10,000 bags per SKU
• Tablet: 10,000-50,000 tablets
• Sampling fee: $140-$700
• Lead time: 15-30 days per round

How it differs from pet food

1. Supplements are small-format, high-margin

2. Formulas iterate faster

3. Palatability is critical

4. Compliance scrutiny is stricter

If you want to add supplements to your pet food line or launch a standalone supplement brand, Mixiaoqi pet food OEM/ODM supports soft chew and powder sampling starting at 5,000 bags.

FAQ

What certifications are needed?

Feed production license plus product filing with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Soft chew or tablet?

Soft chews have better palatability and higher margin but cost more.

What is the MOQ?

5,000 bags for soft chews; 10,000 tablets for tablets.