Hill's Prebiotic Senior Food: Next Trend

# Hill's Prebiotic Senior Food: Next Trend

Hill's launched ActivBiome+ Multi-Benefit technology in Hong Kong, upgrading life-stage formulas for senior pets with prebiotics. Senior food and gut health are becoming the next big wave.

Why senior food is growing

1. Pet aging — 33% of US dogs/cats are over 7

2. Veterinary advances — longer lifespan

3. Main food segmentation — adult/senior/ultra-senior

4. Premium pricing — senior food 20-40% more expensive

5. Loyal repurchase

Why gut health matters

Hill's ActivBiome+ is prebiotic:

• Not probiotics (live bacteria unstable)
• Prebiotics (fibers that feed gut microbiome)
• Supports digestion, immunity, stool
• Senior gut microbiome shifts with age

Senior vs adult food

| | Adult | Senior |

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

| Protein | Standard | Highly digestible |

| Fat | Standard | Lower fat |

| Joint | None | Glucosamine added |

| Gut | None | Prebiotics/fiber |

| Calories | Standard | 10-15% lower |

| Phosphorus | Standard | Lower (kidney) |

Key players

| Brand | Senior product |

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

| Hill's | ActivBiome+ Multi-Benefit |

| Royal Canin | Mature/Senior |

| Purina Pro Plan | Bright Mind |

OEM opportunities

• Low phosphorus and fat formulas
• Prebiotic and joint additions
• Smaller kibble (older pets' teeth)
• Higher palatability (older appetite)
• 10-20% cost premium over adult food

China market

• Chinese pets are still young (avg 2-3 years)
• Tier-1 cities seeing more senior pets
• Education still early
• Will explode in 3-5 years

If you are looking at pet food segmentation, senior food is a 3-5 year certainty. Mixiaoqi pet food OEM/ODM is building senior and prebiotic formula R&D starting at 500kg.

FAQ

When should I switch to senior food?

Dogs around 7, cats around 11, large breeds earlier.

Prebiotic vs probiotic?

Prebiotic is fiber that feeds bacteria; probiotic is live bacteria.

Can senior food be fed long-term?

Yes, it is designed for long-term feeding.