AUSTIN, Texas — Dog owners have a new option for customizing their companion’s supplements or functional treat options with the launch of Dandy on Nov. 6. The e-commerce platform uses a quiz, taken by the pet owner, to build a wellness profile for a particular animal and suggest supplement packs uniquely catered to that animal.
Questions on the quiz include breed, age, lifestyle, health issues or allergies, and the type of food they usually eat, among others. Based on the answers to this quiz, Dandy will suggest a selection of supplements to purchase in a pack. The company uses a proprietary algorithm to determine its suggestions.
According to the company, these supplements are more like treats for the dogs because they have been formulated with palatability in mind. “Dandy supplements were formulated and crafted in treat form, with a peanut butter flavor that dogs love. Each treat is soft, great-tasting and easily digestible,” the company says.
Dandy offers combinations of 15 different dog supplements, each with their own functional benefit. The individual supplements include L-Theanine for calming anxiety; hemp and curcumin for stress and inflammation; magnesium, astaxanthin for antioxidant support; glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin and Boswellia for mobility; and “Happy Belly,” which includes probiotics, prebiotics, ginger and slippery elm for digestion, to name a few.
More than 32,000 supplement combinations are available through Dandy, according to the company. These supplements are developed by a team of three veterinary professionals — Laurie Johnson, CVA, CVHM; Tim Julien, chief medical officer, PAZ; and John Loftus, Ph.D., DVM, DACVIM (SAIM) — and produced in a National Animal Supplement Council-certified (NASC) facility based in the US.
“As an integrative veterinarian, I see wellness care for our little canine ones as holistic to a healthy and happy life. From puppyhood to the senior fella, there are important considerations at each stage of life. This encompasses far more than vaccines and spay/neuter and focuses more on preventative medicine and well-being,” Johnson says.
The company was founded by certified health coach and entrepreneur Danielle Sobel, who moved into the pet wellness market after founding Juice Society, a brand of functional juices, in 2015.
"Dandy is reimagining the way we care for our pets. If you look at the current industry landscape holistically, it’s hard to find any truly personalized options for your pet,” Sobel says.
Dandy offers functional treat packs for dogs of all sizes at least 6 months and older. The supplement packs are shipped monthly and include a month’s supply of four daily supplements. The packs cost $40 per month for small-to-medium-sized dogs and $50 per month for medium-to-large-sized dogs.
Read more about product development, ingredients and formulation.