Selling pet food, treats and supplements online

Pet food has a label as detailed as human food: a name, a net quantity, a guaranteed analysis, ingredients, the species it is for and the maker. The listing is where a buyer reads all of that before ordering. And like supplements for people, pet food and treats have a line they must not cross. A health claim can turn a pet food into an unapproved animal drug.

This page covers the label, claims, Walmart's rules, and flea and tick products.

What this page covers: dog and cat food and treats, chews, bird, fish and small animal food, and pet supplements and medicines.

The short version

• Pet food labels follow FDA rules and state feed laws: product name, net quantity, guaranteed analysis, ingredients, the intended species and the maker.
• A health claim can make a pet food an unapproved animal drug. Claims need evidence, and Walmart bars FDA logos.
• Walmart restricts the category to vetted sellers and asks for feeding directions and country of origin.
• Walmart asks for the NASC seal on pet supplements and state registration for pet food.
• Flea and tick treatments are pesticides or animal drugs.

What must a pet food label carry?

A pet food label carries the product name, net quantity, guaranteed analysis, ingredients, the species it is for, and the maker, under FDA rules and state feed laws. Walmart adds feeding directions and the country of origin.

Show the full label in your images, with the guaranteed analysis readable at full size.

Can a pet food make a health claim?

Not unless the product is approved for it. A health claim, such as treating or preventing a condition, can make a pet food an unapproved animal drug. Claims need evidence, and Walmart bars FDA logos.

Safer ground is the food's makeup and purpose: the protein source, the life stage, the texture, the feeding occasion. Leave out disease names and medical outcomes unless the product is approved for them.

What does Walmart ask of pet food sellers?

Walmart treats pet food, supplements and medicines as a restricted category for vetted sellers.

Are flea and tick treatments pesticides?

Flea and tick treatments are pesticides or animal drugs, depending on the product, with registration rules and barred safety words. Our page on pest control rules covers them.

What should pet food images show?

Pet food images should show the label, the food itself and a pet, without a scene that suggests a health result. The set to show:

• The front of the bag or tin, and the label panel with the guaranteed analysis.
• A pet with the product, eating or playing, without a scene that suggests a health result.
• The kibble or treat itself beside the pack, so the buyer sees its size.

How Commicorn helps

• Your label, as printed. On the Untouched product route your photo's pixels are never redrawn, so the guaranteed analysis and feeding directions stay exactly as printed.
• A pet only when you choose one. A scene has an animal only when you choose With a pet.
• Your claims, from your label. The listing copy is written from the details you give us. Check every claim against your label before you export.

Questions sellers ask

What must a pet food label include?

The product name, net quantity, guaranteed analysis, ingredients, the intended species and the maker, under FDA rules and state feed laws.

Can a pet treat claim to treat a condition?

Not unless it is approved for it. A health claim, such as treating or preventing a condition, can make a pet food an unapproved animal drug.

Can I sell CBD dog treats on Walmart?

No. Walmart prohibits hemp or CBD treats.

What does Walmart ask for on pet supplements?

The NASC seal. Walmart treats pet food, supplements and medicines as a restricted category for vetted sellers.

Can I sell pet food that needs refrigeration on Walmart?

No. Walmart prohibits pet food that needs refrigeration.

Before you list

Have the full label (name, net quantity, guaranteed analysis, ingredients, species and maker), the feeding directions, the country of origin, the state registration and, for a supplement, the NASC seal ready before the listing goes live, and Walmart's vetting if you sell there. On an edge case, the claim decides it: a claim to treat or prevent a condition makes the product an unapproved animal drug unless it is approved, and a flea and tick product is a pesticide or an animal drug, with the pesticide labelling rule at 40 CFR 156.10 setting the words it may not use.