Expanding Rawhide Alternatives

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We recently spoke with Martin J. Glinsky, Ph.D., chief science officer at Pet Matrix about the company’s history and the future of rawhide alternatives.

Rebekah: Tell us a little about Pet Matrix.

Martin: Petmatrix was started about six years ago by three industry executives with more than 80 years of pet product experience between us. We saw a need to satisfy dog owners who were looking for an alternative to rawhide as a viable chew for their pets. The criteria were as follows: no rawhide, high digestibility, exceptional palatability and safer than rawhide to choking/blockage possibilities

After years of research and development, we patented a product that exceeded our goals. The response has been outstanding. Our products are sold throughout the world and we grow significantly year after year.

Rebekah: What is unique about your product?

Martin: Quite simply, they are made without rawhide. We use vegetables and chicken and we fortify them with vitamins and minerals. It’s the best group of products available for those dog parents who, for whatever reason, don’t want to feed a rawhide product.

Rebekah: What is a typical day for you?

Martin: As Chief Science Officer, my responsibilities include making sure every chew that is offered to our customers’ dogs is safe and performs the way they are meant to. I review and approve every shipment of product and the quality control teams from the factories report directly to me.

I am also responsible for all of our packaging verbiage, and I work closely with the FDA and AAFCO to ensure our products meet and exceed all of their requirements.

Rebekah: What do you see in the future for rawhide alternatives?

Martin: As more and more pet parents look for rawhide alternatives, this category will continue to grow strongly.
As retailers pare down their rawhide assortments, it makes sense to expand the number of non-rawhide products in order to continue to grow this side of the category, which also has higher retail margins than its rawhide counterpart.