This Week in Animal Health: Chewy Raises Full-Year Outlook

ANIMAL HEALTH NEWS & NOTES · September 4, 2026
I Remember 9/11 – 25 Years Ago
Editor: Christine Merle DVM, MBA, CVPM

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Earnings News

• Chewy released its financial results for the first half of 2026 with net sales increase of 7.5% (including SmartPak and Modern Animal contributions) over previous year same period to $6.69B. They also raised their full- year revenue and profitability outlook. (company press release)

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US Company News

• Phillips Pet Food & Supplies announced a distribution partnership with Elanco Animal Health for their over-the-counter pet health portfolio. (com)
• Virbac opened nominations of shelter, rescue or nonprofits from the public for its Every Pet Project donation program. (company press release)
• A partnership will make EnviroLogic mycotoxin results within Alltech’s RAPIREAD mycotoxin testing program. (com)
• Heartstrings Pet Hospice is expanding nationally with a veterinary hiring initiative highlighting no non-compete agreements. (com)
• RadsForVets announced the expansion of its vet teleradiology service offering its unique Real-Time Chat, Video-Enriched Diagnostic Reports and Diagnosis- First report format. (com)
• Instinct Science announced the launch of Attending, a clinical veterinary AI assistant exclusively for veterinarians powered by the latest evidence and consensus statements and peer-reviewed content. (company press release)
• OpenVet introduced OpenAnimal, a pet-parent side to its clinical AI platform. (company press release)
• Girl Scouts of the USA announced its first dog cookie Patch Pals developed with BARK and will be available exclusively online for its 2027 season. (org)

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Brakke Consulting/Trone Research and Consulting
Pet Medications Home Delivery Study

Now Available

Online sales of pet medications are growing rapidly and today’s pet owners have more choices than ever when it comes to where they purchase. But in this evolving and highly competitive market, key questions remain: who is capturing this revenue, how veterinary clinics are adapting, and what drives pet owner decisions?

The 2026 Pet Medications Home Delivery Study, developed by Brakke Consulting and Trone Research & Consulting, delivers the answers. Building on more than a decade of research, this comprehensive study provides a data-driven view of the home delivery landscape from both veterinarian and pet owner perspectives.

Based on surveys of 400 U.S. veterinarians and 1,200 pet owners, the study offers statistically reliable insights into purchasing behavior, channel performance, and competitive pressures. It explores key trends such as subscription and auto-ship models, customer retention, compliance, and the growing influence of online retailers and new market entrants.

Key insights include:

• Pet owner preferences and purchasing drivers
• How clinics are protecting revenue and adapting to online competition
• Where prescription sales are being retained, or lost
• The impact of telemedicine and evolving service models
• Benchmark comparisons to track market evolution

The final deliverable is a comprehensive 100+ page PowerPoint report with expert analysis and actionable recommendations to support marketing, product development, and growth strategies.

Priced at $19,000, the study includes a one-hour consultation with a senior TRC consultant.

For more information about the Pet Medications Home Delivery Study, please contact Doug Barton at dbarton@troneresearch.com.

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International Company News

• KR – Yuyu Pharma’s CEO launched Robert’s Yuniverse podcast featuring topics including animal health research, global business and Korean culture. (com)
• UK – Genflow Biosciences announced that its Sarcopenia and Longevity in Aged Beagles clinic trial testing its SIRT6 centenarian gene therapy met its primary endpoint, full findings will be presented at the Animal Longevity Summit in Toronto in October. (finance.yahoo. com)
• UK – Cosmos Health launched C-ScrubVet in the UK. (com)

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Animal Health Industry News

• GLOBAL – International Cat Care published the 2026 iCatCare guidelines on the diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease in cats. (org)
• CA – The Government of Canada announced $3.1M (US$2.24M) to support swine health surveillance. (com)
• PAN AMERICA- The Pan American Center for Foot- and- Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health, part of the Pan American Health Organization, released a new tool, Methodology for Estimating Dog and Cat Populations in Latin America and the Caribbean, to help countries generate more reliable data on dog and cat populations. (org)
• ZA – A rabies outbreak in Cape fur seals along the coast of South Africa has led to at least 176 people being bitten. (co.za)
• US – The Minnesota Urolith Center at the University of Minnesota received its 2 mllionith urinary stone sample since its founding in 1981. (com)
• US – The FDA released two additional New World Screwworm infested zones and modified another in Texas. (government press release)
• US – Horse smuggling from Mexico revels the cracks in US defense efforts against New World Screwworm. (com)
• US – Solid Rock Community School, a private K-12 School in Tarpon Springs, FL, has become the first school in the world to have its own animal sanctuary accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. (24-7pressrelease.com)
• US – University of Hawaii has received a $2M award from the National Science Foundation to lead an effort for development of AI enabled tools to detect environmental threats to food production systems. (com)

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Brakke Consulting Viewpoint
I remember 9/11- 25 years ago

When we lived in New Jersey and I ran the international business for Pharmacia Animal Health, I bought tickets for me and my two young boys to see the Yankees play the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in Bronx on September 10, 2001. Back then, and as I still think today, this was the greatest rivalry in sports, and we were all very excited. But after waiting around for a while in the stadium, the game was called because of rain, and we headed home rather bummed out.

The traffic across the George Washington Bridge was terrible that night, and since the boys liked to see the lights of Manhattan, we headed down the FDR Drive to lower Manhattan to drive around the World Trade Center. Despite the weather, the stormy skies made for dramatic views of the massive towers that symbolized the strength of the city and our country. We didn’t get to see two great baseball teams play, but we got to see two great towers.

The morning of Tuesday, September 11, was gorgeous. When the first plane hit the North Tower, I was finishing a budget review meeting with the country manager of Japan. When the second plane hit the South Tower, I had just started a budget review meeting with the country manager of Brazil. These two country managers on the other sides of the world told me that planes had hit the towers – that’s how I found out.

The traffic was terrible that morning because the Giants had lost to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football and people were late leaving for work. One of my best friends was late for a morning meeting with Cantor Fitzgerald in their offices at the top of the North Tower. He was stuck on the George Washington Bridge – no one in the Cantor Fitzgerald offices that morning survived.

Because of the weather, we saw the magnificent WTC towers the night before they collapsed and burned for 100 days. Because of the traffic, my friend’s life was spared. I will never forget what happened that day.

Telling stories is a great way to remember things in our lives – for me it is cathartic. If you have a story about 9/11 you’d like to tell, send it to us and we will figure out a way to share them with our readers.

Bob Jones, CEO

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Your View
Last week we asked you what you thought was the most important factor to determine market potential when bringing a new product or service into the animal health field. Almost 43% of respondents chose disease incidence, 24% chose the competitive landscape, 17% chose customer acquisition, 9% chose the cost of R&D and 7% said the target species. I asked Grok this question but didn’t offer these answer choices – Grok’s answer was whether the product or service solves a commercially relevant unmet need. Then it recommended to answer this question first: Is the problem recognized? Sounds similar to disease incidence.

For me, visiting Ground Zero and the site of the World Trade Center towers is still an emotional event – the first time I visited the Memorial Fountain soon after it was finished, it took my breath away. Let’s see this week how many respondents have visited Ground Zero. Check which best applies to you:

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Brakke Stock Table