JD Health Launches Integrated One-Stop Pet Health Solution, Elevating Industry Standards

In the rapidly growing pet economy sector, the fragmented and disorganized business landscape is gradually being phased out, with leading companies spearheading the formation of a new market structure.

On October 24, 2025, the “JD Pet Health Premium Pet Medicine Alliance” was officially established at the JD Health Pet Medicine Gala, uniting leading domestic and international pet health brands to provide users with more reassuring and reliable products and services.

According to a survey report released by KPMG China, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the market size for pet-related businesses in China has reached 25.4%, with the market size expected to reach RMB 811.4 billion in 2025.

The pet consumer base is becoming increasingly younger, continuously expanding into lower-tier markets, and demonstrating strong growth potential. Pet owners are significantly increasing their spending on pet food, veterinary care, supplies, and services.

In particular, the widespread adoption of scientific pet care concepts is driving rapid growth in the pet health sector, with a pronounced "winner-takes-all" effect. In 2024, the growth rate of JD Health’s self-operated pet pharmaceutical business was nearly three times the industry average. However, despite the substantial potential of online consumer demand, the standardization and normalization of the pet health industry have lagged, with widespread deficiencies in regulatory compliance.

As a leading platform in the industry, JD Health has been making strategic investments since 2021 and has now established an integrated ecosystem covering veterinary care, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and insurance for pets. This provides consumers with one-stop medication solutions and collaborates with the industry to drive the upgrading of the pet health sector.

Whenever her dog was unwell, Wu Xin (a pseudonym) would face a dilemma. Making a special trip to the veterinary clinic was somewhat inconvenient due to the distance, yet online recommendations for treatment varied widely: some advised using human medications directly, others favored supplements, some recommended dietary adjustments, and still others emphasized the necessity of administering species-specific veterinary drugs.

It seems that everyone can be a pet care expert, but various recommendations often hide unclear ulterior motives. After much deliberation, Wu Xin is still unsure whether she ultimately chose the best approach for her dog.

In the pet health market, bad money sometimes drives out good. This was one of the issues Wen Mengdi, head of JD.com’s pet health business, identified upon entering the industry: a great deal of unscientific or even erroneous content continues to spread, with some non-compliant companies often acting as behind-the-scenes promoters.

More importantly, some truly high-quality enterprises do not know how to highlight their brand value in the digital age, and thus sell even worse than OEM companies.

In recent years, the booming pet economy has attracted many veterinary pharmaceutical companies to pivot. These firms originally specialized in R&D of veterinary drugs for large animals and possessed extensive experience in drug development. However, after shifting their focus to the pet medication sector, they have continued to rely habitually on offline channels, distributing products through dealers to pet hospitals and veterinary clinics. For instance, a box containing 100 tablets is often prescribed by veterinarians as just one course of treatment, such as dispensing seven tablets in a small bag. As a result, consumers are frequently unaware not only of the drug’s brand but also of its active ingredients.

As individuals born in the 1990s and 2010s become the primary demographic of pet owners, consumers are increasingly inclined to choose reputable, trusted brands. They no longer rely solely on veterinary hospitals for pet care information; instead, they access diverse and open channels, with online product recommendations emerging as a trend where everyone acts as a Key Opinion Leader (KOL).

As a result, the voices of some high-quality brands were drowned out by the vast amount of online information, leading consumers to take many detours. Recognizing this gap in industry demand, JD Health decided to leverage its industry-leading capabilities to boost the development of premium brands.

First, JD Health has established stringent screening criteria for its self-operated pet pharmaceuticals. Wen Mengdi introduced that, in terms of product quality, partner manufacturers must be certified under the national Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards and possess complete qualifications. Transparency in monitoring must be ensured throughout the entire process—from production and branding to JD’s operations—prohibiting any illicit practices such as unauthorized substitution of raw materials.

Secondly, JD Health has also conducted research on industry costs, aiming to avoid selling low-end brands with ultra-low prices and unreliable quality that could distort consumer judgment, thereby fostering a high-quality and healthy industrial development environment.

Zhang Xiaojun, Executive Vice President of Oubofang Group, stated that the breakthrough of domestic pet pharmaceutical brands relies on a solid foundation in research and development, as well as the empowerment of brand exposure through online platforms. Since joining JD Health in 2023, Oubofang has achieved explosive business growth, with the annual compound growth rate of transaction volume for its self-operated stores exceeding 200%.

Even new products that started slowly in offline channels have unexpectedly expanded rapidly online. In 2025, JD Health launched 28 major new pet health products exclusively across its platform. Among them, Boehringer Ingelheim’s oral external parasiticide for dogs, “Frontec,” achieved gross merchandise value exceeding RMB 800,000 during its initial launch period. Additionally, Zoetis’ cutting-edge pet antibiotic “Synulox” is scheduled for its exclusive online debut on JD Health in November.

“JD Health has always been committed to introducing high-quality, effective medications, and these brands deserve greater visibility among users,” said Wen Mengdi.

Through its partnership with JD Health, Royal Canin’s prescription diet products saw a year-on-year growth rate in transaction volume exceeding 300% in 2025; multiple brands, including MAG, vetwish, and Hanwei Pet Care, all achieved approximately a 50% year-on-year increase in user base.

Some niche segments are growing at a faster pace. On the JD Health platform, the transaction volume of prescription pet food grew by more than 3.6 times in 2024, and the transaction volume of specialty treatment medications increased by over 90%, becoming the core drivers of growth in these niche segments.

Currently, JD Health has established the most comprehensive online supply chain for pet medications in the industry. Of the 133 pet drug approval numbers issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, 132 are available for purchase on the JD Health platform, with only one approval not yet put into production. The offerings comprehensively cover core categories including deworming and healthcare products, prescription drugs, prescription diets, skin care, and medications for eyes, ears, nose, and throat.

In 2025, JD Health achieved a breakthrough in pet vaccines—leveraging its biological product qualifications, comprehensive cold-chain logistics, and professional after-sales services to enable pet owners to purchase compliant pet vaccines more conveniently and safely.

What Wu Xin finds even more convenient is that she can now consult with veterinarians online. “There are no professional veterinary hospitals near my residential community, and each round-trip taxi ride to the clinic costs 40 yuan. Sometimes it’s just a few red rashes on my dog’s skin—going to the hospital might turn out to be unnecessary, making the trip a waste of time and money, yet not going leaves me worried. Being able to consult online has made things much more convenient.”

What Wu Xin didn’t realize was the immense effort required to build an online veterinary hospital capable of providing 24/7 teleconsultations and delivering services across China.

Shifting the mindset of veterinarians is the first step. Many veterinarians are initially reluctant to provide consultations on online platforms, as these rarely convert into offline visits that generate revenue for their animal hospitals. They worry that if pet owners complete both the consultation and medication purchase online, it would essentially compete with their own brick-and-mortar practices.

Such perceptions are also a major constraint on the online development of the pet health industry. Within the approximately RMB 300 billion pet consumption market, the health segment accounts for around RMB 70 billion; however, the online portion of this segment amounts to no more than RMB 5 billion.

In stark contrast, as the density of offline veterinary clinics continues to rise and market competition intensifies, independent practices face mounting pressure. Meanwhile, the vast potential of the online market remains in a nascent, unregulated stage, characterized by disordered product promotions by pet influencers and an inability to adequately meet consultation demands.

In 2021, JD Health became one of the first companies in China to obtain qualifications for operating an internet-based veterinary hospital, and began to deeply improve a standardized and procedural online pet medical service system.

First, online veterinarians must hold professional veterinary qualifications and possess at least three years of clinical experience. In addition, JD Health collaborates with professional industry associations to provide training for all veterinarians on its platform. Each veterinarian is required to attend at least one training session per quarter, with each intensive training program lasting approximately one to two days, aimed at updating cutting-edge medical knowledge and helping veterinarians reinforce their skills.

Lu Zhibin, General Manager of Elanco Animal Health in Greater China, also stated that one of the pain points in industry development is the need to promote the standardization of veterinary prescriptions, a goal that aligns closely with the plans of JD Health’s Pet Hospital. Although competition in China’s pet health market is intense, its market size is only one-tenth that of the United States, indicating substantial room for growth. There is indeed a pressing need to continuously deepen education for both consumers and practitioners to enhance market maturity.

Under a series of physician management regulations and standards, JD Health’s veterinarians are able to provide higher-quality services, such as maintaining a 100% response rate within 30 seconds, ensuring a customer satisfaction rate of no less than 99%, and explicitly recommending offline veterinary visits for cases with diagnostic uncertainties.

Veterinarian Wu Lei pointed out that online consultations effectively break through time and space constraints, addressing pain points such as urgent inquiries, report interpretation, and chronic disease follow-up. Pets requiring in-person consultations are guided to offline services as needed, truly expanding the overall industry pie rather than competing for a fixed share.

Technological innovations have further enhanced the service efficiency and professionalism of JD Health Pet Hospital. The AI-powered virtual veterinarian, built on the “Jingyi Qianxun” large language model, can assist in addressing 54% of common inquiries. It not only supports veterinarians in handling initial consultations but also provides precise medication or nutritional recommendations and scientific guidance on daily care, tailored to each pet’s health condition.

After four years of development, JD Health Pet Hospital has cumulatively served 4.2 million pet owners, with annual electronic prescription volumes exceeding 900,000, growing into the industry’s largest online next-generation pet hospital characterized by professional compliance, technological innovation, diversified capabilities, and comprehensive layout.

Currently, the platform has onboarded over 5,500 licensed veterinarians, covering 31 provinces and 296 cities across China. It has established partnerships with more than 2,400 offline animal hospitals and offers various online consultation formats, including text-and-image and video consultations, to meet diagnostic and treatment needs in diverse scenarios.

More importantly, the nearly 5 million pet health records established by JD Health for consultation users enable the platform to more precisely address user needs. For instance, providing nutritional supplements to senior dogs at an earlier stage may help extend their lifespan. Educating puppy owners about the benefits of pet insurance earlier on can reduce the financial burden when pets fall ill.

Users on the platform are not exposed to a single brand or product; instead, they gain access to comprehensive information on healthy pet care. Products across different categories complement and penetrate each other’s markets, fully meeting diverse consumer needs.

As JD Health advances in health education, insurance services, testing services, and home-based offline care, it has initially established an integrated ecosystem encompassing “medical care, testing, pharmaceuticals, and insurance,” offering users a one-stop solution for consultations, laboratory tests, medication, and insurance coverage.

Currently, the high stickiness of pet-care consumers has become evident. JD Health’s Pet Hospital has achieved an annual repeat purchase rate of 50% among its consultation users. Wen Mengdi stated, “JD Health provides full-lifecycle health management services for pets. The closed-loop integration of ‘veterinary care, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and insurance’ constitutes our core competitive advantage. The dedication and high standards we have invested in building this system reflect a commitment to long-termism, rather than a short-term, easily replicable model.”

In 2026, JD Health will continue to increase its investment, aiming to support 30 pet health brands in achieving annual gross merchandise value (GMV) exceeding RMB 10 million on the JD platform. The company plans to jointly develop 300 individual products with GMV surpassing RMB 1 million each and incubate 50 new products each generating over RMB 1 million in sales, with the goal of driving a year-on-year growth rate of more than 50% for its self-operated pet pharmaceutical business.

As pet health needs shift from treatment-focused care to prevention-oriented health management, the industry chain will inevitably undergo further consolidation and upgrading. Only high-quality brands that can meet consumer demands will achieve sustainable growth.