Innovative designs for pet food and treat products patented by the US Patent and Trademark Office over the last few years.
Both ends of this elongated pet treat are shaped like a starfish, making the edges along the side of the treat stick out from the center.
US Patent No. D781,025 (March 14, 2017), Pope, B. et al., assigned to Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., Topeka, KS.
These pet food pieces have an irregular shape that resembles rounded steaks or otherwise hunks of meat.
US Patent No. D782,151 (March 28, 2017), Gross, K. et al., assigned to Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., Topeka, KS.
This pet chew shaped like a dinosaur is edible and likely offers extended chew time.
US Patent No. D790,151 (June 27, 2017), Stern, M., assigned to Petmatrix LLC, Saddle Brook, NJ.
US Patent No. D790,801 (July 4, 2017), Stern, M., assigned to Petmatrix LLC, Saddle Brook, NJ.
US Patent No. D798,025 (Sept. 26, 2017), Stern, M., assigned to Petmatrix LLC, Saddle Brook, NJ.
This unique design for a pet food piece could be to enhance palatability or mouthfeel.
US Patent No. D801,622 (Nov. 7, 2017), Koo, B. G., assigned to Forcans Inc., Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
These kibble designs resemble cut jewels with their many abrupt angles. One appears to be more of an oval, while the other is almost hexagonal.
US Patent No. D801,623 (Nov. 7, 2017), Wang, Y., assigned to Mars, Incorporated, McLean, VA.
This highly textured pet treat can help scrape plaque and other harmful bacteria off pets teeth as they chew.
US Patent No. D821,695 (July 3, 2018), Spivak, D. et al., assigned to Loving Pets Corporation, Cranbury Township, NJ.
This pet treat appears to have an edible component at the top, potentially fortified to offer dental health benefits, while the base of the treat could be holding the dental piece intact.
US Patent No. D835,383 (Dec. 11, 2018), Petersen, T., assigned to Royal Pet Incorporated, Inver Grove Heights, MN.
This simple design resembles a bird’s feather, showing an outer layer and an inner layer possibly using more than one flavor or texture to the treat.
US Patent No. D849,355 (May 28, 2019), Guo, J. et al., assigned to Big Heart Pet, Inc., Orrville, OH.
This design appears to give pet owners the option to link multiple treats together, possibly offering longer chew time.
US Patent No. D858,931 (Sept. 10, 2019), van Eyk, G. et al., assigned to Spectrum Brands, Inc., Middleton, WI.
If it looks like a T-bone, it probably tastes like a T-bone. This pet treat is true to its name.
US Patent No. D858,932 (Sept. 10, 2019), van Eyk, G. et al., assigned to Spectrum Brands, Inc., Middleton, WI.
The front and back of this pet food piece are wrinkled to create irregular texture, potentially aiding in palatability or mouthfeel.
US Patent No. D858,936 (Sept. 10, 2019), Bataglia, A. et al., assigned to Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.
This pet treat in the shape of a meaty pork chop appears to be co-extruded or colored to add realistic detail to the pork chop design.
US Patent No. D859,781 (Sept. 17, 2019), van Eyk, G. et al., assigned to Spectrum Brands, Inc., Middleton, WI.
This pet treat is long with two flat sides on each end. The seven-pointed star shape on the ends makes the length of the treat pointy and textured.
US Patent No. D859,784 (Sept. 17, 2019), Cavalcanti, W. et al., assigned to Big Heart Pet, Inc., Orrville, OH.
A bone shape is curved upward, with the top side of the shape showing a rough, textured surface. The rest of the treat is smooth and appears to have an outer and inner layer.
US Patent No. D862,030 (Oct. 8, 2019), Ashby, A. T. et al., assigned to Big Heart Pet, Inc., Orrville, OH.
This design shows a rigid outer layer and a smoother filling on the inside, possibly co-extruded.
US Patent No. D863,718 (Oct. 22, 2019), Albuja, C. et al., assigned to Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.
A long, thin design shows an outer layer that covers the length of the piece and almost completely covers the width, showing a small sliver of the inner layer on one side.
US Patent No. D863,716 (Oct. 22, 2019), Bai, M. et al., assigned to Shandong Hitrusty Industrial & Trading Co., LTD, Liaocheng, China.
Take an inside look into Hill's Pet Nutrition's Tonganoxie facility.