What is the policy? 

Walmart prohibits the sale of, among other things: 

• Products that are or would be regulated by:

  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as animal products that require a prescription; and/or

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as veterinary biological products; 

• Products that are designed for use only by healthcare professionals in the healthcare setting;  

• Products marketed as over-the-counter animal drug products that have not secured the necessary FDA approval; and 

• Pet foods that do not comply with the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) because they would be considered by FDA to be adulterated and/or misbranded pet foods or unapproved animal drugs.  

Walmart allows the sale of animal health supplements/dosage forms that carry the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) quality seal. These include but are not limited to, products intended to support maintenance of normal biological structure and function in animals, such as dogs, cats and horses. Joint support products containing glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate or MSM are examples of animal health supplements. These types of products are also called “dosage form" animal health products.

There are also animal products regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that may be considered pesticides or antimicrobial-treated products which are additionally subject to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). 

Additional Information 

Health-related advertising claims about pet foods determine whether they are classified as pet food, nutritional supplements, animal health supplements/dosage forms or animal drugs. Walmart requires evidence that all pet food labeling claims have been reviewed by a state official, by the NASC or that the marketer possesses documentation that the product is exempted from regulation as pet food and is not an unapproved animal drug. 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has authority to regulate the advertising of certain FDA regulated products. To avoid making a “false advertisement," the FTC requires that an advertiser possess a reasonable basis to substantiate all plausible interpretations of its advertising claims prior to disseminating the advertisement in question. Statements made about pet food products must be truthful and not misleading and must have adequate substantiation under the “competent and reliable scientific evidence" standard. FTC’s Health Products Compliance Guidance is a helpful tool to determine what kind of claims and substantiation are appropriate for pet food. 

Policy basics