PetCultures Probiotics is a labor of love. Years ago, when Santiago Gelvez’s springer spaniel Tango fell sick, he turned to developing a life-saving remedy he struggled to find on shelves.
“Tango cut himself with a piece of metal and bacteria went into his bloodstream,” Santiago said. “We had to give him really strong antibiotics to kill the bacteria, and the vet recommended I put him on probiotics to counteract the side effects of the antibiotics.”
Santiago tried every dog probiotic brand he could find to nurse Tango back to health, but nothing seemed to work. That’s when he realized the problem: the probiotics, or “good bacteria,” he was finding in stores weren’t formulated specifically for canine biology. Many probiotics intended for humans were not as efficient for pet usage because pets have different acidity levels and different bacterial strains.
Determined to find a solution that would improve Tango’s immune system, Santiago partnered with a veterinarian and a chemist to develop a specialized probiotic formula tailored to the unique needs of dogs. Within months, Tango’s health had dramatically improved.
“I just started giving [the formula] to the dog, and eventually that was the only thing that saved Tango,” Santiago said. “I want to make sure to share what I learned with other pet parents to help their pets.”
Santiago launched PetCultures Probiotics on Amazon in March 2023 with the mission of providing superior gut health solutions for dogs. The formula is sold in small packs to shelter it from external elements (like air) that can weaken the efficacy of the product. And after just 18 months, PetCultures Probiotics is already seeing remarkable growth, with sales increasing by 200% year-over-year.
Santiago said the data-driven insights sellers like him can access through Amazon’s Seller Central has been a game-changer for helping him make data-driven decisions to optimize sales. That data transparency, he added, is unique to Amazon.
“When I look at the seller dashboard and the type of data the Amazon has, it’s amazing,” said Santiago, who left a 16-year career at Procter & Gamble to focus full-time on his thriving ecommerce business. “With other retailers, you don’t get the type of data [that Amazon shares with sellers]. It really helps accelerate your business.”
Using Seller Central, Santiago has the ability to view inventory and sales performance data in real time, including click-through rates, customer reviews, and conversion rates.
“When I see my sales down, then I start really looking into the driver. Why am I getting not much impressions? Am I on the wrong keyword? That’s [the type of data] that Amazon provides,” he said. Santiago can also see that 60% of his Amazon revenue comes from the Subscribe & Save, a program that offers sellers the ability to extend discounted pricing, free shipping, and the convenience of regularly scheduled deliveries on eligible products to their customers for repeat purchases.
“People continue to buy our probiotics because they see the benefit of the product,” he added, calling Subscribe & Save his business’s “bread and butter.”
Santiago credits much of PetCultures’ early success to the decision to launch first on Amazon, which he said makes it easier for small businesses to get started and scale by giving them unparalleled access to Amazon’s global customer base and brand trust.
“Amazon has the tools to be able to reach a big audience that I wouldn’t be able to do on my own because I have no brand recognition,” he said, adding that high costs, rigid purchase orders, and the inability to control product placement on shelves makes traditional retail channels far less accessible for small businesses like his that are pursuing brand awareness.
“[Traditional retailers] are always trying to maximize their own profit, while the Amazon approach has really opened my mind to the dynamic of: ‘I want you to be successful so we can be successful,’” Santiago said. “It’s a win-win approach, so I really like it.”
With Amazon as a partner, Santiago is setting his sights on international expansion. Within the last year, PetCultures Probiotics launched in Canada and Mexico, leveraging Amazon Global Stores to quickly build up brand presence and customers in those countries.
The company’s ramp-up internationally has been faster than expected because those customers have visibility into customer reviews from his existing U.S. product listings, helping PetCultures Probiotics launch as an established brand. And in 2025, the company is aiming to expand to Europe.
“Now that I have the reviews and now that I have confidence from the consumers, expanding into those countries is going to be much faster,” Santiago said, adding that he expects to go far with Amazon.
“Amazon is really giving power to the entrepreneur in the middle class to be able to excel in an environment that was never an option for us,” he said. “That’s awesome.”