Businesses buying and selling all things pet-related are packing Mandalay Bay Convention Center’s floor this week, as the annual Superzoo trade show returned to Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Among the more than 1,000 exhibitors was BPD Reptiles Inc., which was selling a Melanistic Blue Tongue Skink from Australia for $12,000.
“This is a rare skink,” Randy Black of BPD said, noting that the reptile has a unique mutation that has led to an excess of dark pigment that causes its scales to range from dark charcoal to glossy jet-black. He added that it is more common — but still rare — for these particular reptiles to be white.
However, BPD isn’t just selling expensive reptiles. The cheapest reptile BPD is selling at the show costs about $50, Black said.
The show also brought companies selling treats for dogs and cats, highlighting new trends in the space — including converting many popular dog treats into treats that cats can safely eat, Matrix Partners Public Relations Manager Alyson Brodsky said during a media tour of Superzoo.
Another trend includes lickable cat treats, Brodsky said. RAWZ Natural Pet Food Products plans to launch its lickable cat treats next month, Co-owner Janet Scott said, as multiple companies — including Pet Honesty — have recently launched similar products. The forthcoming treat from RAWZ will contain goat milk and green mussels, Scott said, adding that the treats can also be used as a topper on cat food.
The low fat, high-protein and anti-inflammatory treats, Scott and Brodsky said, could help cats with digestive issues and joint pain.
But “any cat would totally enjoy them,” Scott said.
According to a brochure from RAWZ, the treats will be available in at least four different flavors — tuna, chicken, tuna and salmon, and tuna and scallop.
Superzoo continues through Friday.
Contact Lucas Hellberg at lhellberg@reviewjournal.com.
