Vets & the clinic channelVets recommend what they can reason about. Show the biological pathway behind your product — not a slogan — and you earn a place in the conversation that opens the veterinary channel.
Mechanism & ingredient science
Sell with science insights, win interest and deals.
Vets and Formulators need to understand why your product works. Every insight in the science is a sales edge you can use.
Book a discovery call
Define your study scope and explore feasibility.
01Mechanism of action02Ingredient interaction & synergy03Publication-track studies
PATHWAY / SCHEMATIC
INPUTIngredient / formulation
Biological pathwayA mechanism study maps the pathway in between
ENDPOINTMeasured effect
Gain insights, gain interest.
What this covers
Our Scientific Services
Three ways to build the evidence behind a claim. Pick the one that fits.
01
Mechanism of action
Shows which biological pathway produces the effect — not just that an endpoint moved.
Use when
A vet or reviewer asks how it works.
02
Ingredient interaction & synergy
Tests whether combined actives work together, add up, or cancel out.
Use when
Your formulation combines multiple actives.
03
Publication-track studies
Designed to meet peer-review rigor from the start.
Use when
You're building toward a published study.
Ingredient interaction
One ingredient, tested alone, isn't your product
Most claim literature tests one ingredient in isolation. Combine two actives that share a pathway and the effect can cancel out, add up, or multiply — a single-ingredient study can't tell you which one you got in your formulation.
Predicted vs. actual combined effect
Predicted (sum of the two ingredients alone)Actual measured combined effect
AntagonismActual below predicted
AdditiveActual equals predicted
SynergyActual above predicted
General pharmacology exampleCurcumin + piperine
Piperine (from black pepper) slows the metabolism of curcumin and raises its bioavailability by a large margin (Shoba et al., Planta Medica, 1998). Neither ingredient's own literature predicts that shift — it only shows up when the two are measured together.
Testing the finished formulation is the only way to know what your actual combination does — which is what every Lab4Paws panel tests.
Why it pays off
Data convinces the people who decide whether you win
A marketing claim gets waved through by shoppers. But the two audiences that actually grow your product — vets and the manufacturers who stock it — have reviewers. Give them the mechanism, and the conversation changes.
Vets & the clinic channel
Manufacturers & buyersDistributors and private-label buyers have technical reviewers whose job is to poke holes. A documented mechanism survives their scrutiny — and gets your product onto the shelf.
The edge
While competitors say “supports joints,” you can explain why it works — and back it with evidence.
How it works
From idea to evidence you can defend
What a study actually looks like — and how we get there together.
How we work together
- 01Free
Intro call
We pin down what you want to prove.
- 02Paid
Study plan
Literature review + experimental options, yours to keep.
- 03
Scoping call
We walk the options — cost, timeline, power.
- 04
Decision
Run it or not. Plan fees credit against the project.
€
Full study €8,000–€20,000 Investigator Plan or €20,000-50.000 Opinion Leader Plan, scoped per project. Plan fees credit in full if you proceed.
Who this is for
Is this right for you?
This service is built for teams that need to prove how a product works — not just that it passed a test. Here's how to tell if that's you.
This is for you if…
A customer or vet asked how your product actually works
You need a clear, evidence-backed explanation of the mechanism — not just a pass/fail result.
A reviewer wants more than “it tested positive”
We give you the detail and data that stands up to expert scrutiny.
You combined two active ingredients
We show whether they work together or cancel each other out.
You're building toward a peer-reviewed dossier
We produce results structured for publication and formal review.
Try the certification mark instead if…
The certification mark is our simpler, lower-commitment option. If any of these sound like you, start there.
Go to the certification markYou want a validated claim and a packaging badge — not the mechanism detail.
You want a fixed price, fixed turnaround, and no scoping call.
You haven't decided whether you need functional testing at all.
Get an edge with data
Need a custom study? That's exactly where we start.
On a short call we map what's worth proving and how to turn it into an edge you can put in front of vets and buyers.
01What you need
02What to figure out
03Contact
Built on Pharma Testing Standards.
Lab4Paws runs alongside veterinary pharmaceutical clients on drug and diagnostic development.
The same cell isolation and assay validation standards used there apply to every pet food panel — in-vitro only, no live animal testing at any stage.
Pharma-grade quality testing protocols
Our standards meet the rigorous demands of pharmaceutical development, ensuring your pet food claims are based on the highest scientific integrity.
Pharma and clinical-world insights applied to pet nutrition
In-vitro lab testing only — no live animal testing, ever
Our commitment to ethical and efficient research means all testing is conducted in a lab, providing faster, more reproducible, and humane results.
Ethical, Fast, and Reproducible Results
All our testing is lab-based and in-vitro — meaning we test on cell models, not live animals. This is not only a more ethical approach — it's also faster, more reproducible, and increasingly preferred by regulators and consumers alike.
The Scientists Behind the Study
Davide Confalonieri, PhD
Founder & CEO
Davide is a biotechnology entrepreneur and scientist with a background in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and preclinical research. He founded Lab4Paws to close the infrastructure gap in veterinary science — and applies the same scientific standards to pet food claim validation that his lab uses daily for pharmaceutical clients. His experience spans scientific research, international commercial strategy, and building scalable platforms for veterinary preclinical science.
Shrinidhi Thottangal Mohan, MSc MSc
Head of Laboratory Operations
Shrinidhi holds a Master's degree in Microbiology and Molecular and Cellular Biology. She leads laboratory operations at Lab4Paws, specialising in the isolation and expansion of animal primary cells, development of in vitro models, and optimisation of cell culture systems. The biological assays behind every validated pet food claim run through her hands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about our testing process, results, and how we can help your brand succeed.
How long does testing take?
Depending on the study, testing or publications, a project could last several weeks to several months. Contact us for a more precise estimate.
What if I don't know which claim to test?
If you need a strategy call, we can scope a consulting engagement to shortlist the best claims to test and investigate for your formulation. Contact us with the contact form above.
Do I need to disclose my recipe or proprietary formulation?
Yes, we need to discuss the formulation, an NDA is included in our Service Terms & Conditions but can be also signed separately.
Is this animal testing?
No. All our testing is in-vitro — conducted on cell models in a laboratory setting. No live animals are used at any stage.
What if results show something I didn't expect?
We help you re-scope to a claim your formulation does support.
Can I test multiple products?
Yes. We can co-run multiple SKUs, contact us for bulk pricing with the "Check Pricing" form above.
Can a vet use our test results to justify recommending our product?
Yes. The test report we provide includes the methodology, cell models used, and quantified biological outcomes. It is written to be scientifically legible — meaning a veterinarian can read it, evaluate it, and explain the mechanism to a client or colleague. It is not a marketing summary. It is a scientific document.
We want to approach vet clinics or a clinic group. Is this the right starting point?
It is the most important starting point. Vets are trained to ask 'how do you know this?' If your answer is 'our supplier says so' or 'it's on the label,' the conversation ends. A validated claim with a test report gives you a credible, specific answer to that question — in terms a vet recognizes.
We does the law requires?
EU: Under EU Regulation (EC) No 767/2009, Article 13(1)(b), health claims on pet food must be backed by scientific evidence — available before the product goes to market, not after a challenge arrives. The FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice confirms that in-house and proprietary data counts. An in-vitro biological study on your finished formulation is valid substantiation under this framework.
UK: The principles of the EU feed regulations were retained in UK domestic law after Brexit. The FSA is responsible for controlling claims and the implementation of safety measures. The substantiation standard is the same: scientific evidence, available on request, before market entry.
US: The FDA, AAFCO model regulations, and FTC truth-in-advertising standard all require the same thing: claims must be truthful and supported by competent scientific evidence. In-vitro biological data on finished formulations is accepted as part of a substantiation package for functional and structure/function claims.
Searching for certification services instead?
If you want to certify the efficacy of your pet supplement or nutraceutical but don't need advanced scientific services, check our Certification Services page!