From herbal remedies to home-cooked diets, a more discerning and natural approach to animal care is on the rise. Few in Italy are as deeply involved in this shift as Dr. Valerio Guiggi, veterinarian, food safety specialist, educator, and one of the rare experts blending scientific veterinary practice with phytotherapy.
His work sits at the intersection of regulatory clarity and holistic intuition. At a time when wellness trends for pets are everywhere, Dr. Guiggi reminds us that behind every bowl and botanical lies the need for knowledge, not ideology.
We asked him to share what’s real, what’s risky, and what’s quietly revolutionary in the evolving world of pet nutrition and phytotherapy.
Phytotherapy is still seen as “alternative” by many. How do you approach it scientifically in your practice, and which areas—digestive issues, anxiety, chronic conditions—show the most promise?
Phytotherapy is often described as an “alternative” to traditional pharmacological therapy, even by some colleagues. This is a misunderstanding. Phytotherapy is not an alternative approach. The scientific literature defines it clearly. Phytotherapy is the medical discipline that allows the proper preventive or therapeutic use of medicinal plants and their derivatives, based on the pharmacological properties of the chemical constituents present in the plant and in the specific product used. It does not follow philosophies, belief systems or diagnostic and therapeutic methods outside scientific medicine (Fiorenzuoli, Fitoterapia Clinica, Fourth Edition, Elsevier, 2008).
Phytotherapeutic products contain active molecules. Their classification varies. Sometimes they are regulated as medicines. Other times, because of a lower incidence of side effects, they are marketed as supplements for humans or as complementary feeds for animals. This difference is regulatory in nature rather than scientific.
In practice, what matters is understanding the effects of both medicinal substances and plant-derived compounds. When we know both categories well, we can choose each time the most appropriate solution for the patient’s specific needs.
You're also a specialist in food safety and inspection. What’s something the average pet owner doesn’t know about the quality and control of industrial pet food?
Probably the most common issue is also the simplest one, which is reading labels. This problem exists in human nutrition as well. Labelling regulations are quite detailed and they allow pet owners to distinguish good quality products from poor quality ones with relative ease. Many owners learn how to read labels correctly, but many others do not and only look at labels when their dog or cat develops a health issue. It is usually at that moment that they realise they made a mistake in not considering the quality of the food they had been providing.
There is also another aspect. Regulations are not perfect and there are certain strategies that companies can use to make a product appear better than it actually is. These tactics are known to people who work with regulations, but far less understood by those outside the field, which makes it harder to recognise lower quality foods that seem to be better than they are.
With all your clinical and regulatory knowledge—how do you personally choose what goes into your pets’ bowls? Do you ever blend herbs or prepare functional meals at home?
For my own animals, I follow the same approach I use for my patients. I try to select the best possible diet based on the specific needs of each individual animal. I personally prepare home-cooked diets that are adjusted to their requirements. In the case of my dog, this includes pancreatic and hepatic conditions that need careful nutritional management. When necessary, I use either synthetic medicines or plant-derived products, depending on what the situation requires.
At this stage, supplements have become a constant part of his routine, partly because of his advanced age. In the past, when his health was more stable, they were not used regularly. Needs can evolve and often change during the course of an animal’s life.
What’s one common mistake you see even well-intentioned pet parents make when they try to “go natural”? And what’s a better, more balanced way to start?
One of the most common mistakes is believing that a product is better simply because it is “natural”. The term “natural” on its own means very little, whether we are talking about diet or phytotherapy. Spoiled raw meat is entirely natural, and so is Amanita muscaria, a highly poisonous mushroom. Natural does not automatically mean good.
In the nutritional field, the main error is assuming that a home-cooked diet is superior to an industrial diet just because it is prepared at home. This is not necessarily true. The diet must be properly structured and balanced according to the dog’s needs. If it is not, the consequences for health can be worse than those caused by the previous commercial diet.
In the field of phytotherapy, the main mistake is made by people who go to a herbal shop and choose products based on their effects in humans, without asking for veterinary advice, thinking that “a phytotherapeutic product cannot do any harm”. This is not how it works. Phytotherapeutic products also have side effects along with their benefits. For example, giving a laxative plant such as Frangula to a dog that already has diarrhoea will worsen the condition. The way dogs and cats metabolise phytotherapeutic substances is also different from humans because their hepatic enzyme systems differ. Grapes already offer a clear example of this difference. They are harmless to humans but toxic to dogs and cats.
The scientific literature on the efficacy and safety of phytotherapeutic products must always be evaluated specifically in dogs and cats.
To explore more of Dr. Guiggi’s work, readers can consult his website, where he publishes scientific articles and practical guidance on nutrition, food safety and phytotherapy: www.valerioguiggi.it His video lectures and educational content are available on his YouTube channel, Valerio Guiggi – Veterinario Specialista . His books, Carne per Cani e Gatti and I Gusti del Cane e del Gatto, offer a deeper understanding of how animals interpret food and how nutrition can be adapted to individual needs. These resources reflect the same balanced and evidence-based approach shared in this interview and remain the most direct way to continue learning from his work.
