Food Sensitivities
NutriScan Testing by Dr. Jean Dodds
Does your dog or cat have itchy skin, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, gas or inflammatory bowel disease? Do you suspect your pet has an allergy? More than likely your dog or cat has a food sensitivity or intolerance.
Food sensitivities and intolerances are different body immune responses than a true food allergy, which is a more immediate reaction mediated by production of IgE and IgG antibodies. Food sensitivity and intolerance, by contrast, is a more delayed body response to offending foods by measuring production of IgA and IgM antibodies primarily in mucosal secretions from the bowel.
In fact, food intolerance or sensitivity is actually quite common whereas food allergy is rare. Food intolerance is the third most common sensitivity condition in dogs and cats, and often can be easily remedied with a change in diet. For years, though, the difficulty lay in figuring out what foods were problematic – until now.
Developed by world-renowned veterinarian, Dr. Jean Dodds, NutriScan tests for the twenty-four most commonly ingested foods by dogs and cats to provide you with specific results as to your pet's food intolerances or sensitivities. Since it is a salivary test, you have the convenience to complete the test at home or at your veterinarian’s office. Best of all, you can have the results in approximately two weeks to help you put your companion animal on the right diet.
Ordering a NutriScan Test:
NutriScan offers you the convenience of ordering the saliva collection kit and test online, click here to learn more. Once you receive the kit, you can retrieve the saliva sample either at home, in your barn, or at your veterinarian's office.
Mailing Details:
You can send the samples via FedEx, UPS or USPS Priority Mail. Return mailing to Hemopet needs to be in a protected package or envelope. No refrigeration is necessary, and the saliva sample is viable for up to 30 days; however we do recommend that the sample should arrive at Hemopet within 10 days of being taken.
Results:
Allow approximately 2-3 weeks for the results.
Food Sensitivities vs. Allergies
By Dr. Jean Dodds
Remember watching videos in biology class of the war between the body and the flu virus? They – in a very Star Wars fashion – demonstrated the body’s way of producing antibodies to defend itself from these invaders. Antibodies can also be produced after eating a food the body deems as harmful. So, antibody testing is the most effective way to test for food sensitivities or intolerances. Of course, differences between the types of food sensitivities exist, which affect different antibodies.
For instance, the body produces the antibody IgE to fight off a food allergy and reacts immediately and violently (anaphylaxis). However, these types of true food allergies are rare. Typically, testing for food allergies involves either a skin prick test or a blood test. Throughout the veterinary profession, these tests for food allergies are considered unreliable and inaccurate.
In contrast to food allergy reactions, the body produces the antibodies IgA and IgM to combat food sensitivity and intolerance, which is more common and can be a long-term reaction. Sensitivity is a response to a particular food or compound found in a range of foods that is often exhibited through skin and/or bowel.
Sensitivity can be a result of several reasons such as the absence of specific chemicals or enzymes needed to digest a food substance or an abnormality in the ability to absorb certain nutrients. For instance, an irritable bowel (also called “leaky gut”) can be due to malabsorption or other abnormalities.
Today, new studies have revealed that long term reactions – as well as delayed reactions – to foods are more accurately identified by using the NutriScan test, which measures the level of the antibodies IgA and IgM in saliva for food sensitivities.
Dr. Dodds recommends that dogs, cats, and horses are tested annually as – similar to humans – food tolerances and intolerances change over time.
STILL HAVE NUTRISCAN QUESTIONS? Please click here to visit Dr. Jean Dodds FAQ's page.
Problem with Food Elimination Trials
By Dr. Jean Dodds
When a companion animal develops symptoms such as itchy skin or an irritable bowel, most pet caregivers attempt a change in diet or a food elimination trial. However, is a trial truly a long-term solution for the pet's condition? Let's examine more closely.
An elimination trial places a dog on a novel diet that consists of one protein and one carbohydrate to which the dog has had no or limited exposure. In terms of cats, it is generally one protein source. Several problems exist with this test protocol.
A typical trial lasts eight to twelve weeks. It is usually recommended to start dogs on lamb and potatoes. The question becomes whether your dog could be sensitive to lamb or potatoes. You may be causing more harm than good. If his symptoms do not subside, you can persevere and try another novel protein and carbohydrate combination.
Let's assume the lamb and potatoes verified that your dog is sensitive to a particular pet food because the symptoms subsided. You now must move on to the provocation stage in which you reintroduce one protein and one carbohydrate each week.
For both species, you should know which food is the offender when the itchy skin symptoms return at the end of week. However, clinical signs of delayed sensitivities can take up to five weeks to be noticeable. For instance, you introduce beef in week five and chicken in week six. At the end of week six, your companion animal's itchy skin starts again but you would not know if it was the beef, the chicken or another protein.
Confused? You should be. At the end of the day, food elimination trials create too much anxiety, confusion and huge variables for any pet lover.
Comparatively, NutriScan identifies the exact food causing your pet’s intolerance in less than two weeks. Click here to order your NutriScan test today!