Allergy & Intolerance – Holistic Pet Testing

Allergy & Intolerance

Intolerance, Sensitivity or Allergy?

An allergy is a serious reaction usually characterized by localized swelling, rash, or difficulty breathing and often requires immediate medical attention. An intolerance is when the body reacts negatively when exposed to certain foods or environmental items and may be accompanied by symptoms such as skin irritation, hot spots, gas, and diarrhea.

What exactly is an intolerance?

While not life threatening, an intolerance may cause serious and prolonged discomfort due to the pet’s inability to digest a certain food properly or from overexposure to a foreign substance. Intolerances may occur from a variety of reasons such as:

TOO MUCH OF SOMETHING

Sensitivity to a particular item resulting from over-consumption or overexposure.

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

A lack of necessary digestive enzymes for certain foods causing incomplete digestion or reduced ability to extract nutrients.

ONSET OF SYMPTOMS

Symptoms come on gradually; anywhere from 30 minutes to 48 hours after exposure.

Order a test today to find out if your pet has an intolerance or sensitivity.

About allergies…

Allergy symptoms include skin rash, swelling, and difficulty breathing which may be an indicator of anaphylaxis (a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death). Testing usually requires a visit to the vet or an allergist.

Skin testing is most often used to find allergies. The test involves exposing the pet’s skin to small amounts of various substances and observing the reactions over time. Specific IgE tests identify IgE antibodies to specific antigens (allergy triggers).

Our Tests

We exist to provide tests for pets that meet high standards for validity and reliability for at-home collection.