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.

Additional Info

NutriScan is the only clinically predictable diagnostic test for dogs, cats and horses to identify the commonly seen food intolerances and sensitivities in saliva. It is not a test for the rarely seen true allergies to foods.

This test measures both IgA (secretory immunity) and IgM (primary immune response) antibodies to 24 selected foods in the saliva of dogs and cats, and 22 selected foods in the saliva of horses. High antibody levels indicate that the animal has a food sensitivity and intolerance to that food or foods. It is not a DNA test or a cheek/gum swab test.

Food sensitivities are usually seen from as early as 2 hrs and up to 72 hrs after eating an offending food or foods, so it can be difficult to connect symptoms with a food or foods eaten several days previously. There is a very high correlation between delayed food sensitivity and the amount and frequency of the food consumed.

How to use

For accurate testing with NutriScan, the animal should not have eaten anything overnight before the saliva is collected. About 2 ml of saliva is required, which should wet about half of the dental cotton rope provided with the kit.

The saliva sample is stable for up to 30 days at ambient temperature for transport to Hemopet’s Laboratory. The sample tube into which the wet rope is placed for shipment should be capped and tightly sealed to minimize dehydration. If necessary, the rope can be re-hydrated with a small measured amount of saline for assay.

We suggest repeat testing every 12 -18 months in healthy pets, and every 4-6 months in food reactive pets.