A. Food allergy tests measure antibodies to IgG and IgE in serum or feces. These are typically more acute allergic reactions to foods, whereas NutriScan measures IgA and IgM antibodies on the bowel’s mucosal surface, and thus more directly correlates to symptoms of bowel (GI tract) disease.

A. Skin testing used to be considered the “gold standard” of allergy testing. Aside from being unsightly and requiring that a large patch of skin be shaved, these tests are costly and do not always identify the true source of allergic reactions.

A. Saliva testing can reveal the latent or pre-clinical form of food sensitivity,as antibodies to food ingredients appear in saliva before the clinical or bowel biopsydiagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease or “leaky gut syndrome” is made.

A. Food sensitivities are usually seen from as early as 2 hrs and up to 72 hrs after eating, 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.

A. Six primary food antigens were tested originally: beef, corn, hen’s eggs, cow’s milk,soy and wheat. This test will be expanded in early 2012 to include two different panels each having 10 food antigens.   This will be the first panel of 10 foods = beef, corn, wheat, soy, cow’s milk, lamb, venison, chicken, turkey, and white fish.   The second panel = hen’s egg, barley, millet, oatmeal, salmon, rabbit, rice, quinoa, potato, and peanut (peanut butter). You’ll be able to order one or both panels simultaneously or sequentially.

A. The test requires 2 mL of saliva so it can be run in duplicate. It is important to collect enough saliva.

A. Those between 10.00-12.99 Units per ml are considered weak reactions; those from 13.00 to 14.99 are moderately high reactions.

A. The clinical significance of the weak reactions is unclear, but in dogs with established clinical signs of food sensitivity, it would be prudent to avoid foods reacting weakly as well.

A.  Clinical trials included 566 dogs; each was tested with the 6 primary food antigens for anti-IgA and anti-IgM in saliva and anti-IgG in serum.

• 62% (352 of the 566) of the dogs tested showed weak, moderate or strong food reactivity to at least one food allergen.
• 71% of the dogs tested showed weak, moderate or strong food reactivity to beef.
• 71% of the dogs tested showed weak, moderate or strong food reactivity to wheat.
• 70% of the dogs tested showed moderate or strong food reactivity to cow’s milk.
• 57% of the dogs tested showed weak, moderate or strong food reactivity to corn.
• Fewer dogs showed food reactivity to soy (25%) and very few to egg (3%).
• Only one dog of 121 control dogs showed a mild anti-IgG reaction in serum, and only to wheat.

We have  selected the so-called 6 primary food antigens, including the glutens present in the most commonly fed pet foods and treats and an addtional 14 antigens which can be found in some pet foods.  If there is a food sensitivity or intolerance, it is very likely going to be to one of these antigens.

No and Yes.  Other testing on serum includes about 20 foods, but our saliva testing provides more predictable clinical  outcomes.   In the  economic downturn we now face, we need to be more discriminating about what testing is really needed.  So this saliva test is a reliable and cost-effective screening test which can give you  useful  information. We do not anticipate that further panels will be needed.

There are  2 panels: each with 10 antigens:

Panel 1  = beef, corn, wheat, soy, cow’s milk, lamb, venison, chicken, turkey, and white fish.

Panel 2 = hen’s egg, barley, millet, oatmeal, salmon, rabbit, rice, quinoa, potato, and peanut (peanut butter).

You can order one or both panels simultaneously or sequentially.

The choice is yours: We can do:

Panel 1 only

Panel 2 only

Panel 1, and if there are no or few reactivities shown there, follow with Panel 2

Panels 1 and 2 at the same  time

But above all, you should know:  we test for the antibodies critical to determining food sensitivity and intolerance, namely, IgA and IgM—in saliva, not in serum. No one else does this.    Our focused salivary testing using the clinically relevant  antibodies provides scientifically proven, novel veterinary diagnostics.