5StrandsPet Food Intolerance Test, at Home Sensitivity Test for Dogs & Cats, 272 Items, Hair Analysis, Accurate for All Ages and Breed, Results in 5 Days - Protein, Grain, Preservatives

If you’re like us and have thrown good money after bad trying to help your dog get relief, stop the madness and start HERE.First of all, the speed of service is fantastic. I mailed Harriet’s hair sample on a Tuesday and the results were emailed to me the next Tuesday. The results are clear and easy to read (color coded by level of intolerance, grouped by “protein,” “veggies,” “additives,” etc.)Harriet is a chocolate lab-pit mix, known for allergies. She was perfect from age 5 wks til shortly after her first birthday, then she started having chronic ear infections. A short time later, the scratching and paw-licking started. My baby is now nearly 2 1/2 yrs old and has been miserable while we’ve spent money hand over fist at the vet trying to help her. We spent a lot on Apoquel alone ($160 the first month, $80 a month thereafter) only to find it didn’t help. Steroids helped at first, but no longer do. We tried probiotics. We tried CBD. We changed her diet to one recommended by her vet, to include kibble with lamb (and rice) or fish as the protein, w/some olive oil or an egg mixed in, and were told for treats to give her cottage cheese, banana, or plain yogurt. Nothing changed.According to these results, lo and behild, she has a level 3 (severe) intolerance to lamb, many types of fish, white rice, olive oil, chicken egg whites, bananas, AND cottage cheese! Plus a number of other moderate-to- severe intolerances to most additives and dyes.We are going to begin the elimination process recommended by 5Strands by preparing her food ourselves using what she CAN have, as well as making her treats, and go from there. Please note, you don’t HAVE to make your own dog food; there are other ways to approach this process; we just chose this method to hopefully bring her quicker relief, as she has severe intolerances to so many additives and dyes, and then we will start reintroducing offending foods as directed once her symptoms have resolved. I will update this review in 4-6 wks with the results.I would like to add, as far as the (relatively few) negative reviews, take them with a grain of salt, as it appears to me many of those unhappy folks gave a negative review because they either didn’t LIKE the results (“it says my dog is intolerant to everything!”etc), didn’t implement the steps to take outlined by 5Strands upon receiving the results, or simply read the results incorrectly. You’ll also read, “this isn’t legit science” or “my vet says it’s a waste of money.” That depends on the vet; just like human doctors, they have different opinions and I have heard from some vets who think that way, but also some who not only DO recommend this testing, they employ it in their practice. Our vet wanted $400-600 for a blood test for allergies. We’re not independently wealthy, so I’d rather start here and pay $88.Bottom line, if you’re like us and have spent boatloads of money trying to help your dog feel better with no results, start here. For the cost of a month of Apoquel, you can get to the root of the problem and take the necessary steps to bring relief!

I ordered the wrong kit first then got the allergy one (my error) and it has now been 5 months. Our dog Trudy was constantly chewing on herself or scratching and we had clouds of dog hair everywhere no matter how often I vacuumed. I had read all the reviews good and bad and was desperate so decide to give it a shot. Within weeks we had a normal dog again. We have been able to reintroduce certain things back into her diet which has made her very happy. It is certainly worth every penny so please give it a try if your pet is showing any signs of allergies you won't regret it.

Verne is a stray we adopted from our local rescue. Since he has lived with us, he's had itchy ears and licks his paws. I decided I wanted to find a way to help him without resorting to expensive prescription food without any background testing. The 5strands test was easy and fast return of the report! With the help of my results, I've been able to find a food that has minimal intolerances and he's a changed guy. Very little scratching of his ears on the carpet and his paws have healed. Highly recommend this easy test!

I purchased this after my dog got sick and I was worried that they had some sort of heavy metal poisoning. I sent the results the company gave me to my vet and they told me that this kind of testing is a scam and that the information has no practical bearing on toxicology or anything else. My dog is now healthy (she probably just ate something bad) so I don't feel as bad about loosing 50 dollars but this review is for everyone else who thinks this is useful. It's just a scam money maker

Compared to another popular brand, this was much easier to read and understand results. Trusted these results more, seemed more accurate