NO MORE GUESS WORK! Do you feel like you're constantly playing "doctor" and unsure what foods and environmental conditions are triggering symptoms? If so, this test is a great way to figure out what's wrong with your furry friend and start getting them back to their healthy selves. Q: Why choose Salty Paws Australia for testing? A: Our test is a fast-track method which provides invaluable insights in understanding your pet and the issues they have. Understanding your pet's unique needs has never been simpler. Our intuitive process ensures a hassle-free experience from start to finish. Q: Can all dogs get tested? A: Absolutely! All dogs can undergo testing, provided they're on adult meals and are over 12 months old. In some cases, tests can be done from 6 months onwards. Feel free to reach out before ordering a test if you have any questions. Q: Is an allergy and intolerance (sensitivity) test the same? A: There's a big difference between allergies, intolerances and sensitivities, even though the symptoms can look similar. Our test results help identify intolerances, guiding you on which ingredients to steer clear of. While intolerances may fade, allergies tend to stick around for life. Q: I can see that you also test for Nutritional Imbalances, is that right? A: We most certainly do! Being deficient in certain vitamins and minerals can cause a lot of health issues. With the knowledge of what's missing, we can ensure we include the food source to rectify the depleted vitamins and minerals. Q: What is the type of testing called? A: Bioresonance therapy is a complementary medicine (CAM) using a device that captures and diagnoses electromagnetic signals coming from the body. Developed in the 1970’s by a team of medical doctors and bio-physicists, these devices are in regular use throughout Europe and the world. Q: What is the accreditation of the testing equipment? Bruce Copen Laboratories follow a quality management system in accordance with EN ISO 13485: 2003 + AC: 2007 and are certified as a manufacturer of medical products. The MARS III is approved as a medical device class IIa in accordance with Directive 93/42/EEC. Q: How much hair/fur is required for a sample? A: Around 10-15 individual strands of hair is required from anywhere on the animal with the root. Do not wash or deodorise your pet for 7 days prior to removing hair/fur. I prefer you take a small clump which has the root attached. Use tweezers and do not touch the hair. Put the hair into a Ziploc bag. Place the bag and your filled out form in an envelope and post to Salty Paws Australia. Q: What are the main symptoms on a pet that you are asked? A: The main symptoms include - itch, licking paws, chewing limbs, hot spots, rashes, ear inflammation and then the random questions in regards to - weight loss, scoffing food, runny eyes, smell, interdigital cysts, arthritis and of course the big one... kibble v raw! Q: Are there any limitations? A: Since our test doesn't require blood samples, most medications won't affect the results. Just give us a heads-up if you're concerned about a specific drug. Q: What's the first step after receiving the report? A: It's time to give your pet's body a break! Cut out the sensitive foods for 12 weeks to let their system heal. We call it a digestive rest. Q: Do you have to reintroduce eliminated foods once the initial problems subside? A: Nope, not at all! You can keep the problem foods out of your pet's diet indefinitely. But if you decide to reintroduce them and the reaction returns, many pet owners decide it's a lifelong allergy. Q: Do you still support an Elimination Diet Trial? A: Pet Intolerance Tests simplify Elimination Diet Trials. Intolerance tests are great because in cases where a diet trial would be difficult to accomplish, you’ll get direction as to which ingredients to avoid immediately or for the trial. It greatly simplifies a limited-ingredient diet which is great because they’re lengthy and so difficult to do. Most pet owners avoid the foods that have shown a reaction and move forward with knowledge and a customised diet plan. Thankfully, you will have quick treatment if the particular foods can be identified and eliminated from your dog’s diet. Q: Do you always promote raw and lightly cooked diets? A: You bet! While kibble is convenient, it's just that - convenient. Whether it's from the store or your vet, I personally lean towards raw (pre-made and DIY) for my pets. It's all about giving them the best, right? Q: I'm a kibble feeder, will you help me? A: Of course, however, lets add some nutritional toppers and work towards a full raw or lightly cooked diet. Q: Why are you opposed to kibble. A: Dr Judy Morgan sums it up perfectly... Firstly, the lack of moisture in kibble and the problems that can cause. Feeding a bowl of dry kibble is like eating a bowl of dry cereal. How would your body feel if the only thing you ever consumed was dry cereal that had a synthetic vitamin/mineral mix added in? While that might be considered a complete diet containing all the vitamins and minerals needed for survival, it most certainly would not result in vibrant health. Yet this is exactly what 95% of the population is feeding their pets. Kibble is made by processing food at high heat, usually being cooked four to five times. Poultry meals (turkey meal, chicken meal, etc) are made by grinding the entire bird, including feathers and faeces. Sounds gross because it is. Of course, kibble is not supposed to be contaminated with faecal bacteria, so the ground poultry bodies (along with road kill, dead zoo animals, and other unsavory meats) are cooked at high heat to kill bacteria. After cooking to make a pot of disgusting soup, the soup is dehydrated using heat, to make a meal. The meal is shipped to the pet food manufacturer where it will be combined with the cooked grains and other ingredients, then cooked again to make a dough. The dough is cooked under high heat and pushed through an extruder (shaping die) and cut into kibble sized pieces. Then it is dried again to remove enough moisture to give it a stable shelf life. Shelf life is great, but how much "life" is left in the food? Because the amino acids, essential fatty acids, and vitamins have been destroyed by cooking, the pet food manufacturers will "fortify" the food with an added vitamin/mineral mix. This mix is usually synthetic and is often imported from overseas. Occasionally excesses of vitamins or minerals are added, resulting in product recalls if enough pets are made ill by the product. Greg Alldrich, PhD is a consultant to the pet food industry. He states "extensive processing can increase variability, destroy essential nutrients and create unwholesome by-products. From a formulator’s perspective, this creates a dilemma regarding how to assure the diet is sufficiently fortified while avoiding excess after accounting for processing effects.” In other words, they really don't know how much nutrition remains in the food or how much of each vitamin and mineral needs to be added after processing. Unless each batch is tested after all the processing, there is no way to know. Lastly, have you ever heard of the nightmare recalls from big-name pet food brands? Excessive vitamin D, mould, maggots—yikes! These aren't just scary stories; they've led to real suffering and even tragedy for our beloved pets. A "Class Action" movement is gaining momentum, seeking justice for affected pets and their families. To stay informed, check out the "Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time" Facebook page. There, you'll find valuable information, including a list of affected brands and tallies.