Pet Food Test

Our Vet recommended economical 5 Strands Food intolerance testing for our rare breed dog (Norfolk Terrier); and, then again, for our Westie Puppy. Westies are notorious for tummy and skin problems many of which are diet based. What you feed makes a huge difference in overall health and we needed to arrive at a diet which agrees with both pups. 5Strands allowed us to arrive at a diet which they can both thrive on - in less than 10 days - far faster than any in-office/laboratory testing which can be hit or miss. We just retested so we can fine tune their diet, and found, thru 5Stands customer service (they respond immediately) that they now offer testing for raw diets. It is gratifying to find such high quality and easy to access health testing at an affordable price.

I got this out of desperation. I have 2 French bulldogs. 1 I knew already is allergic to chicken. The newest pup was having sores all over and thin hair. I kept trying to pinpoint the issue by changing foods. Trust me it isn’t easy to find foods for dogs that aren’t chock full of unnecessary things or chicken fat even if it isn’t a chicken food. Anyway, I got this because I had no idea what else to try for the youngest. It was very very easy. Just hair and send it off. Turned out my little guy was allergic to ALL proteins except beef. And, a litany of other things. I found a food that worked for both dogs and his hair is thicker, shiny, and most importantly the sores are all gone. I wasn’t sure about this but it has helped much tremendously. Photos are from before and after.

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!

We’ve done this test for ourselves, now it’s time to test our new dog. Highly recommend for anyone experiencing stomach discomfort as I found many sensitivities on mine (for humans) :) Only issue is the adhesive label was printed so the backing is sticky and not the return label so I need to go purchase packing tape

We ordered the 5Strands Pet Food Intolerance Test for our dog and couldn’t be happier with the experience and results. The test is designed for pets of all ages and breeds, and it helps identify food intolerances that may be affecting their gut health. All it takes is 10–15 strands of your pet’s hair so it was super easy! We placed our order on October 24th and received the kit the very next day. The instructions were clear and simple, and everything needed (including the prepaid shipping label) was included. They recommend downloading their app, which I did, but you can also receive results via email. Results are promised within 4 days of the lab receiving the sample, so be sure to factor in shipping time. They tested for a wide range of items — not just regular food but also freeze-dried options. The results are categorized into insignificant, Level 1, 2, and 3 intolerances, which made it easy to understand what might be bothering our pup. Our dog is part pit bull, and while they’re known for being tough, he has a surprisingly sensitive stomach. We’ve always fed him kibble and avoided people food, but now we understand why certain brands or ingredients didn’t sit well with him. This test gave us clarity and peace of mind. We highly recommend this test to any pet owner, especially if your dog has digestive issues or unexplained reactions to food. We were so impressed that we’re planning to order the human version for ourselves!

Brilliant

I ordered this test after being disappointed in one from another company. I was extremely pleased with the quick turnaround in getting my test results, I was concerned there would be a delay as I was sending from Canada to the States, but it was much quicker than I anticipated. Collecting the hair sample was easy and painless for my dog which I appreciated. We have been dealing with skin issues for a while now and assumed it was food intolerances. It was. Reading and understanding the results was simple and I love having a printed copy I can reference when I cook my dog's food. The only thing is that I wish it tested for more fruits. I made a quick call to 5 Strands and spoke to a lovely woman there named Lauren and found out that there is a fruit & veggie add on. It was quick and super simple to add this on as 5 Strands keeps the hair sample for 30 days, so I did not have to send another sample in which was nice! I highly recommend this product and love that if assistance is required it is only a phone call or email away. We have started my dog's elimination diet and couldn't be more pleased.

This test was amazing ! My dog is already feeling better now that I know what not to feed her! The test kit was very affordable and came very fast . I got the results within 5 days as promised . Highly recommend this testing kit to help your pet!!!

I used this test for my dog who Had many allergies. It does say to retry after a certain amount of days based on how strong the intolerance is. Really helpful.

Our newest pup was constantly chewing his feet, vet suggested “testing” which was $750 … no thank you. Tried this, came back with a LOT of “red” flagged items, most of which we don’t feed him, but we limited his diet based on the results and doggo has all the hair growing back on his little paws! Turned out to be beef fat and chicken as the culprit in case anyone wants to try removing those. Our other dog couldn’t have any fish oils so that was already not included in either pups diet.