[anonymous]

CellBIO: Another Dubious Lab Test from Hemopet and Dr. Jean Dodds

excerpt below, click on link for full article and comments

Bottom Line
Dr. Dodds has a long history of promoting questionable and unproven tests and treatments. Real experts in veterinary endocrinology, nutrition, immunology, and other relevant fields rarely agree with Dr. Dodds beliefs or claims. Some of her recommendations are unproven (e.g. her beliefs about thyroid testing), others are demonstrably false (e.g. the Nutriscan food allergy test).
The CellBIO saliva test for inflammation and oxidative stress is another unproven idea being sold well before it is properly tested. There is no specific published research showing the test is accurate, that its results are clincally useful, or that the treatments Dr. Dodds recommends based on using the test have any value. All of the claims for this test are based on theory, dramatic extrapolation from complex research evidence in humans and lab animals, or anecdote.
Both the details of the claims made for this product, and Dr. Dodds track record, should inspire significant skepticism about the value of this test. Perhaps this will be the exception, a test Dr. Dodds promotes that is one day actually validated with strong research evidence, but based on the past I am not optimistic that this will happen, and I would not recommend using this test in the meantime.

[yelena s]

Hello people. Losing my mind trying to help my 9 yo cocker spaniel. Hopefully, this won’t be too long and someone can advise . So he was on blue wild dog food for all his life, and started getting progressively worse with gas . after some research, i decided to switch foods. started with ollie . it was great at first , but then it gave him diarrhea. after a dose of antibiotics, nothing changed and we figured to change the food again. over the course of last year, went through trudge, open farm, back to blue, to farmers dog. nothing was really helping. then started to cook myself and ended up only giving rice and chicken or meat, or potatoes, pumpkin . no help. did blood test and basically it is showing that he isn’t absorbing proteins, his calcium, albumin and cholesterol is low. two vets want to do ultrasound an then biopsy, thinking it is protein losing enthoropathy . to my questions , what the point of doing this if the treatment is still steroid / anti inflammatory drugs, i get no answer . Went to two homeopathic docs as well. no certain answer there as well, as they treat with food and herbs and acupuncture. added enzymes and clay and herbs. few weeks , no change. one of the doc suggested food sensitivity test NutriScan by Cant type driving. Dodds. Has anyone used it and how accurate is it? any other things that may have worked for you in this kind of situation? I’m thinking may be trying raw food even, but i m afraid to make it worse. any suggestions, would greatly appreciated. he was tested for parasites and it s negative, altho i keep thinking about that since its the original food switch that started this.TIA!

[anonymous]

Apoquel is prescribed for environmental allergies, not food allergies (rare) or food sensitivities that tend to fluctuate.
Hair and saliva mail in tests are a scam.
I would suggest that you take your dog to a veterinary dermatologist for testing and an accurate diagnosis and treatment options.
Environmental allergies are complicated, there is no cure but there is effective treatment.
Hope this helps http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=Allergies
and check the search engine here for allergies and see my posts,
example. /forums/topic/environmental-allergy-relief/
/forums/search/Dr+Dodds+nutriscan/

[anonymous]

Mail-in hair and saliva tests are not diagnostic tools (just read the fine print).
See the blog below:

Glacier Peak Holistics Pet Wellness Life Scan Stress Test or How Much BS Can Fit on One Web Page?

Excerpt from the link above:
Bottom Line
“The Glacier Peak Holistics Pet Wellness Life Stress Scan (formerly “Healthy Dog and Cat Alternative Sensitivity Assessment”) is a completely implausible test based on vague, mystical nonsense and pseudoscientific theories that contradict the legitimate scientific evidence regarding the cause and management of allergies. The general concept that hair and saliva testing can identify the causes of allergies is false. The marketing of this test is misleading and contains many of the hallmarks of quack advertising. Dog owners struggling with allergies would be far better spending their time and money consulting a veterinary dermatologist for a science-based approach to helping their canine”.
Also, per the search engine here: /forums/topic/desperate-food-recomendations-for-lab/

Review of Dr. Jean Dodds’ book Canine Nutrigenomics
An excerpt from the above review by The Skeptvet:
“A fair bit of effort in the book goes to promoting a test called Nutriscan, which uses saliva to identify dietary sensitivities in dogs. Unsurprisingly, Dr. Dodds’ company owns Nutriscan, and equally unsurprisingly the mainstream community of veterinary nutritionists and dermatologists do not accept the legitimacy of her test because she has not provided any controlled evidence to show it is an accurate and useful test. She does provide a lot of citations to support her claims for this method, but if one takes the trouble to investigate them, they do not actually turn out to be compelling evidence”.: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2015/06/canine-nutrigenomics-by-dr-jean-dodds-science-as-windowdressing/

Mail-in saliva and hair tests are not helpful from what I have read. By the way, they are not cheap. I have read a lot of complaints that the test comes back positive for nearly everything. Then what? Plus, it is not an allergy test, it’s a food sensitivity test?
I would consider seeing a veterinary dermatologist for accurate testing and the best treatment options.

[Susan]

Hi again, a few people in a Face Book group called “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” their Dermatologist put their dogs on vet diet “Royal Canine” Rabbit & Potato & there’s Venison & Potato PV for their itchy allergy dog, then after 3 months when skin & coat was itch & sore free they started introducing 1 new ingredient for 2 months then if everything was good another new ingredient wait 2 months again no scratching redness etc then add another new ingredient….
I feed the Vet Diet Royal Canine Hypoallergenic HP (Australian) Rice & Hydrolysed poultry liver cause Patch has intestinal & skin problems….

Elimination diet is the only true way to find out what your dog is sensitive too…..
also few people have done the Jean Dodds Nutri-Scan Food Sensitivity Salvia test, it test for 24 foods…..
http://www.nutriscan.org/

or change the kibble your feeding to another brand & see how your dog does, preferably different ingredients with higher omega 3…..

[Susan]

My boy does really well on pork, it depends on the cut of pork some cuts have less fat then other cuts, also was there any fat on the pork?
I make pork rissoles baked in oven, when I made the turkey breast rissole Patch had diarrhea, I didn’t know if it was the turkey or the egg I added, so now I don’t add any egg when making the rissoles, I haven’t tried making the lean turkey breast mince rissoles again……

Have you thought about having the Jean Dodds NutriScan Salvia testing done…. read link then click on the blue NutriScan next to Hemopet up top & read about the rope salvia test & what foods it test for…

https://www.tumblr.com/drjeandoddspethealthresource/25934674990/dog-food-sensitivity-versus-dog-food-allergy

[Dori]

Kevin R. One of my girls, a Maltipoo, was riddled with food intolerances, sensitive and allergies and also environmental issues. Her dermatologist/allergist here in Atlanta, Ga. at Blue Pearl Georgia Veterinary Specialists suggested that I not do that particular testing nor the skin testing and shots. He told me it would be a very long process and the duration of the injections would probably be long term as she was such a mess. He advised me that the very best way to deal with her situation was to attempt to either do an illumination diet or try to figure out and eliminate ingredients in her diet and also to remove all, or as many, toxins in the home environment. I no longer burn candles, no air freshener sprays, no plug ins. I switched to natural type cleaners. Never ever any type of carpet freshening powders that are then vacuumed up. Hardwood floors are cleaned with a solution of vinegar and water. I also wipe her paws (all three dogs actually) when she comes in from out in the yard. I switched to a landscaping company that only uses organic products. I removed all the lawn in our patio/back area where they play and potty to stone, gravel and flower gardens….annuals and perennials. Just early on this year I had two types of testing done solely out of curiosity on my part because I had spent years “fixing” her issues to see what they would come up with. I did the Nutriscan Saliva test by Dr. Jean Dodds first and I believe the cost was around $250.00. If memory serves me that tests for 20 items. Though the test was informative as it did have things that I had already eliminated from her diet I did find that the test showed that she was sensitive to one of the few foods she actually does very well on. I then heard about a test called Glacier Peak Holistics on an allergy group I’m on. That tests for 200 including food and environment which cost $85.00. It is a food and saliva test. I that test was spot on for every single thing that through the years I had eliminated from her diet. The food that she does well on was not something that came up as a sensitivity on that test. It did come up with with food ingredient that I was not aware of and that was cucumbers. From time to time Katie would itch, not a lot but it was there. Turns out that they must have coincided with times that I shared cucumbers with the girls. I eliminated the cucumbers and she’s never scratched again. I feed all three of my dogs commercial raw frozen diets rotating brands and proteins with the exceptions of the ones that Katie cannot tolerate. For treats they get fresh fruits and veggies. I’ve been feeding them this way for a little over 4 1/2 years. Switching to the raw frozen was how I was able to eliminate her food issues as it was the quickest way to eliminate soy, grains, all fowl, corn, white potatoes, tomatoes, white rice, all night shade plant ingredients which are all pro inflammatory. I got Katie at the age of 9 weeks old and at that early age she was an allergy sensitive mess. It took me two years to go through the elimination process with her. She is now 6 1/2 years old and a happy camper. Quite comfortable and happy in her own skin. I continue to wipe all three toy dogs privates and paws with warm clean wash cloths. I should mention that I also have a “no shoes” policy in our home. No one, including repairmen, etc. enters our home with shoes on. It would defeat all I’m doing by dragging in environmental stuff that’s on the bottom of their shoes. Everyone is perfectly happy to go along with my wishes and as a matter of fact through the years more and more people that I know have gone with the “no shoes” in the house policy. I also purchased one of those iRobot Roombas that is programmed to go on daily and then I do a deep in the wall vacuuming once a week. It sounds like a lot but when it all comes together it’s all really easy and has changed her and our lives around.

Edit: I will add that there are some people that do not believe in the allergy tests that I have had done on Katie nor their efficacy. All I can say is that they really were spot on with Katie’s issues. Both companies will send you the kits that you need to do the testing with detailed instructions, you send everything back to them and typically in a week or so you’ll get an email with the results. You can then call them and they will go over the results in detail with you.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Dori.

[Dori]

Claire P. When he vomits, what’s coming up? Also what type of water are you giving him? Bottled, Spring, Filtered, Reverse Osmosis or tap water?

It is possible that he is sensitive to something in his food. I’d try avoiding all poultry, all fowl, and go grain free, avoid soy, corn, any veggies in the night shade group as though all promote inflammation. Also no white rice or white potatoes for the same inflammatory reason. I’d also switch brands. Maybe try something like a dehydrated food. Grandma Lucy’s, The Honest Kitchen and Sojo’s I believe all make grain free formulas. You rehydrate them with warm water so that will get some liquid into him. You can also try adding digestive enzymes to his meals and probiotics. The brand I use is by Enzymedica as they are vegan and also vegetarian containing no grains, soy, etc. etc. so there very likely isn’t anything in them that could bother him. I have a allergy girl and it’s the only ones she’s perfectly fine with taking in her meals.

Another thought is, are you or anyone in the home giving him store bought treats or bully sticks or anything like that? Rawhide chews? If so, you shouldn’t.

One last thought: Have you given thought to allergy testing. Dr. Jean Dodds has a NutriScan test that is a saliva test. Another one that I have used and is way cheaper ($85.00) is by glacierpeakholistics.com. There’s is a saliva and hair sample test. You order there’s on line, same for the Nutriscan (I think that one was around $250 or $275) they’ll send you what you need with directions. You return the kit back to them and then you’ll have the results usually in about a week by email. If you then have any questions, you can call them and they’ll go over the results with you in detail. I found the tests very useful and only wish I’d done them early on instead of going through years of eliminations.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Dori.

[Amelia Z]

Thanks for all your suggestions!
I switched over to Acana pork (grain free) which is a one ingredient food with less protein and fat. It’s been a couple of days that he is getting only that, since I’ve mixed it with his old food for about a week. So far, no change!!
No, I have not tried Zignature or Fromm’s or Holistic Ocean Fusion but will look into it. I would think that the Holistic Ocean Fusion would be similar to the Pacifica that he has been getting except it is not grain free and would prefer that it was.
This can be a LONG process to keep changing foods and of course when you do that the stools are softer. I am considering doing NutriSan from Dr. Dodds to figure out what the culprit it. Expensive but in the end may save time and money. http://www.nutriscan.org/

[Laura S]

Thank you so much. I just watched the video and it was very interesting. I am familiar with Dr. Dodds and have done the NutriScan test for Stella but there were no foods she should avoid. Thanks again for sharing the video.

[DogFoodie]

Wysong Epigen is good product, Pitlove. It’s worth a try, but it also quite possibly not food related.

That said, I have a Golden whose seasonal allergies became very apparent to me this spring. He was eating a particular food that he’s always done great on when seemingly out of nowhere, he had yeast infections in both ears. He does have food intolerance issues also, and in the past, when he’s reacted to foods, he’s had the same type of reaction which resulted in yeast infections in his ears – usually his right ear. But, this year, I was able to relate the timing of the onset of his symptoms to seasonal environmental changes. Looking back, it happened the same time last year. I was starting him on Springtime’s Bug Off Garlic and I attributed his ear infections to him reacting to that. I’m still not certain whether or not he’s intolerant of garlic.

One thing I did that seemed to help was to add Quercetin with Bromelain, Papain and an Omega 3 supplement to help the scratching. I could tell a difference. My dogs allergies have improved as the particular pollen season that seemed to affect him the most has decreased a bit. We’re still not in the clear, but I’m formulating my strategy for next spring.

Another thing you might consider doing is preparing a rinse of diluted white vinegar. Use it to clean his feet and wipe off his legs and belt with it every time he comes in from outside. Vacuum frequently. Keep indoor cleaning products simple and natural. The sensitivity could also be to products in your home; ie: cleaning products, new carpet, bedding, etc.

A raw diet would be great, but it’s OK if you’re able to do it currently. Since you’re interested, talk to your boyfriend and find out why he feels uneasy about it. Would he be feeding your pup at times? Maybe you could assume sole responsibility of feeding him if your boyfriend is uneasy about it. Also, half raw is better than none. Maybe you could try a commercial raw – that’s sometimes easier to stomach for queasy feeders. It’s also agreat way to be sure you’re getting balanced meals. A dehydrated food like The Honest Kitchen would also be less processed than kibble. I’d probably choose a grain free one like Zeal. Raw isn’t for everyone. My Golden isn’t a fan of raw, unless it’s tripe, which he eats eagerly. Another option would be canned food.

Allergy testing is notoriously inaccurate. I actually had a hair and saliva test recently that tests samples using biofeedback energy. The test was affordable for me, but I’m struggling to make sense of the results. My integrative vet and I were discussing another test, Dr. Jean Dodds, NutriScan test as likely being the most reliable, but still limited in scope and possibly accuracy. So, you’re better off with an elimination diet for food intolerance issues and developing a strategy for dealing with your pup’s environmental sensitivities.

There was someone here who was feeling with an issue with a food the same breed as yours and she ended up figuring out that it was a specific new detergent she was using. She stooped using the detergent and the symptoms disappeared. She had started using Gain lavender. She and her pup went through h*ll until she figured it out.

I know how frustrating it can be. There’s an awful lot of us here dealing with similar issues. You’re not alone! Good luck!

[Anonymous]

An excerpt from the above review by The Skeptvet:
“A fair bit of effort in the book goes to promoting a test called Nutriscan, which uses saliva to identify dietary sensitivities in dogs. Unsurprisingly, Dr. Dodds’ company owns Nutriscan, and equally unsurprisingly the mainstream community of veterinary nutritionists and dermatologists do not accept the legitimacy of her test because she has not provided any controlled evidence to show it is an accurate and useful test. She does provide a lot of citations to support her claims for this method, but if one takes the trouble to investigate them, they do not actually turn out to be compelling evidence”.

[Peter S]

Hi, I’m trying to figure out which way to test my 3-yr old lab for food sensitivity(s). I’m referring to an actual blood/saliva type of test and not a food-rotation/elimination type of test. I recently read about Dr Dodds’ Nutriscan saliva test and the limited (biased ?) online reviews I saw were pretty much all positive, but then I asked my local vet about it and she said that the test wasn’t reliable enough. I have also heard about some sort of “muscle-testing” but haven’t yet followed up with any research about that. I’m hoping that the very knowledgeable posters here at DFA can help me out with some advice on this topic !

[FreeholdHound]

Well this is a first… Noticed topic on a Greyhound Forum :

“Feeding Raw Foods to your Pets can Cause Hyperthyroidism”

WHAT? I’m sorry. Can you say that again?

Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction when one of the world’s leading veterinarian immunologists, Dr. Jean Dodds of Dr. Jean Dodds’ Hemopet, Petlifeline, Hemolife & Nutriscan, announced that statement.

While attending one of Dr. Dodds’ seminars, we were going over the topic of thyroid dysfunction in pets and the current “epidemic” of hypothyroidism in dogs and hyperthyroidism in older cats going on today. As she went deeper into the subject, she brought up a study involving both raw foods and dogs. The study by Dr. Mark E. Peterson showed that feeding certain raw foods caused a previously unexpected dietary hyperthyroidism effect. While hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disorder in dogs, canine hyperthyroidism is rare.

How could this be? Quicker than the Roadrunner escaping Wile E. Coyote my hand flew up into the air! “How was this possible?” I asked.

Some raw food manufacturers are grinding up the neck of the beef cattle into their mixtures/pet food. Inside that neck is where you find the thyroid glands of the cow. The thyroid tissues are being ground up and mixed into the pet food. This terrible mixture causes dietary hyperthyroidism in dogs.

Moral of the story: It is suggested to make sure that if you’re feeding fresh, raw foods to your pets, be sure to find out if the neck (gullets that still have the esophagus and thyroid attached) of the cattle is included. How do you find out? Contact your local farmer or manufacturer! (Side note: There is no concern in feeding chicken, turkey or duck necks.)

Feeding fresh foods to our pets is always the way to go, but educating ourselves beforehand makes it even better. Knowledge is power.

[theBCnut]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7848179
http://nutriscan.org/the-nutriscan-difference.html
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/07/26/a-great-tool-for-dogs-with-rumbling-tummy-gas-diarrhea-or-vomiting.aspx
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2111&aid=143
http://www.1800petmeds.com/education/food-allergies-intolerances-pets-33.htm

https://www.tumblr.com/drjeandoddspethealthresource/25934674990/dog-food-sensitivity-versus-dog-food-allergy

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/food-allergy-myths