Are you worried your cat or dog is struggling with a food intolerance?
Your canine or feline companion may have an intolerance to a particular type of food and you don’t even realise.
While your pet could be displaying some symptoms that suggest an intolerance, some cats and dogs can suffer in silence.
There are a growing number of DNA companies that offer affordable pet food intolerance tests.
Where To Buy: www.5strands.com
5Strands are one such example of a DNA company that have a range of DNA tests that pet owners can use to enhance the lives of their pets.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at 5Strands Pet Food Intolerance Test, take a look at what food sources can be analysed and highlight some customer reviews.
Editor's note: The content on this website is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as veterinary, medical or professional advice. Our articles and the products featured in them are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems for you and/or your pet. It's always best to consult your vet regarding any health issues your pet may have.
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5Strands – The Basics
Where To Buy: www.5strands.com
Cat is examined by a vet (Photo: Adobe Stock)
5Strands are a DNA testing company that offer a range of tests across a number of different sectors, including pet intolerance tests. Their website outlines that their mission is to empower pet owners with a voice about the health of their pets.
5Strands aim to provide cat and dog owners with affordable testing so you can learn more about your canine and feline companions.
They use Bio-Resonance technology testing to analyse you cat or dog’s sample. 5Strands explain that Bio-Resonance works by scanning a hair sample to create a profile of the energies that radiate from a person or pet.
Once the Energetic Blueprint is created, it can be compared to all of the energetic profiles of all of the other items they test for. If the created profile doesn’t harmonize with the items tested, the energy is distorted and the intolerance or imbalance is detected.
5Strands explain that the stronger the distortion, the higher the intolerance or imbalance.
How Does It Work?
5Strands will utilise your cat or dog’s hair sample to determine whether they’ve got imbalances or intolerances for food and environmental factors, nutritional items and metal/mineral items.
They use a pain-free sampling process. Once you receive your collection kit, you’ll need to fill out the necessary information and collect a hair sample before placing it in the bag.
5Strands will notify you once they’ve received your sample in the mail.
Their lab will take between 5 and 7 days to analyse your pet’s hair sample before you’ll receive your test results via email.
5Strands will test for over 250 food items, including protein, grains, vegetables, fruits, fats, seafood, additives and preservatives.
The DNA company will measure the severity of the response to each imbalance or intolerance. 5Strands use a three-tier grading system: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.
5Strands will provide a 60-90 day elimination guideline.
Price
You can buy their Pet Food Intolerance Test directly from 5Strands website. It costs $88 if you buy directly on their website.
We can offer helloBARK! readers a 10% discount of their first 5Strands Pet Food Intolerance Test.
What Are Customers Saying?
Husky puppy has a check up (Photo: Adobe Stock)
5Strands Pet Food Intolerance Test gets 4.4 stars out of 5 based upon 20 reviews on their website. 80% of customers have given the test a 4 or 5-star rating. The product gets 4.2 stars out of 5 based upon 178 reviews on Amazon.
Marissa explained what a big difference this test made to her puppy’s life.
I looked into allergy tests, founds this one, saw it had good reviews and cost less than a trip to the vet, and ordered it. Thank God, I ordered this because (1) the first thing my vet told me to cut was chicken, when it turns out chicken (but not chicken meal) was pretty much the only protein she could eat; (2) she was allergic to peanut butter, but because I thought she had a poultry allergy, all her treats had peanut butter in them; and (3) now, I finally know what I can feed my dog instead of just guessing/trying an elimination diet.
Kelly wrote that this test represents great value for money.
We were completely wrong on our dogs allergies and sensitivities. We now have her on a better best for her food and her hair is grown back! She no longer shakes her head or itches. We have told all our friends with furry babies to get this simple easy to use test. We are so happy this helped ours!
Kris described the test as a life-saver despite some of the bad reviews.
I looked through all the 1-3 star reviews and decided to order this product out of desperation for answers. EXCELLENT PRODUCT and worth every penny. My dogs have been suffering for years. Multiple vet visits, medications, monthly shots and $$$$$. After the 5 strands test and removing all the items flagged on the 3 page list for food intolerance – it is like night and day. My dog had so much inflammation, coughing and skin issues prior ALL caused by food intolerance. The lower scoring reviews posted online did not understand how to read and interpret the tests. Please call the company with any questions or concerns.
Any Negatives?
Cat is examined by a vet (Photo: Adobe Stock)
If you’re looking to learn whether your cat or dog has an intolerance to any food items, this 5Strands test has you and your pet covered. However, it doesn’t test household items or analyse environmental elements. So you’ll need to order a separate test for environmental allergens or find a test that analyses both food and environmental substances.
Is This The Best Pet Intolerance Test?
5Strands are one of the most established DNA testing companies that provide pet parents with the ability to access affordable testing.
Their Pet Food Intolerance Test will anaylse over 255 items, which is extremely thorough in comparison to some other tests.
You can check out our updated guide on the best cat food intolerance tests here.
RELATED: The three best cat intolerance tests
We have also provided a list of the best dog allergy tests via the link below.
RELATED: The three best dog allergy tests on the market
Anything Else To Consider?
It’s important to understand the difference between an allergy and an intolerance.
The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association in the UK explain the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance where pets are concerned:
Food allergies and intolerances are two different conditions which often have similar symptoms. They are both examples of adverse food reactions, however food allergies involve the animal’s immune system while food tolerances do not.
You should speak to your vet to learn more about the subtlies between food allergies and food intolerances.
Wrapping Up – Our Final Thoughts
Samoyed at the vet (Photo: Adobe Stock)
We’ve reached the end of our review of the 5Strands Pet Food Intolerance Test.
It involves an easy collection process and 5Strands will have your results within 5 to 7 days of receiving your sample.
They’ll analyse your cat or dog’s hair against over 255 food items, grading the imbalances or intolerances using a three-level system.
5Strands will provide an elimination guidelines as well as offer pet owners access to their customer service team to help you understand your canine or feline’s results.
