best dog allergy kit
Best Dog Allergy Tests UK 2023 (Tried and Tested)
Key Points
- Weve personally tried and tested some of the leading dog allergy tests in the UK
- Allergy tests can help owners learn about their pets allergies or intolerances
- Our current top pick is EasyDNA (Click here to buy now)
Do you suffer with allergies? You may be surprised to learn that dogs can suffer from allergies just like humans.
These allergies could be related to food, household products or environmental factors.
I was feeding my Alaskan Klee Kai dogs fish recipes for months but I couldnt figure out why they were still suffering with some digestive problems. Once I got my hands on a dog allergy test, I was surprised to learn that they had a mild intolerance to fish.
Alternatively, some dogs could be allergic to environmental factors, such as dust mites, fleas, pollen or mould.
Dog allergy tests can help UK pet owners make an informed decision about what type of protein source to feed their dog or give them guide on what products to remove from their home.
If you cant work out why your dog wont eat their food or why your puppy is getting tear stains, there are a growing number of dog allergy tests in the UK to provide British pet parents with answers.
In this article, were going to take a look at four of the best dog allergy tests in the UK that are available to buy right now.
What Is A Dog Allergy Test?
Dog Allergy Tests can be an important and insightful tool for pet owners.
By getting a dog allergy test, you can learn about any potential intolerances your pet may have to certain types of food or external environmental factors.
Undetected, these intolerances or sensitives could have a detrimental and destructive impact on the lives of dogs.
For example, I was feeding my Alaskan Klee Kai dogs a fresh food diet for months that was tailored to their specific needs. However, I was confused that they were still struggling with digestive problems in spite of eating balanced and complete meals.
To my surprise, I learned from my dog allergy test that my dogs had a high intolerance to fish and white rice, which were two of the main ingredients in their daily food.
As a result, I was able to cut fish and white rice out of their diet completely. Their digestive issues are a thing of the past thanks to their new protein source in their meals.
The dog allergy tests that Ive reviewed will provide British pet owners with all the tools required to take a sample of your dogs saliva or some hair strands to be examined by their team of experts.
You wont have to wait long for answers most dog allergy test companies will deliver your dogs results within weeks of submitting your sample.
Once youve been informed by email or mail about any potential intolerances your dog may have, you can make an immediate adjustment to their diet like I did or remove the household product or external element causing the problem.
We do recommend speaking to your vet about your dogs results so you can tailor your dogs food or your lifestyle accordingly to limit your dogs exposure to any sensitives they may have.
What Causes Dog Allergies?
A Corgi gets ready to eat some dry food (Photo: Adobe Stock)
So youre probably curious to what causes a dog to have an allergic reaction. Well theyre no different to humans who suffer with allergies, intolerances or sensitives.
Your dog could be allergic to a particular ingredient in their dog food, a household product that youre using at home such as an essential oil or even pollen that you dog is exposed to during their daily walks.
The American Kennel Club say that allergies are a misguided reaction to foreign substances by the bodys immune system, which, of course, both people and pets can suffer from.
You may have noticed that your dog is scratching or licking themselves a lot, their coat texture has changed or their stools are an unusual color or texture.
The AKC explain online that dog allergies are most often associated with skin and gastrointestinal tract.
About 10 to 15 per cent of dogs with food allergies will have both skin and GI signs, and about 20 to 30 per cent of dogs with food allergies will also have itchy skin from other non-food allergies.
Some dog breeds may be at greater risk for food allergies. The AKC list popular breeds such as Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Poodles, and Chinese Shar-Pei as being susceptible.
Unfortunately, dog owners cant do anything to cure a dogs food intolerance. Your only solution is to avoid the offending food to avoid further issues.
This is why a dog allergy test can be so important to pet parents.
As I mentioned above, I was tearing my hair out because my dogs loved a particular brand of food but I couldnt figure out why they stopped eating when I made the switch to fish.
It wasnt until I ordered a dog allergy test that I learned of their severe intolerance for fish. The result were extremely detailed so I could take preventative steps to avoid other mild and less severe sensitives that they had.
Types Of Dog Allergies
Labrador being fed dry food (Photo: Adobe Stock)
The American Kennel Club explain that there are few different types of allergies in dogs that pet parents should be aware of skin allergies, food allergies and environmental allergies.
Skin allergies will usually take the shape of an allergic reaction to flea bites. Dogs can be allergic to flea saliva, resulting in persistent itching or scratching.
However, food allergies can also cause itchy skin. The AKC say that dogs will usually itch their ears and paws if theyve got an allergies to a particular type of food. Dog owners will have to keep an eye out for stomach issues where food allergies are concerned.
Environmental allergens can take the shape of dust, pollen and mold. The AKC explain that these are usually seasonal, so your dog may struggle with these environmental allergens at a certain time of year.
In extremely severe circumstances, some dogs may go into anaphylactic shock if they have a severe reaction to an allergen. The AKC warn that this could be fatal if it isnt treated.
If you suspect your dog has a problem with allergies no matter how severe, we urge you to speak to your vet as soon as possible.
Please remember that this article doesnt constitute medical or professional advice and is no substitute for speaking to your regular veterinarian.
Best Dog Allergy Tests UK Three Of The Best
Having taking you through some of the basics of dog allergies, we recommend your do further research to get a clear and thorough understanding on this topic.
Now its time to take a look at three of the best dog allergy tests in the UK available to British dog owners right now.
1) EasyDNA Dog Allergy Test
Where to order: www.easydna.co.uk
Labrador puppy at clinic (Photo: Adobe Stock)
EasyDNA are one of the leading operators in the dog allergy test market, with over 18 years of experience in the DNA testing industry. We were encouraged to learn that their DNA tests are performed at accredited laboratories and they operate a network of offices and agents in over 25 countries worldwide. EasyDNA wanted to provide a useful and affordable tool to determine the sensitivities and intolerances that could be impacting your dogs quality of life. EasyDNA UK can test for over 119 allergens that could be triggering an allergic reaction of varying degrees in your dog. They use a ranking system to outline your dogs intolerance level to a particular allergen: strong intolerance (positive), no intolerance (negative) and mild (reaction to allergen but not a sufficient level to get a positive reading). Once EasyDNA UK receive your dogs saliva sample, theyll usually email your results within two to three weeks so you can make the appropriate changes to your dogs life. EasyDNA UK sent me a dog allergy test to use on my Alaskan Klee Kai. I found collecting the sample easy, I just placed the swab in my dogs cheek and made sure to swab both sides. Once my test was sent off, I received the results within two weeks. The report was clear and easy to understand, outlining severe, mild and no intolerances. I was able to immediately adjust my Alaskan Klee Kais diet to remove the allergen from their food. EasyDNA UKs Dog Allergy Test costs 89. If you order a second or third allergy test, you will receive a 20 discount on each kit. So your second and third kit will be reduced to 69. If youve got two dogs or more like me, EasyDNA UK have you covered. They offer a 20 discount if you order a dog allergy test for a second or third dog. It could be for you or a friend.
2) My Pet Sensitivity
Website: mypetsensitivity.com
Cat scratches in front of Golden Retriever (Photo: Adobe Stock)
My Pet Sensitivity are a well-established company in the UK who have a lot of experience where testing pets is concerned. My Pet Sensitivity are striving to make allergy testing affordable to pet owners, while ensuring a straightforward testing process. They offer a 100 per cent money back guarantee if pet parents arent satisfied. They cover common sensitivities for proteins, grains, vegetables, fruits, fats, seafood, additives and vitamins, plus many more. Unlike other tests in this feature, My Pet Sensitivity require a hair sample rather than a saliva sample. Your results will be delivered securely to your inbox within three days after being analysed by their team of experts against a range of food and non-food products. Having given their service a try, I can report that its easy to order the test and you dont have to wait for the company to send out a testing kit. Youll receive an email with simple instructions so you can get started without delay. The hair samples were relatively easy to collect and it was easy to follow the steps to send the sample back to My Pet Sensitivity. They were extremely quick to turn around my results. They did so in less than 48 hours! The results were split into High Reactivity and Moderate Reactivity. I was surprised to learn that my male Alaskan Klee Kai had a high reactivity to peanut butter which I usually give as a treat. My Pet Sensitivity are competitively priced within the market and they typically test for more items than other companies so I feel their service represents good value for money. Their dog sensitivity test costs 29.99, their cat sensitivity test costs 29.99 and horse sensitivity test costs 24.99. If you buy two or more tests, the cost of each test will be 19.99. They offer a full money back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied with your results.
You can get a 5% discount by using the coupon code BARK5 at the checkout. Click here to purchase your My Pet Sensitivity Test now.
3) AffinityDNA Dog Allergy Test
Where To Order: www.amazon.co.uk
Pug is checked over by vet (Photo: Adobe Stock)
AffinityDNA are another well-known DNA testing company that operate in the UK. Theyve got 10 years of experience in the DNA business and established partnerships with highly accredited DNA testing laboratories in the world. Their website promises that therell be no hidden fees, while their customer service team are available to guide you through the process from start to finish. AffinityDNAs Dog Allergy Test will test for 116 common possible allergens, which is slightly less than EasyDNA. Their turnaround is slightly slower than EasyDNA, too. British pet parents are able to take the sample at home and send the kit to AffinityDNA. The company say on their website that they hope to have results from your dogs allergy test within four weeks of the receiving the sample. AffinityDNAs Dog Allergy Test gets an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 based upon 30 reviews on Amazon.co.uk. Dog owners in the UK can buy AffinityDNA Dog Allergy Test at 94.95 on Amazon.co.uk. There is no discount provided by AffinityDNA on their Amazon page for dog owners who buy more than one test at a time.
What Are The Common Symptoms Of Allergies?
If you suspect your dog is suffering with an allergy problem, you should contact your vet and seek their professional advice immediately.
There are some common symptoms to look out for that may suggest your dog is struggling with an intolerance or sensitivity.
Itchy, red, moist or scabbed skin Increased scratching Itchy, runny eyes Itchy ears and ear infections Sneezing Diarrhoea Snoring Constant licking
Do Different Breeds Suffer From Different Allergies?
As we touched upon earlier in this best dog allergy test UK feature, some breeds are more susceptible to specific allergies.
For example, EasyDNA list on their website the following breeds for being senstive to issues with food or airborne allergies:
Maltese terrier Pekingese German Shepherd Bull Terriers Bichon Frise English Cocker Spaniel Brussels Griffon American Hairless Terrier Shih Tzu, American Pit Bull Terrier Chinese Crested/Powderpuff PoodleIrish SetterEnglish BulldogPugs
Shipping And Where To Buy
The best dog allergy tests in the UK listed within this article can all be shipped to a UK address. However, we recommend double checking before you press order.
Most of the dog allergy testing companies will provide postage for returning your kit to the appropriate laboratory.
Anything Else To Consider?
Its important to remember that the Dog Allergy Tests listed in this article test for intolerances and sensitivities to food and common substances.
However, they wont be able to determine whether your dog has an acute allergy. For this, youll need to speak to your vet who can explore this further with you.
We need to emphasize that this article doesnt constitute medical or professional advice. If youve got a concern about your dog having an allergy or intolerance to a certain food or household substance, you should speak to your vet.
Wrapping Things Up Our Final Thoughts
Golden Retriever at the vet (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Weve reached the end of our feature on the best dog allergy tests in the UK.
Hopefully youve got a clear idea of what a dog allergy testing company can test for.
The companies reviewed in this article all offer test kits that allow dog owners to take a sample at home.
Weve selected the three best dog allergy tests on offer to British pet parents at the moment.
EasyDNA is one of our top pick given theyve got the most experience, offer the most comprehensive test with over 119 potential allergens covered and a two-week turnaround.
However, you wont go too far wrong if you opt for My Pet Sensitivity or AffinityDNA.
