Description
Allergy Panel is a 125-test panel using serum for measurement of IgE antibody response to specific allergens. Food and Environmental allergens are tested using a minimal amount of serum to help identify potential areas of concern for cats and dogs.
Vitamin D level is also evaluated as it is a critical hormone for immune regulation and function. Ensuring adequate Vitamin D levels may help improve therapy outcomes.
Clinical Applications:
- ADR pets with undiagnosed GI signs
- Chronic GI distress
- Scratchy, Itchy, Red, or inflamed Skin
- Chronic Ear Infections/ Head shaking
- Excessive Licking
- Hair loss
- Chronic Cough / Sneezing
- Runny Eyes
- Diarrhea or Vomiting with unknown source
- Or as part of general wellness screening
Background:
Allergy
Although the word “Allergy” is colloquially used to describe any reaction to a foreign substance, it’s not wholly accurate. A true allergy describes a reaction produced when the body meets a normally harmless substance, which has been “remembered” from a previous exposure and subsequently produces the “IgE” antibody. In order for an allergy to develop, a pet must be exposed to the substance at least once before the allergy will manifest. The immune system learns to attack this particular substance for an unknown reason, at which point the immune response will go into hyperdrive to attack it – resulting in elevated IgE levels.
Sensitivity
A sensitivity is a delayed immune reaction resulting in the production of “IgG” antibody to a foreign substance, typically food. Though they may cause some clinical signs this type of reaction is not an allergic reaction and does not carry the same seriousness as a true allergy. IgG testing for sensitivity is readily available however it has not been correlated to clinical signs or disease, given that IgG response is the body’s natural response to consuming any foreign substance and is expected. Additional IgG testing has been shown to produce several “positives” which may lead to over-restriction of the diet. Concerningly, patients with food intolerances acting on the results of IgG panels may see improvements because the large number of foods they must eliminate may remove the culprit from their diet by coincidence. However, over-restriction can have impacts as it may place a patient at risk of nutritional deficiencies.
Intolerance
An intolerance is the body’s inability to breakdown certain foods due missing or reduced enzymes responsible for that metabolism. This can result in clinical signs and discomfort for the pet. An example of an intolerance would be lactose intolerance – the absence of the enzyme lactase to break down dairy products results in GI discomfort. Intolerances do not produce either IgE or IgG antibody responses.
