As a natural health consultant and concerned pet guardian/parent, I often look for affordable, no-stress, non-threatening (meaning no poking with needles or prodding with instruments), effective ways to help clients address health issues. I also often wonder whether animals are really getting all the nutrients they need from their diet. Sometimes what we think is the “best food” is just not enough. Hair Analysis is a procedure that fits the bill.
Hair Analysis is a holistic non-invasive process. A sample of hair is collected and sent to a lab to check for harmful toxins, metals and nutritional levels in the body. Humans have benefitted from its use for many years and now pets are too. Hair analysis can detect health problems well before symptoms begin. Illness takes time to manifest, so why not be a detective so you can put preventive measures in place to minimize or even avoid potential health problems? Hair analysis can also help you determine whether your pets’ diet is appropriate.
Blood serum levels can often be misleading, as the body compensates for shortages when needed. For instance, blood calcium levels may appear to be in the normal range, but this may be due to the body smartly pulling calcium from the bones when it detects a shortage, leading to a false reading. Hair analysis works differently from blood tests. Since hair doesn’t have the ability to “control” minerals or compensate for shortages or excesses, imbalances can sometimes show up years before you’d see symptoms.
Exposure to toxins can be mild or extreme, and since toxins are difficult to get out of the body, they tend to accumulate. And the animals’ ability to detoxify may be hastened by other health issues or by constant exposure to even more toxins. Animals are at greater risk of toxin exposure because they’re closer to the ground, pick up toxins on their feet and ingest through grooming (licking their feet or coat), or may be exposed through flea and tick chemicals, over-vaccination, contaminated food and water, or even household chemical cleaning agents and medications. Hair analysis often can help you figure out what you can change in or around your home to reduce toxin exposure before it causes a health issue.
Nutritional imbalances and deficiencies can be difficult to detect through traditional blood analysis or urine testing. Hair analysis offers a way to see whether your animal is either lacking or getting too much of a certain mineral or nutrient. Then you can determine whether a change in diet or addition of certain supplements will correct this, and/or whether other measures need to be taken to help your animal detoxify. Companies you can contact for a hair analysis include Gracefulearth.com, Peak-Health-Now.com and AskaHomeopath.net.
Readers are reminded that it is entirely of their own accord, and their right and responsibility to make educated choices for their pet’s health care.
Jenny is a Certified Natural Health Consultant for pets and their people. She is available for consultations and presentations. She lives in Rumely with her husband and 5 clowns (3 dogs and 2 cats). She can be reached at (906) 235-3524 or email at barkmewandyou@gmail.com.
This article was reprinted with permission from the Spring 2014 issue of Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine, copyright 2014. All rights reserved.
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