There were more than one reasons I wanted to run fur analysis for Cookie.
I wanted to make sure her diet provides everything she needs, particularly in terms of minerals. Cookie is on a raw diet so I am not worried about proteins or vitamins. It is the minerals that can be a challenge.
I also wanted to get a good picture about her exposure to toxic elements, whether from her food or from the environment. And because of her mysterious coat color changes, I wanted to see what answers might lie in her fur.
Why fur analysis?
Blood content is highly regulated while fur is pretty much a dump site for stuff. It takes a severe problem for it to show in the blood while the body doesn't care that much what goes into the fur and puts things in there as they come. As well as any blood draw offers an insight into a very narrow point in time, while the fur content is an accumulation of things over period of months. A fur analysis is an indicator of long-term effects of diet and toxic exposure.
We did run fur analysis for Jasmine in the past and it provided useful insights.
Cookie's results look vastly different from Jasmine's.
Even though Jasmine's results weren't as dramatic as some of the example results I have seen as part of my integrative dog nutrition course. On the other hand, some of that looks pretty wild and very little interpretation was offered by the place where we ordered this one from. We chose it because it is a Canadian veterinarian using a Canadian lab but, apparently, he does not include any comments, explanations or recommendations beyond of what the lab automatically spits out. So that was rather disappointing and we won't be using them again.
The craziest-looking values are for iron and manganese, along with a couple other minerals. After some research, deliberation, and digging, the only reasonable conclusion is that the sample was contaminated by the clippers during collection. We did not want to use scissors in order to prevent potential injury to Cookie. The clippers, even though steel, are not high-grade steel and it's logical that's where some of these numbers come from as well as no signs of high systemic levels of iron are present in Cookie.
So we're not going to worry about these values for the time being.
The findings regarding toxic elements look satisfactory, except aluminum. Aluminum seems to be a thing that cannot be avoided; I wonder if it comes from Cookie's Rabies booster she was due last year. Or perhaps some of that is again from topical contamination as some grooming tools can also be a source of aluminum contamination of the sample. The things that normally would be affected by high levels of aluminum doesn't seem to be. We'll see what it looks like next time.
The elements that are high in this additional chart could again come from external contamination rather than systemic accumulation.
Nickel is commonly found in civilized environments.
The lithium is of interest, particularly since it can mess with thyroid function. We will dig further to see where it might be coming from. Some water supplies can be contaminated. Cookie gets bottled water for drinking but I guess that doesn't mean it couldn't be contaminated. Same goes to barium; no idea where it could be from but we need to try and figure that out.
The only ratio out of whack above is the one concerning iron; which we do believe does come from topical contamination rather than what is actually in the body.
Cookie doesn't seem to be suffering from any nutritional deficiencies.
There are some things present that should not be so we have some homework to do to determine where exactly they come from. We will re-test in the future but we'll definitely use a different place. With this one, it took forever to get the results and then they didn't provide any individual comments above of what the lab automatically spits out. Meanwhile, they requested a detailed information with the sample submission ... gotta wonder why as it doesn't seem they did anything with any of the information.
Related articles:
From The End Of A Lead Line To Casa Jasmine: Meet Cookie, Our New Adoptee
And So It Begins Again(?) Our First Health-Related Heart Attack With Cookie
I Didn't Know I Could Fly: Why Cookie Wears A Harness Instead Of A Collar
C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews For Dogs CAN Be A Choking Hazzard
Our First Health-Related Heart Attack With Cookie: The Knee Or The Foot?
Creative Solutions And An Incidental Product Review
Too Young For Pot: Cookie's Snack With A Side Of Hydrogen Peroxide
Taming Of The Wild Beast: Cookie's Transition To Civilization
Staying On Top Of The Ears: Cookie Is Not Impressed
Putting The Easy Back Into Walking
Cookie's Ears Are Still Not Happy
The Threat Of The Bulge Is Always Lurking
Today Is Cookie's Three-Months Adoptoversary
Cookie Meets The Electric Horse Fence And Her First Chiropractic Adjustment
Why Examine Your Dog's Vomit?
Why Is That Leg Still Not Happy? Cookie's Leg Keeps Getting Sore
Cookie Too Is Insured With Trupanion
Does Being Insured Mean Being Covered? Our First Claim With Trupanion
Is Cookie's Leg Finally Getting Better?
Is Cookie Going To Be Another Medical Challenge Or Are We Looking Too Closely?
The Project That Is Cookie: Pancreatitis Up Close And Personal
Pancreatitis: Cookie’s Blood Work
Another Belly Upset: Pancreatitis Again Or Not?
Happy Birthday, Cookie
Incontinence? Cookie's Mysterious Leaks
Who's Training Whom? Stick And Treat
Don't Just Stand There, Do Something? Cookie's Mysterious Bumps
Cookie's Mysterious Bumps Update
One Vomit, No Vomit
Happy One-Year Adoptoversary, Cookie!
Cookie's Leaks Are Back: Garden Variety Incontinence Or Not?
Cookie's Leaks Update
Don't Panic, Don't Panic: Know What Your Job Is
The Continuing Saga Of Cookie's Leeks: Trying Chiropractic Approach
Cookie's Minor Eye Irritation
Regular Wellness Exam: Cookie's ALT Was Elevated
Cookie's Plantar Paw Pad Injury
How Far To Take It When The Dog Isn't Sick?
Cookie Has Tapeworm Infection
Cookie's Elevated ALT: The Ultrasound and Cytology
Cookie's ALT Update
The Importance of Observation: Cookie's Chiropractic Adjustment
Sometimes You Don't Even Know What You're Looking at: Cookie's Scary "We Have No Idea What that Was"
Living with an Incontinent Dog
Summer Dangers: Cookie Gets Stung by a Bald-faced Hornet
To Breathe or Not To Breathe: Cookie's Hind Legs Transiently Fail to Work (Again)
Figuring out What Might Be Going on with Cookie's Legs: The Process
Figuring out What Might Be Going on with Cookie's Legs: The Diagnosis
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury Treatment: Trazodone
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury Treatment: Other Medications
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury Treatment: Laser, Hydrotherapy, and Chiropractic
Cookie's Recovery from Iliopsoas Injury: ToeGrips
It Never Rains ... Cookie's New Injury
Mixed Emotions: When What You Should Do Might Not Be What You Should Do for Your Dog
Cookie's New Injury Update
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury: The Symptoms
Cookie's Iliopsoas Injury: Battling the Zoomies
Cookie's Muscle Injuries: What Else Is Going On?
Theory and Actual Decisions for an Actual Dog Aren't the Same Thing: Cookie's Knee Injury
Does Your Vet Listen to You? Cookie's Post-Sedation Complications
Would I Ever Treat a Symptom Directly?
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Treatment for Cookie's Bad Knee(s)
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for Cookie's Bad Cruciate Update
Injury or Surgery Recovery: Mishaps versus Setbacks
See Something, Do Something: Cookie's Lumpectomy
Cookie's Lumpectomy Update
Using Pressure Pads to Evaluate Lameness in Dogs: My Observations
Cookie's Musculoskeletal Challenges: What Supplements Am I Using?
Cookie's Musculoskeletal Challenges: Restricted Activity and Weight Management
Cookie's PRP Treatment for Partial Cruciate Tear: Update
Has Your Dog's Physical Therapist Taken Dog Training Classes?
Cookie's PRP Treatment for Partial Cruciate Tear Update and Considering the Future
Cookie's PRP Treatment for Partial Cruciate (CCL/ACL) Tear and Leg Circumference
Cookie's Wellness Exam
Ticked Off at the Tick Situation: What Do You Use for Tick Prevention?
Ticked Off at the Tick Situation: The Verdict Is In (for Now)
Cookie's Annual Heartworm and Tick-Borne Diseases Test
One Yelp, No Yelp. But Two?
One Yelp, No Yelp - Update
Cookie's Rabies Booster
Is Your Dog Struggling with Weight in spite of Diet and Exercise? Cookie Is Hypothyroid (Part I)
What Does the Thyroid Do? Cookie is Hypothyroid (Part II)
Thyroid Replacement Therapy: Cookie is Hypothyroid (Part III)
Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment (PRP) for Partial Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) Tears: Would I Do It Again?
Thyroid Replacement Therapy Re-Check: Cookie Is Hypothyroid (Part IV)
Ticked Off at the Tick Situation: Tick Tag Results Evaluation
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An award-winning guide to better understanding what your dog is telling you about their health, Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, is available in paperback and Kindle. Each chapter includes notes on when it is an emergency.
