Minerals and metals stored in the hair, reflected in health
Hair acts as a record of what the body has been processing over time. As it grows, it captures circulating minerals and toxins, offering a longer-term view than blood or urine testing. HTMA evaluates your pet’s internal balance of nutrients like zinc, magnesium and selenium, alongside potential toxic accumulation from lead, arsenic, aluminium and mercury.
This screen can help uncover low-grade contributors to inflammation, gut sensitivity, coat issues or immune imbalance, and may help guide more targeted decisions around diet, supplementation or further testing.
A gentle starting point, not a diagnosis
HTMA is not a replacement for elimination diets or IgE testing, which remain the most direct way to identify true allergies. But it is a helpful tool in the allergy toolkit, especially when symptoms are vague, ongoing or not clearly linked to food or the environment. Some pet parents use it before moving forward with more detailed testing. Others use it as a general check-in to support long-term health and resilience.
Let’s talk about the reputation Hair mineral testing has developed a mixed reputation, mainly due to its misuse and overinterpretation in non-clinical settings. At iScreen Pets, we apply it carefully and responsibly.
- We use ICP-MS, the gold standard for precise mineral and toxin analysis
- Results are interpreted by veterinary professionals and always in context
- We focus only on meaningful trends that can support better care decisions
Subtle nutrient deficiencies or environmental toxin exposure can contribute to chronic inflammation, skin reactivity and poor gut function. HTMA gives you a view of the internal landscape that might otherwise be missed, especially when standard tests return normal.
This screen is ideal for:
- Pets with chronic reactivity, skin or gut symptoms
- Pets with fussy appetites, coat changes or vague health concerns
- Pets where blood testing is not ideal
- Pet parents wanting early insight to support long-term health
