Continue with current diet and lifestyle. Retest in 1 year for optimal health.

• Possible causes of increased inflammation include poor levels of healthy gut bacteria, toxin exposure, and reactions to diet or lifestyle. In very high levels it may be advisable to contact your veterinary care provider.
• Consider an anti-inflammatory or prescription pet food. Some research has noted that changing the type of protein in a pet’s diet, for example switching from chicken to salmon, or trying a pet food with hydrolyzed protein may help to reduce inflammation.
• Consider anti-inflammatory snacks (blueberries, alfalfa, apples (no seeds), carrots, pumpkin, red pepper), or anti-inflammatory targeted supplements such as fish oil.
• Consider probiotics to support healthy gut bacteria. Look for probiotics with a variety of healthy gut bacteria, referred to as multi-strain.
• Retest in 3  months to see if your pet has responded to changes.

Continue with current diet and lifestyle. Retest in 1 year for optimal health.

• Consider a grain-free or hypoallergenic dog food.
• Consider a probiotic or prebiotic supplement to build good gut bacteria and support IgA response.
• Consider immune-supporting supplements such as Thorne Myco-Immune or Standard Process Canine Immune System Support.
• Minimize anxiety and stress, and encourage activity.
• Retest in 3 months.

• Consider a grain-free or hypoallergenic dog food.
• Support with probiotics.
• Consider testing for parasites, gluten sensitivity, and Leaky Gut Syndrome with our Leaky Gut test.
• Retest in 3 months.

Continue with current diet and lifestyle. Retest in 1 year for optimal health.

• Probiotics have been shown to improve good gut bacteria and may improve Zonulin levels.
• Consider a less processed dog food, such as a prescription or human grade dog food. If the antigliadin IgA is also high, consider a gluten free dog food.
• Minimize anxiety and stress.
• Avoid unnecessary medications such as antibiotics or exposure to toxins.
• Check inflammation. Consider anti-inflammatory supporting snacks such as blueberries, alfalfa, apples (no seeds), carrots, pumpkin, red pepper), or anti-inflammatory supplements. Reducing inflammation may decrease Zonulin.
• Check overall health as obesity and type 2 diabetes may lead to increased inflammation. 
• Retest in 3 months.

Continue with current diet and lifestyle. Retest in 1 year for optimal health.

• Try a gluten-free dog food and note a change in symptoms. (wheat, rye, and barley all contain gluten)
• Retest in 3 months.

Continue with current diet and lifestyle. Retest in 1 year for optimal health.

• Consult a veterinary professional for further testing if elastase 1 levels are low and symptoms such as weight loss and diarrhea are present. Low elastase 1 can be related to autoimmune conditions, and some healthy dogs may have low levels. Digestive enzymes may be recommended.
• Impaired digestion can be supported with additional fiber, such as 1-2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin a day, or other high fiber foods such as greens or carrots.
• Consider supplementing with basic A vitamin and mineral supplements.
• Retest in 3 months.

Continue with current diet and lifestyle. Retest in 1 year for optimal health.

• Elevated levels may be seen in dogs with an imbalance of healthy gut bacteria  – consider a probiotic supplement or adding snacks higher in fibers to support healthy gut bacteria. These can include apricots (no pit), broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots red bell peppers, squash, and sweet potato (cooked).
• Reduce exposure to toxins.
• Consider a higher quality dog food. Research has noted a reduction of fecal beta-glucuronidase in dogs fed dry dog food, and believe it is due to an increase in healthy gut bacteria.
• Retest in 3 months

• Burrows, C.F., A.M. Merritt, and A.M. Chiapella, Determination of fecal fat and trypsin output in the evaluation of chronic canine diarrhea.J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1979. 174(1): p. 62-6.
• Spillmann, T., E. Eigenbrodt, and A. Sziegoleit, [Determination and clinical relevance of fecal pancreatic elastase in dogs]. Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere, 1998. 26(5): p. 364-8.
• Piccione, G., et al., Blood lipids, fecal fat and chymotrypsin excretion in the dog: influence of age, body weight and sex. J Vet Med Sci, 2004. 66(1): p. 59-62.
• Singh, A.K., Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in canines: An update. JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY STUDIES 2018. 6(5): p. 854-858.
• Watson, P.J., Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency as an end stage of pancreatitis in four dogs. J Small Anim Pract, 2003. 44(7): p. 306-12.
• DVM360. A quick review of canine exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. 2009; Available here.
• Grutzner, N., et al., Genomic association and further characterisation of faecal immunoglobulin A deficiency in German Shepherd dogs.Vet Med Sci, 2021. 7(6): p. 2144-2155.
• Martineau, B. and D.P. Laflamme, Effect of diet on markers of intestinal health in dogs. Res Vet Sci, 2002. 72(3): p. 223-7.
• Kubasova, I., et al., Evaluation of enterococci for potential probiotic utilization in dogs. Folia Microbiol (Praha), 2019. 64(2): p. 177-187.

• Otoni, C.C., et al., Serologic and fecal markers to predict response to induction therapy in dogs with idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease. J Vet Intern Med, 2018. 32(3): p. 999-1008.
• Hang, I., et al., Impact of diets with a high content of greaves-meal protein or carbohydrates on faecal characteristics, volatile fatty acids and faecal calprotectin concentrations in healthy dogs. BMC Vet Res, 2013. 9: p. 201.
• Sutherland, A.D., R.B. Gearry, and F.A. Frizelle, Review of fecal biomarkers in inflammatory bowel disease. Dis Colon Rectum, 2008. 51(8): p. 1283-91.
• Heilmann, R.M., et al., Association of fecal calprotectin concentrations with disease severity, response to treatment, and other biomarkers in dogs with chronic inflammatory enteropathies. J Vet Intern Med, 2018. 32(2): p. 679-692.
• Collins, M.T. Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Current and Prospective Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Management. Compendium: Continuing Education for Veterinarians 2013  [cited 2020 9.1.2020]; Available here.
• Ohlsson, B., et al., Calprotectin in serum and zonulin in serum and feces are elevated after introduction of a diet with lower carbohydrate content and higher fiber, fat and protein contents. Biomed Rep, 2017. 6(4): p. 411-422.
• Grellet, A., et al., Influence of Breed Size, Age, Fecal Quality, and Enteropathogen Shedding on Fecal Calprotectin and Immunoglobulin A Concentrations in Puppies During the Weaning Period. J Vet Intern Med, 2016. 30(4): p. 1056-64.
• Grzeskowiak, L., et al., Microbiota and probiotics in canine and feline welfare. Anaerobe, 2015. 34: p. 14-23.
•  Zaine, L., et al., Faecal IgA concentration is influenced by age in dogs. Br J Nutr, 2011. 106 Suppl 1: p. S183-6.
• Xu, H., et al., Oral Administration of Compound Probiotics Improved Canine Feed Intake, Weight Gain, Immunity and Intestinal Microbiota. Front Immunol, 2019. 10: p. 666.
• Gaspardo, A., et al., Influence of Lactobacillus kefiri on Intestinal Microbiota and Fecal IgA Content of Healthy Dogs. Front Vet Sci, 2020. 7: p. 146.
• Sacoor C, Barros LM, Montezinho L. What are the potential biomarkers that should be considered in diagnosing and managing canine chronic inflammatory enteropathies?. Open Vet J. 2021;10(4):412-430. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7830176/
• Celi, P. et. al. Biomarkers of gastrointestinal functionality in animal nutrition and health. Animal Feed Science and Technology Volume 250, April 2019, Pages 9-31. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377840118302438
• PetMed. Natural Ways to Improve Your Dog’s Immune System. March 2011. www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/natural-ways-improve-your-dogs-immune-system
• Ellis JA. Canine IgA and IgA deficiency: Implications for immunization against respiratory pathogens. Can Vet J. 2019;60(12):1305-1311.
• Grützner N, Heilmann RM, Tress U, Peters IR, Suchodolski JS, Steiner JM. Genomic association and further characterisation of faecal immunoglobulin A deficiency in German Shepherd dogs. Vet Med Sci. 2021;7(6):2144-2155. doi:10.1002/vms3.603.

• VCA Hospitals: Leaky Gut Syndrome in Dogs. www.vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/leaky-gut-syndrome-in-dogs
• Craig JM. Atopic dermatitis and the intestinal microbiota in humans and dogs. Vet Med Sci. 2016;2(2):95-105. Published 2016 Feb 23. doi:10.1002/vms3.24. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5645856/
• Grellet, A., et al., Influence of Breed Size, Age, Fecal Quality, and Enteropathogen Shedding on Fecal Calprotectin and Immunoglobulin A Concentrations in Puppies During the Weaning Period. J Vet Intern Med, 2016. 30(4): p. 1056-64.
• Xu, H., et al., Oral Administration of Compound Probiotics Improved Canine Feed Intake, Weight Gain, Immunity and Intestinal Microbiota. Front Immunol, 2019. 10: p. 666.