When you first arrive at the veterinary clinic, the veterinarian will give your dog a thorough exam so she can note any and all symptoms your dog is experiencing. She will also take his vitals and a history from you to try and discover the cause of his symptoms. If your dog has watery eyes, the veterinarian may perform several diagnostic tests to find the cause. For example, she may perform fluorescein staining to check for a scratch or ulcer on the eye. If your dog’s skin is irritated and the veterinarian is unsure of the cause, she may take a skin scraping to rule out external parasites or bacterial overgrowth.
Blood work will be performed to give the veterinarian an idea of how your dog’s internal organs are functioning. A complete blood count (CBC) and chemistry panel will provide the veterinarian with needed information for proper assessment. The blood work results will show any elevations of white blood cells and whether it is associated with an allergic response or not.
Bicom testing is one method of determining a rosemary allergy in your dog. Bicom testing is also known as bioresonance. Not all veterinarians offer this type of testing; you can discuss it with the clinical team to see if they feel it could be a good diagnostic tool for your pet’s situation. With Bicom testing, the veterinarian takes a blood sample from your dog and tests different food items and substances to seethe response to the allergen. If the response is ‘bad’, the item being tested causes your dog’s blood wavelength to become stressed. Stressed blood leads to a stressed body and therefore an allergic reaction. If the response is ‘good’, then the item puts out a wavelength that is compatible with your dog’s blood which means no adverse reactions should occur. If it is ‘neutral’, the item being tested does not put out a wavelength that alters that of your dog and therefore is also safe to give him. If it is not good for your dog, then you simply remove that food from his diet and the allergic symptoms should stop.
A dietary trial is the most frequently used method to determine an allergy. In a dietary trial, you have to feed your dog a novel diet, meaning you feed him a diet without any rosemary whatsoever for at least 90 days. During this trial, you cannot give any type of treats or flavored medication containing rosemary as it can affect the results. After the 90 days, if resolution of the allergic signs occurs, you then must reintroduce rosemary to his diet. If a relapse in allergy symptoms occurs once the rosemary is reintroduced, then you know the source.
