New test for cat and dog GI disease launches

A fast new lateral flow test to help diagnose gastrointestinal (GI) disease in cats and dogs has been launched.

Carus Animal Health announced that GIQuest, a clinically validated test for faecal calprotectin, is now available to veterinary practices throughout the UK.

The product is said to be cost-effective, non-invasive and designed for use in practice, with easy-to-interpret test results available within 15 minutes.

GI disease

Its creators say that while the test is not a replacement for histopathology, concentrations of faecal calprotectin proteins have been shown to correlate with severity of GI disease in both species.

The biomarker is said to be widely used in human health to help monitor inflammatory bowel disease and is becoming increasingly prominent in veterinary medicine.

Carus Animal Health said using a score threshold of 3mg/kg, the University of Bristol’s vet school confirmed the test can differentiate between dogs with inflammatory enteropathy and healthy controls with 94% sensitivity and 96% specificity.

In cats, it could make the same distinction with 92% sensitivity and 100% specificity.

Early interventions

GIQuest is also said to have potential benefits to early treatment interventions as well as long-term monitoring, as it was able to detect elevated calprotectin concentrations consistent with inflammatory gastroenteropathy in a quarter of dogs receiving oral anti-inflammatory drugs.

Carus Animal Health’s Jolian Howell said: “Faecal calprotectin testing can provide additional clarity in a range of clinical scenarios.

“It is particularly useful when diagnosing and managing suspected inflammatory enteropathy or food related reactions and for monitoring or screening for GI side effects of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatories in long term OA therapy regimes.”

Treatment response

The test can also monitor treatment response, as data from Bristol demonstrated a significant drop in calprotectin levels in dogs with food-responsive enteropathy after their diets were changed.

Carus Animal Health’s veterinary business manager Georgie Louca added: “By providing a measurable, visual indicator of intestinal inflammation, GIQuest also helps support client communication and can improve compliance during treatment or dietary trials.”