Ever wished your pet could just tell you what’s up with their health? I can only imagine what they might say if they weren’t feeling well….
“I feel inflamed.”
“My hormones are a mess.”
“I might be hoarding heavy metals like a tiny toxic dragon!”
…yeah, me too.
While our fur kiddos can’t spill the tea directly, they can give us some helpful hints through a tool called HTMA — Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis. It’s one of the most underused, underappreciated, and wildly insightful tests in the holistic health toolkit.
What Is HTMA Testing?
HTMA measures the actual levels of minerals, heavy metals, and even hormones stored in your pet’s tissues over a period of about three months. HTMA involves grinding up the hair sample and analyzing its contents down to the microgram.
It can give insight into what’s potentially circulating in your pet’s blood right now, plus it shows what’s actually being absorbed and stored in the tissues. We’re talking science-backed biochemistry (and math, which is not my strong suit). And the hair doesn’t lie, nor is it just a snapshot in time- it provides a window into the trends or patterns occurring over the past quarter of a year, and this insight can be invaluable.
HTMA vs. Blood Work: Why They’re Different
Blood tests are great for certain things — but they can miss a lot. Here’s why:
- The body works hard to keep blood levels of vitamins, minerals and hormones balanced — even if it means borrowing nutrients from bones, organs, or tissues. So blood can look “normal” long after issues have already begun brewing and building.
- HTMA gives you a longer-term picture of your pet’s health, not just what’s happening in the moment. For example, acute stress can cause blood abnormalities in white blood cell counts, cortisol levels and more, but these may not actually be reflective of the pet’s baseline health status. HTMA doesn’t have that same problem.
Let’s Compare:
| Feature | Blood Test | HTMA Test |
|---|---|---|
| Measures current state | Yes | No (measures past 3 months) |
| Detects stored toxins | No | Yes |
| Sensitive to stress | Yes (especially cortisol, thyroid) | No |
| Hormone overview | Requires multiple expensive panels | Included in one test |
| Early detection | Limited | Excellent for early metabolic imbalance |
| Cost-effective | $$$$ for full panels | $$ for comprehensive analysis |
What Does HTMA Test For?
HTMA gives you a gold mine (something your pet dragon would like!) of information from just a small sample of fur.
What It Measures:
- Minerals – calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, selenium, etc.
- Heavy Metals – mercury, arsenic, aluminum, lead, cadmium, etc.
- Hormone-related minerals – including ratios that indicate thyroid, adrenal, and sex hormone imbalances.
- Metabolic trends – like poor detox pathways, inflammation, or nutrient absorption issues.
One of the coolest aspects about it is that you get to see how everything relates to everything else. Low calcium alone? Maybe not a big deal. But low calcium and low magnesium and low zinc? That’s a pattern — and it tells a bigger story, like possibly some heavy metal toxicity.
Why Pet Parents Might Consider HTMA 🔍
1. Mystery Symptoms
If your pet is itching, anxious, or constantly getting sick, but their bloodwork is “normal”, HTMA often reveals what blood tests can’t: early imbalances, toxic buildup, or nutrient deficiencies that are hiding in the tissues.
2. Testing Before You Test (Seriously)
Instead of running $1,000+ worth of blood panels to chase symptoms, HTMA can help you narrow down where to dig deeper. For example, if the symptoms you’re seeing could fit 20 different imbalances or conditions, then performing HTMA first can help narrow it down to perhaps only needing to test a few of those potentials.
3. Environmental Exposures
Multiple pets (and people) feeling off in the same home? HTMA can spotlight shared exposures like:
- Heavy metals in water (just saying, city tap water can be nasty), which we found in my home!
- Industrial pollutants (for example, almost 60% of copper mined in the US is done in Arizona, which can significantly impact the environment with heavy metal leaching)
- Flame retardants, household cleaners, or air fresheners (potent endocrine disruptors)
4. Hormonal Clues You May Miss Elsewhere
Hormone panels via blood can be complex and pricey — and they often give false readings if your pet is stressed at the vet. HTMA reveals chronic trends in adrenal and thyroid hormone markers — no stress required, just a unique haircut.
How to Interpret the Results (And Why It’s Tricky)
HTMA isn’t just about “low or high” values — it’s about patterns and ratios. Think of it as a complex puzzle where every piece affects the next.
Here are some excellent examples, taken from my recent podcast episode with Chelsea Kent of ParsleyPet:
- High sulfur = often not dietary, but from tissue breakdown (like the body eating itself, yikes)
- High iron on HTMA + low on bloodwork = your pet isn’t metabolizing iron (Chelsea’s excellent analogy here was “think groceries delivered to your door but you never brought them inside”)
- Low thyroid + low adrenal markers = might cancel each other out symptomatically
This is why interpretation by someone familiar with the complexities (like Chelsea) is super valuable — it’s not a plug-and-play test, it’s a nuanced roadmap.
Who Should Get HTMA Testing?
If you’re saying “yes” to any of these, HTMA might be your next helpful step:
- Your pet has chronic issues no one can figure out
- You’ve tried “all the things” and nothing works
- You want to take a proactive approach to your pet’s health
- You suspect environmental toxins
- You’re switching diets and want to track progress
- You’re seeing similar symptoms with multiple members of the household… including yourself!
Yes, ParsleyPet tests humans as well! I did one, and the results were incredibly helpful. It allowed me to see a pattern in our home that we linked to water quality and led to us using a water filter.
You can test any pet on any diet, and that includes one who is currently kibble fed. But something I especially love is the cold hard truths of HTMA results, which often show that:
- Kibble-fed pets are more likely to have toxicities and deficiencies– because COMPLETE AND BALANCED USING SYNTHETICS AND ULTRA PROCESSED GARBAGE IS FALSE!!!!! Oops, didn’t mean to shout (yes I did).
- Synthetic supplements in commercial foods can throw nutrient ratios way off
- Raw-fed pets tend to have more balanced mineral profiles, especially when using fermented foods or strategic toppers
HTMA can help you fine-tune whatever you’re feeding, without all the guesswork.
🕒 How Often Should You Re-Test?
It depends!
- Healthy pets: Every 1–2 years is probably fine.
- Working through issues or dietary transitions: Every 6–9 months is ideal.
- Big changes happening (diet, environment, illness): Consider re-testing after 6 months to monitor progress.
Generally speaking, repeating it under 6 months is likely not going to give you the most bang for your buck.
So… is HTMA Worth It?
For me, the answer is yes, especially if you want to get ahead of problems, not just react to them. It’s comprehensive, pretty affordable, non-invasive (no blood draws or vet drama), and gives you insight that can guide everything from diet to supplements to lifestyle tweaks. This way, you’re not just chasing symptoms anymore — you’re supporting your pet’s health at the cellular level.
If you want to nerd out even more or grab an HTMA kit, head over to ParsleyPet.com and explore what’s possible. Just don’t be surprised if you end up doing the test for yourself too (I did, and I’m so glad!).
