Research Library·16 min read·2026-07-15

Updated 2026 · Peer-reviewed references · Educational resource

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) in Dogs, Cats and Horses: A Scientific Guide to Elemental Hair Testing in Companion Animals

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) — also referred to as elemental hair analysis or fur mineral analysis — is increasingly used alongside blood testing to evaluate the mineral status and toxic element exposure of companion animals.

This guide summarises what the method measures, how it works biologically, what current veterinary literature says about its reliability, and how results are typically translated into feeding and supplementation guidance for dogs, cats and horses.

Key point
HTMA in animals follows the same laboratory principle as HTMA in humans — quantifying elements deposited in the hair shaft during growth — but interpretation must account for species-specific hair growth rates, diet and husbandry factors.

Quick definitions

Elemental hair analysis (animal HTMA)

A laboratory test that quantifies essential minerals and toxic elements deposited in a sample of an animal’s hair or fur during its growth phase.

Pet mineral testing

A general term covering hair, blood or urine-based assessment of an animal’s mineral status; in this article it refers specifically to hair-based (HTMA) testing.

Mineral ratio

A calculated relationship between two elements (for example Ca/Mg, Na/K or Zn/Cu) used to support nutritional interpretation rather than reading single values in isolation.

ICP-OES

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry — the laboratory method most commonly used to quantify minerals in digested hair samples.

What is elemental hair analysis in pets?

As hair grows, the follicle is supplied by the bloodstream, and elements circulating in blood and extracellular fluid become incorporated into the hair shaft as it forms.

Once hardened, the mineral composition of that section of hair is effectively locked in, providing a record of the animal’s internal environment during the period the hair was growing.

Because a hair sample represents several weeks to a few months of biological activity rather than a single moment, HTMA is generally described as reflecting long-term trends in mineral status and cumulative exposure to selected toxic elements, rather than an acute, real-time reading.

How minerals and toxic elements get into an animal’s hair

The incorporation process is the same across species and broadly follows four steps.

1. Absorption

Minerals are absorbed mainly through diet, while environmental toxic elements can also be ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

2. Distribution

Absorbed elements enter the bloodstream and are distributed throughout the body.

3. Incorporation into the hair shaft

The hair follicle has a rich blood supply, and elements present in the blood are incorporated into the growing hair.

4. Fixation

As hair keratinises and reaches the skin surface, the incorporated elements become fixed in place, effectively recording that period of exposure.

Sweat and sebum on the skin surface can also contribute trace deposits, making standardised laboratory washing procedures an important part of analytical reliability. See How Laboratories Prepare Hair Samples for HTMA.

Why hair testing alongside blood testing?

Blood mineral concentrations are tightly regulated by homeostatic mechanisms. The body actively maintains relatively stable blood concentrations of many elements even when tissue reserves are changing. For this reason, hair and blood are considered complementary rather than interchangeable matrices.

Aspect	Blood	Hair (HTMA)
Time window represented	Hours to days	Approximately 4–12 weeks depending on species and sample length
Sample type	Serum or plasma	Hair or fur shaft
Homeostatic buffering	High	Low
Best used for	Acute assessment	Long-term trends and exposure
Invasiveness	Venipuncture	Non-invasive collection

A 2021 study involving healthy companion dogs demonstrated that the relationship between hair and blood concentrations varies between elements. Hair and blood values correlated significantly for mercury and lead but not for most other minerals, reinforcing that both matrices provide different biological information rather than one replacing the other.

Species differences: what a hair sample represents

Hair growth rate directly affects how much biological time a single sample represents. Growth rate varies considerably between species, breed, coat type and body region, therefore interpretation should always consider these biological differences.

Dogs

Continuously growing coats (for example Poodle-type and Shih Tzu-type breeds) commonly grow around 1 cm per month, while some long-coated breeds may average close to 1.4 cm per month. Double-coated breeds with seasonal shedding generally have slower and more cyclical hair growth, making sampling location and collection timing particularly important.

Cats

Average hair growth in cats is typically lower than in dogs and is commonly reported between 0.5 and 0.8 cm per month, depending on breed and coat characteristics.

Horses

Mane and tail hair generally grows between 0.5 and 1.25 cm per month, although nutrition, season, age and breed all influence growth.

Because growth rates differ so substantially between species, laboratories usually standardise sample length rather than attempting to represent a fixed period of time.

Interpretation should always consider:

species
breed
coat type
body region sampled
season

What can an animal hair mineral test show?

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis may provide information regarding:

essential minerals involved in nutrition and metabolism (including calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, copper and selenium)
calculated mineral ratios used during nutritional interpretation
indicators of previous exposure to toxic elements such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and aluminium
long-term changes observed through repeated testing

Current veterinary literature has documented measurable elemental profiles in companion animals across multiple research settings. Examples include:

mineral concentrations in healthy adult and growing dogs
dietary influences on trace element concentrations in both hair and blood
comparisons between healthy dogs and dogs with idiopathic epilepsy
monitoring trace mineral status in horses
assessment of toxic element exposure using hair samples

These studies support the use of hair as a biological matrix for monitoring mineral status while also highlighting that interpretation should always consider species-specific physiology and current scientific limitations.

Further reading: What Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis Can and Cannot Show, Can HTMA Diagnose Disease?, Why HTMA Should Not Replace Medical Diagnostics.

From hair results to personalised nutrition and supplementation

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is rarely interpreted by examining individual mineral values alone. Instead, nutritional recommendations are typically based on overall mineral patterns together with the animal’s clinical and dietary context.

A structured interpretation commonly evaluates:

Overall mineral patterns

Relationships between minerals frequently provide more useful nutritional information than isolated measurements.

Current diet

Whether the animal receives a commercial diet, raw feeding programme or home-prepared nutrition influences expected mineral patterns.

Life stage

Growth, reproduction, ageing and athletic activity substantially affect nutritional requirements.

Environmental exposure

Potential sources of toxic element exposure should be considered alongside laboratory findings.

Trends over time

Repeated testing allows practitioners to observe how nutritional interventions influence mineral patterns across successive growth periods.

This is where HTMA becomes most useful. Rather than presenting isolated laboratory numbers, interpretation translates observed mineral patterns into practical nutritional guidance tailored to the individual animal.

Reliability and limitations

The scientific value of animal HTMA depends largely on laboratory quality rather than simply performing elemental analysis. Reliable testing requires:

standardised sample collection
validated washing procedures
accredited ICP-OES or ICP-MS instrumentation
quality assurance
appropriate reference data
evidence-based interpretation

Animal HTMA cannot:

diagnose disease independently
replace veterinary blood testing where medical assessment is required
determine total body burden of toxic elements with absolute precision
be reliably interpreted using isolated mineral values without considering the broader mineral pattern

External influences such as medicated shampoos, topical treatments, environmental contamination and laboratory washing procedures may affect measured concentrations. These factors should always be considered during interpretation.

Scientific position
Animal Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is best regarded as a non-invasive, trend-oriented monitoring tool for nutritional status and selected toxic element exposure. It should complement — not replace — clinical veterinary assessment.

How an elemental hair test is performed

1
A small sample of hair or fur is collected close to the skin from a standardised body region following laboratory collection instructions.
2
The sample is transported to the laboratory where it undergoes a validated washing procedure designed to remove external contamination while preserving endogenous mineral content.
3
The cleaned sample is digested before elemental analysis using ICP-OES or ICP-MS instrumentation.
4
Measured concentrations are compared with laboratory reference intervals and mineral ratios are calculated.
5
The complete mineral pattern is interpreted together with dietary information, life stage and relevant veterinary history before nutritional recommendations are prepared.

Where elemental hair analysis for pets is available

Hair-based mineral analysis for companion animals is offered by several laboratories and nutritional consultation services internationally. Individual providers differ in:

animal species supported
laboratory methodology
analytical panel
report format
availability of nutritional consultation

One example is PetsDiag, which provides Elemental Hair Analysis for Animals (EHAA) for dogs, cats and horses.

According to publicly available information, the service combines ICP-OES laboratory analysis covering essential nutritional elements and selected toxic elements with an individual nutritional interpretation based on the animal’s diet, life stage and mineral pattern.

Readers interested in learning more can explore the following resources:

Conclusion

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is increasingly used within veterinary nutrition as a complementary tool for evaluating long-term mineral status and selected toxic element exposure.

Unlike blood testing, HTMA reflects mineral incorporation over an extended growth period, providing additional information about nutritional trends rather than acute physiological changes.

Current veterinary literature supports the use of hair as a biological matrix for monitoring minerals and toxic elements in dogs, cats and horses, while also recognising that laboratory quality, appropriate sampling procedures and evidence-based interpretation remain essential for reliable results.

When combined with veterinary assessment, dietary evaluation and repeat testing over time, HTMA can contribute valuable information supporting personalised nutritional management for companion animals.

Editorial note

This article is based on peer-reviewed scientific literature together with publicly available information regarding laboratory methodologies and animal hair mineral analysis services. References to commercial laboratories or testing providers are included solely as factual examples of available services. Their inclusion does not constitute endorsement, recommendation or ranking. Readers should independently evaluate which laboratory or service best matches their own requirements.

References

Concentration of elements in the hair of growing and adult dogs. Italian Journal of Animal Science. 2019. DOI: 10.1080/1828051X.2019.1621687.
Mineral, trace element and toxic metal concentration in hair from dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy controls. PubMed ID: 37025060.
Concentration of Selected Essential and Toxic Trace Elements in Horse Hair as an Important Tool for the Monitoring of Animal Exposure and Health. PubMed Central: PMC9559656.
Mikulewicz M, Chojnacka K, Gedrange T, Górecki H. Reference values of elements in human hair: A systematic review. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology. 2013.
Kempson IM, Lombi E. Hair analysis as a biomonitor for toxicology, disease and health status. Chemical Society Reviews. 2011. PMID: 21468435.
Diet and dog characteristics affect major and trace elements in hair and blood of healthy dogs. PubMed ID: 34741715.
Evaluation of hair analysis for determination of trace mineral status and exposure to toxic heavy metals in horses in the Netherlands. PubMed Central: PMC9597333.
Bass DA, Hickok D, Quig D, Urek K. Trace element analysis in hair: factors determining accuracy, precision and reliability. Alternative Medicine Review. 2001.
Drasch G, Roider G. Assessment of hair mineral analysis commercially offered in Germany. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. 2002. PMID: 11878749.

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute veterinary advice, diagnosis or endorsement of any laboratory.