CreScent Service Dogs Inc.

11/12/2024

29/11/2024

🍁 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 🍁 ⁣
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I’m thankful every day for these three beautiful pups, the joy and laughter they bring me, the fun adventures together, the cuddles, and of course their super sniffers finding gluten everywhere it tries to hide. ⁣
💜🌙 💖🧜🏻‍♀️ 🩵💜✨

07/11/2024

If you have Celiac disease or any other medical reason for maintaining a gluten free diet, please avoid Trader Joe’s “gluten free” oats. Consider following Gluten Free Watchdog for updates on this ongoing issue.

Open letter to Trader Joe’s about their “gluten-free” rolled oats on behalf of the Gluten Free Watchdog community

Dear Trader Joe’s,

In September of 2024, Gluten Free Watchdog commissioned testing on 6 bags of Trader Joe’s gluten-free rolled oats. Results ranged from < 5 parts per million to 120 parts per million of gluten. These results were shared with you but you have chosen to not respond.

We also tested a bag of Trader Joe’s gluten-free rolled oats and Trader Joe’s organic gluten-free rolled oats with ancient grains and seeds that were part of a consumer illness report. The gluten-free rolled oats tested from 66 parts per million to > 80 parts per million of gluten. The organic gluten-free rolled oats with ancient grains and seeds tested from 42 parts per million to > 80 parts per million of gluten.

Gluten Free Watchdog also commissioned testing on Trader Joe’s gluten-free rolled oats in 2022. Results ranged from < 5 parts per million to > 80 parts per million of gluten. Your reply stated that you had no reason to believe your product was mislabeled. As “proof” you provided lot-specific test results for the batch tested by Gluten Free Watchdog. This “proof” consisted of your third-party lab testing one single extraction from the entire lot of oats.

You state on your bags of gluten-free rolled oats that the oats are “pure, gluten-free oats—grown in dedicated oat fields and packaged in a gluten-free facility.” If this is what you believe to be an accurate characterization of the oats in this product, you may want to request more information from your suppliers. The oats you are receiving contain gluten at levels not allowed in foods labeled gluten-free. Continuing to ignore the test results provided to you by Gluten Free Watchdog—testing done by an ISO accredited lab that specializes in testing food for gluten–is putting your customers with celiac disease at risk.

Maybe this is something you should care about.

Tricia Thompson, MS, RD

Founder, Gluten Free Watchdog, LLC

10/05/2024

https://www.theceliacsociety.org/glutendetectiondogs

This position statement on gluten detection dogs by the Society for the Study of Celiac Disease (SSCD) was recently shared with me. As the CreScent owner, professional dog trainer, and an individual with Celiac disease, I felt it important to address each of the concerns they raise, as they are all very valid. Despite their valid concerns, the entire statement comes across as a cherry picking fallacy.⁣
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0️⃣ I want to preface my responses to their concerns by saying I believe that a gluten detection service dog is 𝗻𝗼𝘁 for everyone with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, or anyone required to live a gluten free lifestyle. The primary standard of care for people managing a gluten free lifestyle consisting of reading labels, calling food and pharmaceutical manufacturers, and advocating for oneself at restaurants and family gatherings is, and should always be, the first "tool" in the toolbox of managing one's Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, or any other medically necessary reason to avoid ingesting or consuming gluten. ⁣
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1️⃣ ”𝗚𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀" - the SSCD position statement claims that gluten is a colorless and odorless protein. While I freely admit that I do not know if this is accurate, as they do not link a source for this information, I also acknowledge that it is unknown what, exactly, dogs trained to detect gluten are detecting. Anyone claiming otherwise is not being truthful, and it is something I discuss with all clients and prospective clients. Training dogs on wheat, rye and barley gluten as their target odors, I can say, that they are detecting something that is distinct from other gluten free grains and other foods. Observing dogs searching for wheat gluten looks very different from observing dogs searching for tree nut odor, or essential oils use for scent sports, or their handler’s scent. Those other odors certainly appear to be much easier for the dogs to find than gluten. ⁣
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They mention several industry standard methods for detecting gluten, some down to 5 ppm, and link to an article that discusses those methods. But most are not available to be used by the general public. However, devices such as the Nima sensor, Allergy Amulet or EZ Gluten test kits are also helpful in checking whether foods are gluten free. It is surprising that the SSCD position statement did not mention any of these devices as a secondary tool for managing a gluten free lifestyle. Nor did I find a position statement about those devices. I view gluten detection service dogs as a similar, secondary “tool,” for managing a gluten free lifestyle. A service dog should never replace the first line of action to avoid gluten.⁣
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2️⃣ “𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻” - it is true that there are no current guidelines or tests to ensure the accuracy of gluten detection dogs. I was a co-founder of ODOR Service Dogs several years ago, where we drafted a test to help pave the way for testing some level of accuracy and expectations of performance of gluten detection dogs. It is not an industry standard, or a certification, and there are likely flaws with it, but it exists as a starting point. Like all areas of dog training, there is no one right way to train gluten detection. But cherry picking one trainer’s website with misleading information claiming these dogs detect down to 1 ppm of gluten is also unfair. If the SSCD had viewed the CreScent website FAQs, I clearly state that anyone claiming dogs’ abilities to detect gluten to any specific level or ppm is just not true as we currently have no way to confirm this. We do not know the lower threshold of detection that dogs are capable of for gluten. Full stop. But we do know dogs are capable of detecting some kinds of odors in parts per trillion. This is an area in which I would love to see more academic research.⁣
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3️⃣ “𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝗮𝘀” - this is probably, in my opinion, the most important concern they raise, and it is a concern I explain to all my clients and prospective clients. 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴’𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. While CreScent trainers do our best to teach our clients what to look for and how to avoid handler bias, it will always be present. It is such an important topic, that it is mentioned in the CreScent website FAQs. SSCD also mentions the negative consequences of extreme vigilance to a gluten free lifestyle, and, again is a very valid concern, one which is not directly related to having a gluten detection service dog or using a gluten sensor, because that hyper vigilance can be present without these secondary tools.⁣
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4️⃣ “𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀” - while it is true that traditional washing methods work, it is also important to add the caveat that the detergent used to wash kitchen equipment, tools, cooking surfaces, dishes, utensils, etc., should be gluten free. As should any sponges or dish rags used for washing those items, and any towels use for drying those items. If there is gluten on any of those tools used for washing/drying, then cross contact can happen. I have also been told by several Gastroenterologists to avoid Teflon coated cooking tools and cast iron pans, as they can transmit gluten despite using proper cleaning methods. Beyond Celiac has a great article about cross contact, and discusses sponges and dish rags that can be a source of cross contact.⁣
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5️⃣ “𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀” - here SSCD reiterates that the first line of action in living a gluten free lifestyle consists of reading labels and contacting food (and pharmaceutical - I added this) manufacturers. I agree that this is, and should remain, the first line of action, regardless of whether someone also chooses to use a gluten sensor or test kit or a gluten detection dog. Although, once again, SSCD fails to mention those gluten sensors and test kits that are available to the general public.⁣
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6️⃣ “𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀” - SSCD is correct that there is a huge time and financial commitment to caring for a gluten detection service dog. A gluten/allergen detection service dog, whether owner trained or purchased as a trained and finished service dog, will require a lifetime of maintenance training, as well as a lifetime of health care and additional training and activities to meet their needs and provide for their wellbeing. As I previously stated, a service dog is not for everyone. Once again, SSCD failed to mention gluten sensing devices here, although they also require an ongoing financial investment.⁣
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💬 What are your thoughts about gluten detection dogs?

The Society for the Study of Celiac Disease is committed to supporting medical practitioners to provide the highest quality of care and support to individuals diagnosed with celiac disease. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the use of gluten-sniffing dogs to assist individuals with....

26/02/2024