Post By Dr. Cindy Carter
Chiweenie? Corgiedoodle? Coton de Pekingnese? Do you ever wonder just what in the world kind of dog you have? Most of us don’t have an AKC registered pet. We adopt from shelters, Craigslist, or even rescue our best friend from the side of the road. In many cases we can guess fairly accurately what the prominent breed in our pet’s lineage is, but often the mix is more of a mystery. Lucky for us we live in the 21st Century, a time of Apple pay and Google; it only make sense that we should have come up with accurate DNA testing for dogs, right?!
There are lots of at-home test you can perform that take a cheek swab for analysis, with variable accuracy, but the most reliable results come from blood testing. At Paz Vet we are using the Royal Canin Genetic Health Analysis. The panel compares your pet’s DNA against an ever-growing database of genetic markers from more than 250 breeds, mostly those found in the AKC registry. So unless you’ve got a rare dingo pup they should be able to determine your pet’s general breed make-up. What’s more, the Royal Canin labs are USDA-accredited and their results are proven 99% accurate, and they are constantly testing more pure-bred dogs to add to their database to make it more fine-tuned.
It’s not only fun just to know what kind of dog you have, but also a very helpful guide in creating a tailored health plan for your pet. For example, Dachshunds are at risk for back disease, Labradors are more prone to arthritis, and Cavaliers may develop heart murmurs and valve disease. When you know your pet’s ancestry it can help prepare you for their possible future health issues, as well as give us as their health care providers more information about how to implement preventative medicine such as supplements or special diets.
Besides the fun of knowing exactly what breed markers your pet carries, a lot can be learned from DNA testing. The Genetic Health Analysis tests for over 140 different diseases your pet may develop later in life, as well as detecting mutations of the MDR1 gene which can change the absorption of certain drugs in herding breed dogs. This information can direct your veterinarian in knowing if certain medications wouldn’t be safe for your pet. The panel also gives an expected weight range (very useful for puppies) and age of adulthood and seniority (differs between breeds and sizes of dogs).
Not sold yet? Well here’s a few examples of some dogs we’ve tested from Paz Vet!!
Tippy – Portuguese Water dog, Lab, Shar Pei mix
Joey Byerlotzer – Lab, Bichon Frise mix
If you have any questions about the DNA testing available at Paz Vet, feel free to give us a call or bring it up at your next wellness visit!
