This week is going so fast and has been so busy that I almost missed my Wednesday post.  It’s 7:44 pm and I still have time!  I found an interesting article in an “Eating Well” magazine this week titled “What Can a DNA Test Actually Reveal About My Dog?  My sister and I grew up taking in stray dogs and cats over the years and were always taking a guess as to what breed or breeds we actually had.  

Pros of conducting a DNA test for your dog:​

• This can help you and your vet determine the best course of action for treating ailments and sickness.
• There are two popular tests from Wisdom Panel and Embark.
• Priced from $60 and up, the tests are available online and at many pet supply retail stores. All of the kits test DNA via a cheek swab sampling, except for the most expensive, Mars Veterinary’s Wisdom Panel Professional, which requires a blood test at a veterinarian’s office (call your local veterinarian for pricing).
• Some tests can screen up to 160 genetic markers of health conditions, including exercise-induced collapse, bladder stones and multi drug resistance gene commonly found in herding breeds.
• You can look at certain breed characteristics and determine the best course of action for exercise and enrichment activities.

Cons of conducting a DNA test for your dog:

• These DNA tests can cost up to $200.
• Because the science behind these tests is always evolving, these tests can only detect known genetic mutations at the time of the screening.
• If something does turn up, it doesn’t mean your dog will get it.
• There are more than 340 known dog Breeds in the world and some companies have nearly all of them in their database while others don’t.
• Some tests can have different results from different tests.
• Some vets don’t agree with DNA testing due unreliability.  If you dog has many different breeds, the test may not be able to determine all breeds.  

If anyone has ever done a DNA test on their dog, write in and let me know.  I would love to hear all about it!

“I had to include this picture which is one of my favorites of Jake and Maggie”.  “Besides having AKC registration papers, I knew these sweet faces were my Two Adorable Labs”!