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- Wisdom Panel Premium is a canine DNA test that identifies the breeds in your dog’s background, and I found the results to be spot on.
- It also examines genetic health conditions, drug sensitivities, immune deficiencies, and bleeding disorders.
- My report showed no genetic predisposition to my currently healthy dog’s health, but the trait tests were not perfect.
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Canine DNA tests, which reveal your dog’s ancestry, have been around for over a decade. Early on, tests required a blood draw from a veterinarian, and sometimes the results were questionable. Today’s cheek swab saliva test kits are much simpler and the test itself is becoming more robust.
My current dog is purebred, so I’ve never been interested in DNA testing him. But Wisdom Health Genetics, the maker of the popular Wisdom Panel DNA test kit (currently $79.99), recently released a new advanced test called the Wisdom Panel Premium. This test not only tells you your dog’s breed or breed mix, but also provides a deeper insight into your dog’s health and genetics. I got curious
Since I often report on pet health topics, a representative from Wisdom Health Genetics called to ask if I would like to try the new Wisdom Panel Premium Test Kit (no strings attached – I was not asked by the company to Write about the product, desirable or otherwise). I gladly accepted.
Jackie Brown/Insider
This test looks for your dog’s genetic predisposition to more than 200 diseases. It can determine your dog’s carrier status for certain genetic disorders and test for more than 25 different drug sensitivities, immune deficiencies, and bleeding disorders. This test also tells you the ideal weight range for your dog based on its body characteristics and pedigree.
I was very curious to know how my 10 year old dog was doing genetically. He’s been relatively healthy his entire life, but you never know what’s hidden in your dog’s DNA. Can I discover that he has the gene for a dangerous disease?
To get a vet’s opinion on canine DNA tests like the Wisdom Panel Premium, I reached out to my colleague Gary Weitzman, DVM, CEO of the San Diego Humane Society, whom I met as a writer for his book National Geographic Complete. A Guide to Pet Health, Behavior and Happiness: A Veterinarian’s Approach to Animal Care at Home.”
“When DNA tests were first introduced in 2007, the results were more like a dart hitting the target rather than hitting a bull,” Weitzman said. But today’s tests are much more precise. They can distinguish hundreds of breeds and more than 20,000 genetic markers.
“This information can provide valuable information about important health screening data,” Weitzman said. “This is useful as a starting point for a conversation between you and your veterinarian.”
How to collect your dog’s DNA
The test was fairly simple to use, but I read the instructions several times before starting. It is very important to follow them exactly to avoid contaminating the sample. For example, your dog should not eat anything within two hours of swabbing. I swabbed my dog, let each one dry, put them in the accompanying sleeve and box already shown and postage paid, then sealed it. I also visited the website to activate my kit before putting the box in the mail. easy to cook
Jackie Brown/Insider
Test results
Ten days later, I received an email when my dog’s test results were ready. Hearing that his DNA results were back was much more exciting than I had anticipated. I hurriedly clicked on the link and was taken to a custom page with all his results.
The first and most important part of race is DNA testing. Now, I know my dog is a purebred miniature poodle, and he has many generations of poodles in his pedigree. Had this part of the results been off, my skepticism radar would have thrown up, but the results showed that my Miniature Poodle was actually 63% Toy Poodle, 31% Miniature Poodle, and 6% Medium Poodle.
For those who don’t know, poodles are a breed with three sizes in the US (toy, miniature and standard). Other parts of the world recognize the fourth (medium) size variety. It is quite common for my pure miniature poodle DNA results to come back with a variety of smaller poodle sizes. Since everyone is a poodle, I call this part of the test 100% accurate.
If my dog was mixed breed, finding out the breeds in his background could also be beneficial health wise.
“It’s fun to learn more about your dog’s breed,” Weitzman said. But knowing your dog’s breed(s) can also help identify common breed-related diseases that you and your vet can monitor for.
The next part of the results was related to health screenings. This was the part I was most interested in. I was a little excited to see that the test did not detect any known genetic predisposition in my dog’s DNA. Relief!
Of course, this does not mean that my dog is immune to any future diseases, whether genetically related or not. But it was great news to learn that nothing alarming was found among the 211 tests performed.
Jackie Brown/Insider
Finally, Wisdom Panel Premium includes 39 genetic trait tests, including coat color, pattern, length and texture. skin pigment; eye color; ear type; foot length; And for other traits most of these results were accurate except for ear type (the test said “probably pointed ears” but my dog - like all poodles – has droopy ears) and coat type (the test said “sometimes sheds” But as a poodle, he doesn’t shed.
This test also determines the ideal weight for your dog – an interesting concept. Result My dog said his ideal weight range is 11.9 to 22.9 pounds. He weighs exactly 22 pounds and is considered a healthy weight by his vet, so I’d say that was about right.
Is it worth it?
Wisdom Panel Premium isn’t cheap, but it gives you valuable information you might not otherwise know about your dog’s history and health. It’s worth noting that with Embark’s comparable but more expensive DNA test (regular price $199, currently $149), your report includes every relative of your dog found in Embark’s database, along with a family tree.
Pet owners who are primarily curious about their dog’s ancestry may prefer the less expensive Wisdom Panel Essential, which tells you the breeds in your dog’s background and identifies genetic traits such as ideal body weight. Finding the breeds in your mixed dog heritage is not only fun, but can also provide useful health information.
Jackie Brown
freelance writer
Pet expert Jackie Brown has spent 20 years pursuing her passion for animals as a writer and editor in the pet industry. Her expertise includes canine and feline health, care, nutrition, nutrition, grooming, behavior and training. Jackie writes regularly for pet and veterinary industry media, including Dogster and Catster magazines, The Spruce Pets, Great Pet Care and All About Cats. He is the co-author of National Geographic’s Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness and the author of It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Expressions. She is the editor of Dogster and Catster magazines, and the former editor of numerous pet magazines, including Dog World, Natural Dog, Puppies 101, Kittens 101, and the Popular Cats Series. Jackie received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California, Irvine. Prior to her publishing career, she spent eight years working in veterinary hospitals, where she helped veterinarians rescue dogs, cats, rabbits, pocket pets, reptiles, birds, and a memorable lion cub. treat He lives in Southern California with his wife, two sons, and his miniature poodle, Jagger, whom he raises at home. Jackie can be reached at jackiebrownwriter.wordpress.com. Learn more about how our Insider team of experts test and review products here. Read more Read less
