There's a very poor article at K9 Magazine about the differences in DNA testing for dogs. I commend them for trying to clear up the confusion (if any exists), but I think they only succeed in causing more confusion.

DNA and Dogs - What Do You Want to Know?
Posted By Ryan O'Meara Date: 25/02 Posted Under: Dog Articles, Dog Health, Pet Health, Pet Industry, Sponsored Editorial
written by Karen Clark-Stapleton of EuroBichons.com

Ok so where did genetics all begin, it had to start somewhere and Mendel, the first person to trace the characteristics of successive generations of a living thing, was not a world-renowned scientist of his day. Rather, he was an Augustinian monk who taught natural science to high school students. He was the second child of Anton and Rosine Mendel, farmers in Brunn, Moravia.

Medical problems can turn “Puppy Love” into “Buyer’s Hell! But medical problems can be avoided with DNA and other testing. Many breeders are very confused as to what DNA screening /profiling is and more importantly readily available to them from a variety of resources.

So far, so good…but I'm not sure any breeders are actually confused. Breeders should know these things. It's actually not very complicated.

There are two kinds of DNA testing. The first kind you do with a cheek swab. It looks at gene sequences and is used for identification purposes. It can tell you if your Max is the son of Jake and Belle…or if Sam is the father. If you have a mixed breed dog this kind of testing can tell you some of the breeds in your dog's genetic make-up. This kind of DNA testing is like a snapshot of your dog's DNA. It's a genetic fingerprint. It's nice to have and useful for some things, but it can't tell you anything about your dog's health.

The other kind of DNA testing requires blood to be drawn and submitted for specialized health testing. These tests look for specific genes which indicate the presence or absence of a genetic health problem. There are so many tests, and many of them are specific to certain breeds, that no one can have all genetic testing performed on a single dog. There could be hundreds of tests. You have to choose which genetic tests would be likely to apply to your dog based on his breed and health background.

DNA health testing has already helped to practically elminate or control some diseases. Irish Setters, for example, are afflicted with Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), a serious eye disease which can produce blind puppies if two carrier dogs are bred together. By using DNA tests dogs which are clear and carriers have been identified and there is never any need for carriers to be bred together. The disease has been virtually eliminated.

Kennel clubs are moving toward requiring breeders to use DNA as a means of identifying dogs used for breeding. The AKC already requires "frequently used" stud dogs (dogs which are bred more than seven times) to have DNA profiles on file; imported dogs and a few others must also have DNA profiles done to meet AKC registry requirements.

Using DNA as part of health testing is very useful. The more tests we have which can find specific genetic markers for diseases, the better. Unfortunately, it's hard to find those markers. Even when researchers find the markers there is no guarantee that there is a cure. That's why funding health research for dogs is so important. Not every health problem is as simple as identifying clears and carriers.

There's lots of information online about dogs and DNA. One of the best places to look for more information about dog diseases, health, and advances in canine genetic research is the AKC Canine Health Foundation. If you live in the Ohio area the Canine Health Foundation has an upcoming Breeders' Symposium at Ohio State University. Although they're called breeders' symposiums these two-day conferences actually cover all kinds of dog health and genetic topics. This event will cover the following topics:

"The ABC's of Breeding" with Claudia Orlandi, PhD; Urinary Incontinence with Mary McLoughlin, DVM, DACVS; Canine Ophthalmology with David Wilkie, DVM, DACVO; Inherited, Congenital & Acquired Heart Disease with John Bonagura, DVM, DACVIM; Orthopedic Disease with Laura Nelson, DVM, MS; a course on Canine Behavior with Traci Shreyer; Renal Disease with Dennis Chew, DVM, DACVIM; a course in Parasites with Cliff Monahan, DVM, Phd; and Nutrition with Ana Hill, DVM, PhD, among others.

They're great events if you have an interest in these topics.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 25th, 2008 at 7:57 am and is filed under Dog Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.