If you are a dog breeder, it is essential to ensure the health and genetic integrity of your dogs. Thankfully, this has become much more affordable and accurate through a few advancements in dog genetic testing. Once a rather laborious process, genetic testing has recently seen a rise in fully customizable genetic testing panels that allow breeders to customize a panel based on a specific breed.
Yet, what exactly does this mean, and what options are available? Here is a breakdown of how a genetic testing panel can benefit your breeding program and the specific options available from the team at GenSol, offering fast, accurate, and affordable genetic testing panels.
Why Customizable Genetic Testing Panels?
Many canine genetic testing companies offer panels that test for a wide range of tests. Yet, this often fails to provide helpful feedback, as many of these may not be relevant to your breed or your unique breeding program. That’s where customizable genetic testing panels are different.
Ultimately, by being “customizable” these panels can provide flexibility to a breeder to select specific tests that are relevant to the breeds they work with. Furthermore, through customization, breeders can avoid unnecessary tests making the genetic testing process more efficient and extremely cost-effective. This targeted approach allows breeders to focus on identifying genetic disorders, traits, and markers that are particularly important for their dogs.
Common Genetic Tests for Dogs
Ultimately, genetic testing encompasses a wide range of categories. These include tests for hereditary diseases, coat color, and physical traits. Here’s a quick breakdown of these categories:
1. Hereditary Disease Tests
Much like any living thing, hereditary diseases can significantly impact a dog’s health and quality of life. Thankfully, by identifying carriers or affected dogs, breeders can not only make informed breeding decisions but also help treat diseases early. For more information on the goal of genetic testing in healthier breeding, check out our blog here!
While some hereditary diseases are unique across certain breeds, here are a few of the most common:
- Von Willebrand Disease (VWD): A condition that affects blood clotting.
- Degenerative Myelopathy (DM): A progressive disease of the spinal cord in older dogs.
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): A group of genetic diseases causing blindness.
2. Coat Color and Physical Trait Tests
While a little less important than identifying potential diseases in the genetic makeup of your puppies, understanding the genetics behind coat color and other physical traits can help dog breeders predict the appearance of future litters. Some of the most common tests include:
- Coat Color: Tests for various coat colors and patterns such as merle, chocolate/brown/liver, and dilution genes.
- Coat Type: Tests for traits like curly or straight hair, long or short hair, and the presence of furnishings or facial hair.
Customizing Your Panel
When it’s time to build your custom panel, it is important to start by assessing your breeding goals and the history of your dog breed. This can highlight any risks surrounding your future puppies and allow you to determine which genetic tests would be the most important to include. GenSol offers an extensive test catalog that can help you understand certain tests as well as what your results mean.
GenSol – Fast, Accurate, and Affordable Genetic Testing
In conclusion, customizable genetic testing panels are a powerful tool for any dog breeder. By selecting tests that align with your dog breed, you can ensure the future health of your dogs. Whether you’re simply testing for coat color, or making sure the genetic health of your puppies remain intact, genetic testing panels provide the flexibility and accuracy you need to support successful breeding programs.
Here at GenSol, we pride ourselves in offering fully customizable breed-specific dog DNA panels that are fast, accurate, and affordable. Looking to know the genetic traits of your dogs? Create your custom dog DNA panel today!