After the publication of the first dog genome in 2005, research into dog genetics exploded and over the years has led to the discovery of over four hundred disease causing mutations and counting. The majority of these mutations have been found in a single or small number of breeds and demonstrated to progress to disease only in the breed studied. With the increased popularity and use of genetic testing over the years, it has been shown that some of these mutations may be found in other breeds other than the ones included in the original research study. The real issue is that the potential for disease progression due to the mutation remains unknown for breeds other than the one included in the original research. So, just because another breed carries the mutation, does not mean that they will progress to disease.
In the early days of the dog genetic testing industry, every test was performed individually and typically only on a breed known to have the mutation and have the potential to suffer from the genetic disease. With the advancement of diagnostic testing, technologies like microarrays became available that were capable of testing for a large number of mutations in a single sample. With the large number of dog disease causing mutations being discovered, it seemed like a good approach to test for every mutation in every breed. It has now become clear that there are significant drawbacks to this testing approach that include accuracy, cost and speed.
In terms of accuracy, we are referring to the clinical relevance of the test and not the accuracy of the test itself. Because many of the mutations being detected in dogs are breed specific, it is highly likely that a dog from any other breed will test clear of the mutation. In the rare situation where a dog tests positive for having a mutation not known to be found in their breed, there is not a way to predict the clinical disease outcome for a breed that was not included in the original research. With lots of unneeded and potentially misleading test results, this can make breeding and health care decisions more difficult and confusing.
Besides clinical relevance, the other impacts of testing for a large number of mutations in a single sample include cost and time to result. It is more costly to test for a large number of mutations than a single or small number of mutations. Unless a large number of tests are applicable to a breed which is not typical, the individual testing approach is almost always the more cost effective way to go. To determine how cost effective a testing approach is, just take the total price and divide it by the actual number of tests you need. In many instances, individual testing is the more cost effective approach. With the increased complexity of testing for many mutations, the time to get your result is also typically longer than individual testing. Testing for many mutations has more steps to the testing process and typically takes weeks versus days for individual testing.
Both the AKC and breed clubs recommend breeders perform DNA tests that are relevant to their breed and we agree. At GenSol, we believe that testing for mutations and breed conditions that do not apply to your breed is irrelevant, confusing, and wasteful. That is the reason why we introduced breed specific customizable panels that allow you to test for only what you need with a process that is fast, accurate, and affordable. You can start with our breed specific recommended tests and pick only the tests that meet your needs. We believe this is the best way for us to support better breeding and health decisions.
Visit our Breed List to see what we offer for your breed.