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Dog DNA testing takes off, and generates debate
As people peer into DNA for clues to health and heritage, man's best friend is under the microscope, too.
Genetic testing for dogs has surged in recent years, fueled by companies that echo popular at-home tests for humans, offering a deep dive into a pet's genes with the swab of a canine cheek. More than a million dogs have been tested in little over a decade.
The tests' rise has stirred debate about standards, interpretation and limitations. But to many dog owners, DNA is a way to get to know their companions better.
What Vets Think of '23andMe for Dogs'
When Mars Petcare launched its first DNA test for dogs, in 2007, you could only get it through a vet. The breed-mix test required a blood draw, and Mars thought vets could help interpret the results for inquiring dog owners. But veterinarians, it turned out, weren't so keen on newfangled DNA tests then.
"We struggled with vets," says Angela Hughes, the veterinary-genetics research manager at Mars' Wisdom Health division. "There's a lot of demand out there, but sometimes the vet is a little more a hindrance than a help." So in 2009, after a technical change that allowed Mars to extract DNA from saliva instead of from blood, the company switched gears: It sold its Wisdom Panel test directly to customers.
Since then, the direct-to-dog-owner market has become bigger and more crowded: Embark, DNA My Dog, and Paw Print Genetics are just a few of the other companies eager to ship a cheek swab straight to your door.
[...] It can be tough for veterinarians to figure out what to do with these DNA results—especially when some test providers are scrupulous and others less so. "It's a little bit of a perfect storm of a slightly Wild West behavior," Aimee Llewellyn-Zaidi says. "Who are these genetic-test providers? There's no standards. There's no regulations. There's no independent assessing body." Llewellyn-Zaidi is the project director for the Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs, a genetic database attempting to bring some order to the world of dog-DNA tests for health. "Veterinarians are rushing to catch up," she says. "Consumers are just going ahead and using the tests."
(Score: 2) by bradley13 on Tuesday February 12 2019, @12:10PM (3 children)
There is so much going on in the dog world - some good and some bad - that it's hard to take a stand on something like this.
If you have a mutt, it might be interesting to know what all is in the mix. More curiousity than anything else.
If you have a purebred, from a breed with known potential problems, a good breeder should already be ensuring that those traits don't make it into the puppies. The dog owner shouldn't really have to worry about this.
If you have a purebred from a bad breeder? This should not happen, because you should check out your breeder before buying. Otherwise, you're likely to get what you deserve...
And for too many breeds, even the good breeders are part of the problem. So many breeds have been deliberately bred to be defective. Just a few examples:
And on and on, breed after breed. Sure, a DNA test may show that Fluffy doesn't have a heart problem, but Fluffy's entire breed is a genetic wasteland. Much of the dog-show and breeding world is guilty of deliberate animal cruelty.
There are breeds with fewer problems; these are mostly the working breeds that haven't been pushed in some weird cosmetic direction.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday February 12 2019, @01:09PM (2 children)
Incidentally, after reading the summary twice, I still don't understand what the problem is such that genetic testing is the solution unless it's an admission that the dog breeding world is a cesspit of cruelty and vanity. In which case, genetic tests are not the solution, nuking it from orbit is the solution.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 12 2019, @02:00PM
Build the wall to keep out the chihuahuas. It will be a small wall so it should be much cheaper.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by VLM on Tuesday February 12 2019, @02:30PM
Slight correction that its the dog buying world demanding superficial stuff, and extreme optimization for feature A will probably result in inferior results for unoptimized feature Z.
Sorta like the human gene editing thing; we'd like to think people would breed for heart disease resistance, but you know it would end in a cesspool of boob size optimization and similar.