We advise that swab samples are collected at least 2 hours after the dog has eaten anything to avoid potential contamination, so this may affect at what age a sample can be collected from a puppy. In addition, obtaining high quality samples is difficult from very young and small dogs. We therefore suggest that puppies are at least 3-4 weeks old when swab samples are collected.
FAQ Category: General
Can I buy a specific test if my breed is not listed on that test?
Yes. We try to list all the breeds for which there is published, scientific evidence of segregating a specific variant, or which we have observed ourselves. However, in many cases the segregation of a variant in some breeds may go unreported. We therefore will sell any test to any breed, if that is what the customer wants. During test kit activation you may get a warning to inform you that your breed is not listed on the test, but that is for your information only.
What does ‘Activate your swab kit’ mean?
When you purchase your tests the only information you provide is how many dogs you need to test, and therefore how many swab kits you need. To save trees and to make our service more efficient, instead of sending out a paper sample submission form with your kit for you to fill in we ask that you fill in a electronic submission form. We call this process ‘Activation’.
How do you decide which tests to offer?
Developing DNA tests that are accurate and reliable can be a challenging process as any reliable test should be validated using samples from dogs with known genotypes for target variant, and these can be difficult to acquire.
During the first weeks and months of service we are prioritising the development of disease tests that were previously offered by the Genetic Services team at the Animal Health Trust, before it closed down in July 2020. After that we will start to develop DNA tests for non-disease traits and profiling/parentage verification.
We won’t develop tests that you, our valued customer, does not want. So please do Get in Touch if you would like us to consider developing a particular test.
I have a question not listed here
We have tried to make our FAQs as informative and helpful as possible, but we If you still have a question or query please Get in Touch and we will be happy to help in any way we can.
We look forward to hearing from you!
