Pet owners are getting their furry friends DNA tested to discover if they have a deadly disease, what their ancestral background is and even discover if they have a greedy gene.
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Cathryn Mellersh, head of canine genetics at the [charity Animal Health Trust], explained: “Our focus is on health and preventing disease. For dog breeders, having their animals DNA tested, which you only need to do once in their lifetime, is responsible because it means they can make sensible breeding decisions.
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“Our most recent DNA test is for a mutation that has been shown to make a dog more interested in food, more greedy and more likely to become obese,” she says. “Think labradors and flat-coated retrievers.
“We’re aiming that test really at the dog owner and in particular the puppy buyer. If you know your puppy has two copies of that mutation, on average they are about 4kg heavier than dogs without the mutation.
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Pet DNA testing can also be undertaken for more lighthearted reasons.
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“A new company…Embark, will tell you where the dog’s ancestors came from. Certain breeds were developed in Asia, some Africa. DNA has quite distinct signatures.”
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Dog owners can now give pets a DNA test to see if their pooch overeats
