DNA testing available for pets

By KATIE MATZ, Times Leader Staff Writer
A 10-MONTH-OLD puppy, better known as Murray, began his stay in the Belmont County Animal Shelter as a stray canine, desperately in need of a home.

After being diagnosed with parvo, an extremely contagious virus, he was hospitalized at the New Horizon Animal Hospital in St. Clairsville. There, he found, not only the medical attention he needed, but also, his identity.

Murray is one of first three dogs in the area to take advantage of the Wisdom Panel MX, which is a DNA test that gives insight into a dog’s breed, appearance, genetics and personality.

Manufactured by Mars Veterinary Incorporated, the Wisdom Panel MX was initiated within the last month and allows pet owners to inquire about breeding information regarding their dog from the 130 different types of American Kennel Club recognized breeds.

Caroline Anderson, receptionist at New Horizon and the proud owner of Murray, was taken aback by Murray’s appearance, so she also decided to test him using the procedure. After which, she discovered that his dominant ancestry stems from breeds including boxer, bull terrier, chihuahua, Labrador retriever, and Lhasa Apso. There were also faint signals from other breeds in his blood which were not strong enough to be identified.

“Most people do it because their dog looks so different, so they’re just curious,” Anderson said. “I think it’s nice to be able to put a name to the dog.”

Although some pet owners have this test performed on their dogs out of curiosity, the Wisdom Panel MX can also help detect, not only behavioral problems, but also any predisposed illnesses that certain breeds of dogs are more prone to develop.

For the price of $150, a client can set up an appointment at New Horizon where the veterinarian will take a simple blood sample. From there, the animal hospital ships it to Mars Veterinary at which point it takes only two to four weeks to receive customized results and review the type of mix or mixes that were determined by their database.

Murray discovered, like any individual is his own person, in this case, he is his own dog.

Whether or not a puppy will be of a mix consisting of many breeds like Murray, doggy DNA will provide crucial information concerning the canine’s historical background and a lifetime of valuable information for the pet owner.

Anderson said, noting that mixed-breed dogs from shelters make great pets, “This is important because I’m very passionate about shelter dogs. Murray turned out to be the best!”

For more information on Wisdom Panel MX, call New Horizon at (740) 695-VETS or visit WisdomPanel.com.

Matz may be reached at kmatz@timesleaderonline.com