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Veterinary Practice News Editorial Blog:
Thursday, May 1, 2008
It's All in the Mix
Marissa Heflin
Senior News Editor of Vetpracticenews.com and Veterinary Practice News
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| Chance recently underwent a DNA-based mixed breed analysis to determine his linkeage. |
Well I was wrong…partly.
Chance, my 90-pound mixed-breed dog, is not German shepherd, Rottweiler and Akita like I previously thought. (Blog entry March 4, “Breeding a Tailored Wellness Plan.”) He is German shepherd, Doberman pinscher and Samoyed, among some other undetectable breeds.
The results come from Mars Veterinary’s Wisdom Panel MX, a DNA-based mixed-breed analysis test for dogs, which was rolled out nationally in veterinary hospitals last year.
The shepherd I get. I can see it in his pricked ears, long wedge-shaped muzzle and stance. I can even recognize some Doberman characteristics, such as his coloring and lean legs. But I must admit, the Samoyed, a white dog less than 50 pounds, threw me for a loop.
However, when I read the company’s customized report about his breed-based behavioral profiles, things started to come together.
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| Three breeds were revealed in Chance's DNA analysis: German shepherd, Doberman pinscher and Samoyed. |
Chance is very intelligent, watchful, has great strength and is sometimes protective around other pets or people, all behavioral characteristics of shepherds and Dobermans. Chance is also very playful, social around people and extremely stubborn, behavioral characteristics of a Samoyed.
I was working with Mars Veterinary not only to fulfill my driving curiosity but to also know what breed he is from a medical standpoint.
My veterinarian, Dr. Melisa Hicks at Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital in Signal Hill, Calif., said that although there isn’t a need to change Chance’s health care plan at this time, it is very beneficial to know what health issues he is predisposed to.
For example, German shepherds are prone to hip dysplasia and Dobermans are susceptible to cardiomyopathy. Knowing this will make us both aware of what clinical signs to look for.
Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital has tested a few other dogs as well. In most cases, the results were close to what the dog owner anticipated, Dr. Hicks said. However, they were happy to be able to pinpoint their dog’s characteristics to a particular breed.
Chance and I were on our daily walk the other evening when a man stopped me and asked what breed he is.
I smiled and said, “Well, he’s German shepherd, Doberman pinscher and Samoyed. Can you see it?”
“Hmm,” he said. “I guess I do.”
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