Having a human medical background might not always be the best thing when caring for a special needs pet… My medical side is always wanting to know each and every detail on why Beignet is going through everything she’s been through. When she was so sick a month ago, I was on Chewy.com ordering some things for her when an ad for the Embark Dog DNA test came up. From what I read, it was created at a vet school and tests for over 170 different medical conditions. At the time before her pentoxyfilline had kicked in, I wasn’t sure she would survive. I’m also almost certain she could help the future of veterinary medicine in some way. The thought that she could get a genetic diagnosis that could either explain some of what we’ve been through and/or help treat her was too much to resist.
Her kit arrived and I swabbed her mouth and sent it back in several weeks ago. I was embarrassed to tell my vet that I did it. However, he was actually excited that I had done it! We received her results last week which I’m going to attach below. Testing can not only help you determine a genetic predisposition to many conditions, but also can help you discover exactly what breed your Rescue pup is! If you decide you want to test your dog, PLEASE PLEASE use Beignet’s referral code by clicking this link – https://www.talkable.com/x/3mHvwl. You will get $25 off!
First, Embark confirmed she is 100.0% DACHSHUND!!! I guess it might be embarrassing if she wasn’t being that our site is all about being a diabetic dachshund! The test shows that she has a low normal ALT (liver enzyme) so even increases within normal range could indicate liver damage… I, of course, have gone back through some of her labs to look at her previous ALT’s more closely. This gene in no way causes liver damage though. Essentially the rest of her test was unremarkable. Scientists from Embark have emailed me and will use her history to help with future dog DNA discoveries. All in all, I’m really glad I did it! I think knowing the ALT part alone was worth the cost of the test. It kind of made me giggle when it said you could reunite your dog with his/her relatives. Can you imagine if I contacted Beignet’s relatives to request a meet up so that she could meet her biological family?? I also discovered that Beignet’s “WOLFINESS SCORE” is higher than most dog… Most dogs are <1% wolfy and my Bennie is 4.3%. Here’s a link to her profile for anyone interested: http://embk.me/beignet12 and to her vet report:
Hope you enjoyed! And don’t forget to use our link for $25 off if you decide to do DNA testing on your dog!
http://www.talkable.com/x/3mHvwl.
Sincerely,
Devoted Doxie Mom
Diary of a Diabetic Dachshund 