Neogen Corporation announced today that it has launched Igenity® Canine Wellness, a preventative care DNA screening tool for veterinarians.
Genetic background can influence health, physical traits and behavior in dogs. Igenity Canine Wellness addresses this by predicting a percentage of the heritable component for relatively common, actionable diseases. Awareness of genetic risks allows veterinary professionals to make more informed recommendations on diet, diagnostic screening, and lifestyle to enable a longer and happier life for each pet and their family.
“Veterinary professionals can use the knowledge of predisposed risk factors in providing client education and making personalized recommendations related to diet, exercise, and diagnostic screening tests, such as ultrasound or blood work to detect possible health concerns,” said Lindsey Kock, DVM, Neogen’s companion animal market development manager. “Igenity Canine Wellness results will help doctors and staff provide better care for patients in the hospital and equip pet parents to anticipate and prevent health challenges in the future.”
During a veterinary exam, a staff member will use a cytology swab from an Igenity Canine Wellness kit to collect cheek cells from the patient’s mouth. When the veterinary hospital has finished preparing the samples, the kit box is then sent to Neogen Genomics lab for processing. The practice will then receive a genetic risk report that then can be communicated to the pet parent to create a wellness journey to best benefit their canine’s health needs.
Scientists have discovered a great deal since the dog genome was first sequenced in 2004 about the genetics of disease susceptibility, underpinnings of physical traits and even behavior. Much of this research has been driven by studies that utilize non-invasive DNA samples from dogs to investigate the genetic underpinnings of the over 450 potential models for human disease.
“We are just scratching the surface on the underlying genetics in dogs of common conditions such as cancer, allergies, osteoarthritis, obesity and behavior,” said Kock. “The DNA targets for Igenity Canine Wellness are based on published research for common, actionable conditions diagnosed in veterinary medicine.”
“Our genomics team continues to innovate by providing solutions that improve the health and well-being of the animals we care so much for,” said John Adent, Neogen’s president and chief executive officer. “Igenity Canine Wellness will help veterinarians provide a genetic map to pet parents and aid in their quality of service, as well as a dog’s life.”
For more information on Igenity Canine Wellness and list of conditions covered go to www.neogen.com/igenity-canine-wellness/.
