How Responsible Breeding Can Reduce Hereditary Diseases in Dogs and Cats

The American Veterinary Medical Association convention went virtual this year, and one of the topics discussed was that a greater understanding of how genetic diseases occur can help vets prevent and mitigate their effects in our pets. The speaker, Dr. Jerold Bell, a veterinarian and geneticist at Tufts University, said that many of the most …

Scientists Develop New Dog Aging Calculator

Does one dog year really equal seven human years?  This long-held belief is undergoing some high-tech revision. Scientists say a more accurate way to measure an animal’s age is to use something called an epigenetic clock—the accumulation of chemical modifications in an animal’s DNA over its lifespan. One particular modification known as methylation is especially …

The Genetics of White “Socks” in Our Pets

White paws, often called socks, are an endearing color marking in our pets.  Socks are often seen in cats, but can also be found in dogs and other animals like horses and guinea pigs. Where do socks come from?  According to a recent article in Popular Science, which outlines some new scientific research on the …

Home DNA Testing for Dogs Leads to Discovery of Genetics for Blue Eyes in Huskies

Many of us have ordered DNA testing kits for ourselves to learn about our ancestry.  But the boom in at-home testing is also spreading to our dogs. An analysis of the home DNA tests of over 6,000 dogs (combined with photos and surveys from their owners) has led to the identification of a gene duplication …

DNA Study Reveals What Happened to the Native Dogs of the Americas

A new study on canine genetics has been getting a lot of attention recently.  Do dogs living in modern North and South America retain the genes of the ancient dogs that accompanied the first Americans who came from Asia thousands of years ago? A genetic study of the remains of ancient American dogs reveals that …