WEST MICHIGAN (Feb 9, 2014) — On Wednesday, FOX 17 told the story of two West Michigan mutts. Sealya and Luna are both mixed breed dogs. Their owners aren’t sure of their ancestry.
FOX 17 tested out a DNA kit (called Wisdom Panel 2.0) on both of the pooches. Mars Veterinary provided the kits free-of-charge. They normally go for $80 through the company’s website. According to a local health official, knowing a dog’s lineage can help an owner keeps tabs on their pet’s health and predisposed disorders.
The test revealed that Sealya is German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, and Collie-mix. Luna is a Siberian Husky and a Malamute.
Angela Hughes, with Mars Veterinary, explained Sealya and Luna’s results to FOX 17.
She said there is important “information around healthcare that we want to pay attention to.” Also, the size/growth rate of the dog may dictate the kind of dog food you want to feed your pup.
For Sealya, Hughes said, “Certainly with that breed combination, particularly the Labrador and German Shepherd, I would think about orthopedic problems like hip dysplasia and such.”
For Luna, Hughes explained, “She’s got a Merle gene coming through, which is giving her a little bit of a speckled spotting pattern, particularly in the black saddle over her back. The Merle gene is really interesting because it’s a single gene. You only need one copy of it to see it. But when you get it, it’s clearly very prevalent and very strong, [and] creates a great effect on the dog.”
