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Comprehensive DNA test examines genetic markers to decode canine heritage for better understanding
By Connie Bloom
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Saturday, Aug 16, 2008
Davinci the dog is a mystery, even to his vet.
''He looks like a manatee,'' said Jennifer Jellison of Banfield, the Pet Hospital, in North Canton.
''A green-haired manatee. Well, he has grayish-whitish brown hair. He's not exactly a green dog . . . with basset hound feet and real thick lips like a walrus and a big tail that curls up and over.
''His legs are real short and he has big fat feet.''
Indeed, a masterful work of art so richly deserving of his name, Davinci stops people dead in their tracks.
''Excuse me,'' yelled a smiling woman, half hanging over the fence at the Furnas Park Dog Park in Massillon recently. ''What kind of dog is that?''
''We get stopped everywhere,'' said pet parents Rhonda Vardon and Meshawn Define. ''People point, laugh, stop and pet him.''
Not normally seekers of the spotlight, they clearly suck up the attention and celebrity their oddball low-rider misfit 1-year-old — who oozes personality and charm — brings them.
''It's curious,'' said Define. ''He barks like a hound and sounds like a hound, possibly a basset. He has short legs, but maybe he's part Shar-Pei because of the thick lips. He's low to the ground — he's getting longer, but not higher. We looked up bashar (basset hound-Shar-Pei), but he doesn't have the sharp eyes.''
Davinci knows exactly who he is even if the humans can't peg him.
''I've been doing this for 23 years and the first thing people ask is what kind of mix is this,'' said the vet. ''Half the time, I'm guessing.''
Pricey test hits market
The mapping of the canine genome by scientists at the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard in 2005 led to exciting options for today's dog owners, and Jellison considered Davinci the perfect subject. She offered to run the Wisdom Panel MX Mixed Breed Analysis on him. The pricey, fairly comprehensive test hit the market this year and uses more than 300 genetic markers to decode a mutt's heritage.
Scientists say the canine DNA contains genes that determine body characteristics such as size, weight, skull shape, fur color, health, behavior, trainability and longevity. The more you know about your mutt's unique heritage, the better you and your vet can understand his unique makeup — and the goofy things he does.
''It's kinda cool,'' said Jellison. ''The test came out six or eight months ago. . . . At first, I was skeptical.''
''We've seen extreme interest from consumers and vets,'' said Hugo Perez of Mars Veterinary, the maker of the Wisdom panel. Pet owners are very passionate people and there's been all sorts of chatter on the Internet, he said. But he warns people to be prepared for surprises, because what you see isn't always what you get.
The test is run off a blood sample that must be drawn by a vet, but you can buy the kits yourself at http://whatsmydog.com for about $125. The vet then sends the sample to the manufacturer (and will charge a fee for drawing the blood).
The Wisdom Panel is able to identify more than 130 breeds covering 99 percent of American Kennel Club registered dogs — or more than 13,000 of them, according to the manufacturer. Pooch parents get a fancy report on the results in three to four weeks.
Other tests available
The Wisdom Panel is not the only DNA test out there. As the phenomenon becomes more popular — popular is an understatement — other companies are leaping into the fray.
Another type, the Canine Heritage XL Breed Test (at http://www.canineheritage.com), costs about $120 and can be done without a vet. The test was developed using only United States dog breed populations, according to the manufacturer, and can identify about 100 of them. Breeds originating outside the United States and Canada may not be recognized.
Instead of drawing blood, the owner swabs the dog's cheek with a special applicator and sends the swab to MMI Genomics by prepaid return mailer. The results come in the mail in about four weeks.
These tests do not reveal paternity. They are designed solely to identify breeds present in the family history of the mixed-breed dog.
The mystery is not always put to rest after testing, however, because pure DNA can become diluted over generations. This can render the tests inconclusive, manufacturers warn.
Verdict on Davinci?
So what about the deliriously mysterious Davinci? Jellison was floored.
''He is Akita, miniature pincher, Pekingese and Rottweiler,'' she said, ''all of the breeds none of us picked. I guess I could see the Akita, but this dog is only 25 pounds.
''It's a crazy-looking dog. You know how Pekes have a kinda brown and black and white coat? Davinci has no Rottie markings anywhere. Maybe the flippy-floppy tail is like an Akita.''
Anyhow, knowing ''is really fun and medically, it's helpful. Davinci, he's kind of a painting.''
His owners cling to the report as if it were gold, but it appears to have little import beyond the sheer pleasure of the knowing.
Connie Bloom writes about pets for the Beacon Journal. She can be reached at 330-996-3568 or cbloom@thebeaconjournal.com.
Davinci the dog is a mystery, even to his vet.
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