Embark is looking for answers from dog drool

It’s finally here – a use for dog drool. Later this spring, a new startup company, Embark, is planning to launch a canine DNA testing kit that will give insight into the dog’s ancestry and his risk for genetic diseases. I know what you’re thinking, this isn’t any different than all the other doggy DNA tests on the market, but there’s more.

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The founders of Embark are also hoping they can enlist the help of man’s best friend in finding out some more information about common human diseases. The Embark kit works like any other DNA test for dogs. You swab your pup’s cheek, place the sample in the sealed container provided and mail it in to be tested.

Not only will the test be able to track your pup’s ancestry on a global level, it will also look for genetic variants associated with more than 100 diseases. The owner will be notified if the dog has a higher than average chance of developing one of these illnesses. It can also tell you if your dog is likely to pass these diseases on to their puppies.

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This could be extremely valuable information to responsible breeders. Many canine diseases are genetic and many of those are adult onset diseases that don’t show up until later in life.

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The female being bred may not have shown signs of the disease yet. If the breeder does not know that she is genetically predisposed to the condition, the dame may pass the condition on to the pups and no one will know for years to come.

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