Sara
Veterinary Report by Embark
embarkvet.com
Test Date: August 21st, 2022
Customer-supplied information
Owner Name: Dusty Hallam
Dog Name: Sara
Sex:
Female
(intact)
Date of birth:
12/11/21
Breed type: purebred
Breed: Australian Shepherd
Breed registration: N/A
Microchip: N/A
Genetic summary
Genetic breed identification:
Australian Shepherd Group
Breed mix:
Australian Shepherd: 100.0%Predicted adult weight: 36 lbs
Calculated from 17 size genes.
Life stage: Young adult
Based on date of birth provided.
Karyogram (Chromosome painting)
Clinical Tools
These clinical genetic tools can inform clinical decisions and diagnoses. These tools do not predict increased risk for disease.
Alanine Aminotransferase Activity (GPT)
Sara's baseline ALT level may be Low Normal
Sara has one copy of a variant associated with reduced ALT activity as measured on veterinary blood chemistry panels. Please inform your veterinarian that Sara has this genotype, as ALT is often used as an indicator of liver health and Sara is likely to have a lower than average resting ALT activity. As such, an increase in Sara’s ALT activity could be evidence of liver damage, even if it is within normal limits by standard ALT reference ranges.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a clinical tool that can be used by veterinarians to better monitor liver health. This result is not associated with liver disease. ALT is one of several values veterinarians measure on routine blood work to evaluate the liver. It is a naturally occurring enzyme located in liver cells that helps break down protein. When the liver is damaged or inflamed, ALT is released into the bloodstream.
Genetic testing is the only way to provide your veterinarian with this clinical tool.
Veterinarians may recommend blood work to establish a baseline ALT value for healthy dogs with one or two copies of this variant.
Health Report
If Sara inherited any of the variants that we tested, they will be listed at the top of the Health Report section, along with a description of how to interpret this result. We also include all of the variants that we tested Sara for that we did not detect the risk variant for.
A genetic test is not a diagnosisThis genetic test does not diagnose a disease. Please talk to your vet about your dog’s genetic results, or if you think that your pet may have a health condition or disease.
Sara inherited one variant that you should learn more about.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy, DCM1
Breed-Relevant Genetic Conditions 11 variants not detected
Additional Genetic Conditions 221 variants not detected
Health Report
Dilated Cardiomyopathy, DCM1 (PDK4, Doberman Pinscher Variant 1)
Sara inherited one copy of the variant we tested
Sara is not likely to be at increased risk for DCM1
Our research indicates that this genetic variant is not likely to increase the risk that Sara will develop this disease.
Dogs with similar breeds to Sara are not likely to have increased risk of developing the disease. Research has indicated increased risk in other breeds that are not found in Sara.
DCM is the most common acquired heart disease of adult dogs. The heart has two heavily muscled ventricles that pump blood away from the heart. This disease causes progressive weakening of the ventricles by reducing the muscle mass, which causes the ventricles to dilate. Dilated ventricles do not contract and circulate oxygenated blood well, which eventually leads to heart failure.
This disease can rarely be seen in puppies and young adults. It is typically seen in middle aged to older dogs.
The earlier a diagnosis can be reached, the better the outcome. If you are concerned about your dog’s heart, discuss it with your veterinarian who can run basic preliminary tests. They may recommend a visit to a veterinary cardiologist for a complete evaluation, including an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram).
Treatment is completely dependent on how advanced the disease is at the time of diagnosis. It can range from monitoring the patient periodically to intensive hospitalization at specialty veterinary practices.
- The cause of this disease is multifactorial and not completely understood. Genetics, nutrition, infections and environmental exposures can all play a role in the development of DCM. In fact, DCM has recently been featured extensively in the news due to suspected nutritional deficiencies in some grain free diets.
- Annual echocardiograms by a board certified cardiologist and annual Holter monitoring are the best ways to diagnose DCM early.
Breed-Relevant Conditions Tested
Sara did not have the variants that we tested for, that are relevant to her breed:
Additional Conditions Tested
Sara did not have the variants that we tested for, in the following conditions that the potential effect on dogs with Sara’s breed may not yet be known.
Additional Conditions Tested
Additional Conditions Tested
Additional Conditions Tested
Additional Conditions Tested
Additional Conditions Tested
Additional Conditions Tested
Additional Conditions Tested
Additional Conditions Tested
Additional Conditions Tested
Additional Conditions Tested
Additional Conditions Tested
Genetic Diversity and Inbreeding
Coefficient of Inbreeding (COI)
- Genetic Result:
- 5%
Our genetic COI measures the proportion of your dog’s genome (her genes) where the genes on the mother’s side are identical by descent to those on the father’s side. The higher your dog’s coefficient of inbreeding (the percentage), the more inbred your dog is.
Your Dog’s COI
This graph represents where your dog’s inbreeding levels fall on a scale compared to both dogs with a similar breed makeup to her (the blue bars) and all purebred dogs (the grey line).
Genetic Diversity and Inbreeding
More on the Science
Embark scientists, along with our research partners at Cornell University, have shown the impact of inbreeding on longevity and fertility and developed a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed method for accurately measuring COI and predicting average COI in litters.
- Sams & Boyko 2019 "Fine-Scale Resolution of Runs of Homozygosity Reveal Patterns of Inbreeding and Substantial Overlap with Recessive Disease Genotypes in Domestic Dogs"
- Chu et al 2019 "Inbreeding depression causes reduced fecundity in Golden Retrievers"
- Yordy et al 2019 "Body size, inbreeding, and lifespan in domestic dogs"
About Embark
Embark Veterinary is a canine genetics company offering research-grade genetic tests to pet owners and breeders. Every Embark test examines over 200,000 genetic markers, and provides results for over 230 genetic health conditions, breed identification, clinical tools, and more.
Embark is a research partner of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and collaborates with scientists and registries to accelerate genetic research in canine health. We make it easy for customers and vets to understand, share and make use of their dog’s unique genetic profile to improve canine health and happiness.
Learn more at embarkvet.com
Veterinarians and hospitals can send inquiries to veterinarians@embarkvet.com.