Here’s a clear, first-timer-friendly guide to Animal Genetics (the lab) and how to use their testing, plus what’s available for each animal especially French Bulldogs.
What animal genetics testing is good for
Genetic testing is valuable for several reasons. It provides health screening and prevention by identifying inherited diseases before symptoms appear, allowing you to plan care and, if breeding, avoid producing affected litters. It also confirms traits and coat color genes, such as coat type (like long hair or fluffy), to help with accurate pedigrees and breeding plans. Parentage and identity testing verifies parents and settles registration or ownership questions, while population management testing, especially in birds and livestock, helps prevent outbreaks and maintain healthy breeding lines.
How to use Animal Genetics
The process is straightforward. First, browse the Dog, Cat, Horse, or Bird sections on their site and choose your tests, including any breed-specific panels. Click “Order Now” to add them. Next, collect your samples. For dogs, cheek swabs are the most common, but blood or dewclaw samples are also accepted. For cats, cheek swabs work for weaned cats, while kittens under six weeks require a small dried blood spot on a PermaCode card or cotton swab. Horses can be tested using mane or tail hairs with roots or blood cards. Birds can be tested with a few chest feathers, a small toenail blood drop, or an eggshell membrane. Allow all samples to dry thoroughly, label them clearly, and then ship them to the lab with the printed submission form from your “My Orders” portal. Once processing is complete, results are available online in your account. For avian customers, a separate login is provided. The reports will show whether your animal is “Clear/Normal,” meaning no mutation detected, a “Carrier,” meaning one copy of the mutation is present but the animal is usually healthy, or “At-risk/Affected,” meaning two copies of the mutation are present. If at-risk, you should work with your veterinarian on care and breeding decisions.
What animals does Animal Genetics test?
Animal Genetics offers testing for dogs, cats, horses, and birds (including pigeons), as well as services for cattle, sheep, reptiles, and alpacas or camelids.
For dogs, testing is used for health disorder panels that screen for breed-specific diseases such as DM, HUU, JHC, cystinuria, CMR1, and MDR1. They also test for traits and coat color genetics including fawn/sable/black (A-locus), brown (B-locus), dilute (D-locus), mask/cream/ee (E-locus), dominant black (K-locus), white spotting (S-locus), Cocoa (French Bulldog chocolate), hair length, curl, furnishings, shedding, and Merle. Parentage testing is also available when needed for registrations. These tests are important because they help prevent the production of affected puppies, reveal medication sensitivities, and allow breeders to predict appearance and traits in litters.
Especially for French Bulldogs
Animal Genetics provides Frenchie-specific panels. The French Bulldog Full Disorder Panel includes CMR1, Cystinuria Type 3 (variant 2) and its associated marker (variant 3), DM (SOD1), HUU, and JHC (HSF4). This panel screens for major inherited risks in the breed, such as urinary stones, cataracts, retinal changes, and late-onset mobility disease. The French Bulldog Limited Panel combines coat color and coat type testing (A, B, Cocoa, D, E, K, S, hair length, curl, furnishings, and shedding) with core health screens for CMR1, DM, HUU, and JHC. Breeders often add extra tests such as the Cystinuria Type 3 panel if it is not already included, the Cocoa test to confirm true chocolate, and the Merle test if any merle ancestry is suspected. A practical checklist for French Bulldogs is to start with the Full Disorder Panel for health, then add the Limited Panel or individual color and trait tests depending on your breeding goals.
For cats, Animal Genetics offers trait and color testing such as the dilute D-locus, along with select disease screenings. They also provide guidance on sample collection for kittens versus adults. These tests help confirm color genetics and detect inherited risks in certain breeds.
For horses, testing includes coat color panels such as Agouti, Red/Black, Cream, Dun, Gray, Champagne, Pearl, and Silver, with Shetland and Mini-specific add-ons like Mushroom. They also provide parentage and identity testing for registrations. These services clarify breeding outcomes and support registration accuracy.
For birds, including pigeons, Animal Genetics provides DNA sexing for more than 2,000 species, along with avian disease testing for PBFD, Polyomavirus, Chlamydia (psittacosis), and more. Since many bird species cannot be sexed visually, DNA testing is the most reliable method. Sexing informs pairing and behavior management, while disease screening helps protect aviaries from outbreaks.
Animal Genetics also lists services for cattle, including BVDV testing for herd biosecurity; sheep, with scrapie susceptibility genotyping for flock health and compliance; reptiles, with cryptosporidium testing for quarantine and disease control; and alpacas or camelids, with DNA typing and parentage verification for registration and breeding records.
Tips for best results
Always label samples clearly with the animal’s name, ID, and breed. Ensure samples are completely dry before shipping, since moisture can degrade DNA. Use one envelope or card per animal to avoid cross-contamination. Keep thorough records by saving the PDF report and noting genotypes. Parentage testing should be used when needed for paperwork or ownership disputes.
Animal Genetics provides professional-level DNA testing trusted by breeders, veterinarians, and pet owners across many species. When samples are collected properly, results are more than 99% accurate.
▶️ Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/7yoMM4Kh8vs?si=wOdYMriyh1ykVsQg
Embark is one of the most accurate and widely used dog DNA tests. It screens for 250+ health conditions, identifies breeds with 99% accuracy, reveals traits, and is trusted by vets and breeders. When we rehome our puppies, they come with an Embark kit for dual testing alongside Animal Genetics. Embark covers a wide range of genetic health conditions and breed traits, while Animal Genetics focuses on specific hereditary diseases and coat color or patterns. Together, these tests give you the most comprehensive health and trait insights for your new pup.