How to Determine Your Shih Tzu’s Ancestry
There are many ways to determine where your Shih Tzu’s ancestry originated. A veterinarian can help you with this process by doing a DNA test that traces the lineage of the dog through its mother and father.
If you’re not comfortable having someone take a sample from your dog or feel like they may be too aggressive for an examination, you can also choose to do this yourself, in your home where your Shih Tzu is most comfortable, using a dog DNA kit.
What is a Dog DNA Kit?
Dog DNA kits allow you to test your dog’s saliva and send it in for testing. This allows you to find out which breeds make up your dog, as well as what percentage of each breed contributes to the overall makeup of their DNA. You can also use a Dog DNA kit to learn more about your pup’s health and wellness!
The reason why this could be significant is that these tests can help us determine how healthy or unhealthy our dogs are. For example, if we know our Shih Tzus carry genes that predispose them to Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) when we get them tested, we can go ahead and consult with a vet on the preventive measures to help our pups avoid PRA – and there is no way to know about these life-threatening disorders unless we test our Shih Tzu’s ancestry!
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How to Use the Dog DNA Kit
Dog DNA kits are incredibly easy to use! They come with everything you need including swabs, stickers to label the dog DNA kit, and a mailing envelope. Just follow these simple steps:
1. Open one of the swab sleeves. Remove the clear plastic that covers the bristles without touching them
2. Roll your Shih Tzu’s cheeks in your hands for 15 seconds making sure to roll long enough for the saliva to moisten both sides of each swab.
3. Once you have rolled up each swab, place it back into its protective sleeve so it stays clean and moist until you are ready to send it in for testing. To activate the test pack, fill out all information needed on the pack and write the activation code number on the back of the sample ID sticker. The dog DNA kit will not be tested without this number.
4. After writing down your information, place both swabs into the envelope and seal it. There is a pre-paid shipping label on the carton.
5. You can go ahead and send in the kit and wait 2-3 weeks for the result.
Who Should Buy a Dog DNA Kit?
Dog DNA kits are perfect for anyone who owns a dog, including breeders. If you’re planning to breed your dog’s it’s important that they are free of genetic disorders – and Dog DNA tests can help you keep your dog’s healthier throughout their lives by revealing which breeds make up your dog(s). They are also great for owners who want to learn more about their Shih Tzus or family dogs.
Why You Need to Know Your Dog’s DNA
One of the most important reasons is to help protect our dogs from genetic disorders. If we aren’t aware of problems like this, we will unknowingly breed them into our Shih Tzu lines – and this can result in a serious health problem for generations to come!
The information available through dog DNA tests has already led to great strides in fighting cancer-causing diseases such as osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and lymphoma (cancer of the immune system), as well as more common diseases such as allergies and hip dysplasia Cancer is the number one cause of death in dogs, with over 50% of all dogs likely to develop it.
Osteosarcoma is a particular type of bone cancer that affects many large breed dogs, including Boxers, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Golden Retrievers. Labrador Retrievers are especially susceptible to lymphoma, which usually manifests itself as nasal or skin tumors. Lymphoma can also affect any dog – so knowing your Shih Tzu’s ancestry may help you protect your dog from diseases like this!
It’s also important to know your dog’s breed and mix so you can better understand their behavior and health needs. This is why it’s vital that anyone with a Shih Tzu knows what genetic disorders this dog might carry – because these conditions can lead to illness if left untreated.
Conclusion
Dog DNA tests are very useful and important for every Shih Tzu owner. They can help us understand our dogs’ health conditions, breed makeup, and how we can take care of them better.
