PetHealth

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Who’s a good boy or girl?

Pet DNA testing is evolving pet tech, piggybacking off the human DNA testing trend. Just as we use human DNA testing to trace ancestry and identify traits, we can use pet DNA tests to learn about breed, behaviour and health. The DNA of your pet can be useful to predict certain characteristics that they may have been originally bred for. For example Retrievers will generally have a strong drive to fetch but Cavalier King Charles Spaniels tend to be more sedate and need encouragement to be active. DNA breed profiling tests can help determine how much of various breeds are in your crossbreed dog. Certain diseases are more prevalent in certain breeds, and scientists are finding more and more gene markers for these diseases. Ivory Coat vet Dr Angus Hayes says that if the gene can be identified, you can decide not to use this animal for future breeding and save offspring from developing the disease in the future. “If your pet has the gene for a certain disease, sometimes you can make some lifestyle changes such as altering diet and activity levels to minimise the risk of the disease actually occurring,” he explains.

For the escape artist or explorer

Dogs and cats love to explore. Some may get themselves lost, or in trouble. Others may wander for so long that you want to know exactly where they’ve been. GPS trackers can provide peace of mind about their location. Via smartphone apps, some trackers will give you the real-time location of your pet, and keep a log of movements. A ‘safe space’ can also be set up in some apps, so you can be alerted whenever your pet goes beyond set boundaries. Some trackers can even train your pet on these boundaries using vibrations and sounds.

The Australian made NutTAG is a lightweight GPS that allows you to keep track of your pet’s movements while you’re on the go. You can use the app to set a ‘geo fence’ around your house and get notifications if your pet leaves the area. You can also keep unwanted visitors out of your home with a microchip-activated pet door. Sureflap uses radio frequency to read microchips, turning your pet’s unique code into a key that unlocks the door.

Be mindful that a GPS tracker should not replace a microchip. The majority of pet shelters and vet clinics have scanners, and microchipping is still the most reliable way to be reunited with a lost pet.

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