Siberian Husky DNA Health Testing: Why It’s Important

Although our huskies are generally considered one of the healthier breeds out there, they still have a few known health issues that should be detected sooner rather than later.

Issues like zinc-responsive dermatitis, progressive retinal atrophy, and periodontal diseases are now more prevalent in huskies than ever before. And issues like these can cause profound health implications if not detected and treated early enough, which is why health testing has become so important. Especially for huskies!

You can get the Embark Breed & Health DNA Test Kit here. It’s the most scientifically advanced health DNA screening test on the market, analyzing over 230+ genetic health risks. P.S. Save up to $40 right now using this code.

What Owners Can Learn From Dog DNA Testing

Modern DNA testing can tell you an impressive amount about your husky. Of course with these premium companies like Embark there are different packages depending on what your focus is. Some packages cover everything, and here’s what you can learn about your husky.

➡️ Breed DNA makeup

This tells you the genetic make up of your husky. This is very interesting to check especially if you rescued your husky or aren’t aware of their breed make up. More times than not, your husky will have the DNA of different breeds.

➡️ Future health issues

Highly detailed health screening can shed some light on which health issues your husky is prone to having in the future.

➡️ Existing health issues or genetic disorders

The DNA test can reveal any issues or inherited diseases your husky has right now.

➡️ Relatives

Embark is one of the world’s most-used dog DNA testing companies and have profiles on millions of dogs. You’ll be able to see the siblings of your husky and where they are in the world and even message the owner if they’re available on Embark. Upto three generations.

➡️ Predicting adult weight

If you’re interested in this while your husky is still a young puppy, this test will give you an insight into their future size and weight.

➡️ Physical traits

Some of the test kits can help owners determine coat color, eye color, and the chances of specific colors coming up in future offspring.

➡️ Genetic Coefficient of Inbreeding

Embark can test the level of inbreeding within your husky’s genes and give important insights into their overall health profile and lifespan.

Choosing to test your husky is something I highly recommend doing with reputable companies like Embark. The value of the insight that you get is absolutely incredible, and this can really help you understand your husky to a much deeper level.

Important Tests for Huskies In Particular

There are certain things huskies are prone to that make DNA testing like this all the more important. Eye problems like PRA and Cataracts are common, and while there isn’t anything to cure PRA, it does help to detect it at an early stage and begin managing it with your veterinarian. Cataracts can be treated with surgery but can cause blindness when left too long. Again, making early detection crucial

If you have an Alaskan Husky or a sib with Alaska husky genes, then you’ll definitely want to screen for the Alaskan Husky Encephalopathy disorder. This is an inherited neurological disorder affecting the brain and spinal cord.

Many Siberian huskies actually have Alaskan husky genes, which is also something that can be found out with a test.

Huskies are also prone to gum disease and other forms of periodontal disease. Embark offers particular oral health kits that can give you a deep analysis of the state of your husky’s oral health. This is very important with over 80% of dogs developing gum disease (potentially fatal) before 2 years old.

Other health conditions that Embark specifically checks for in Siberian huskies:

• Degenerative Myelopathy, DM
• GM1 Gangliosidosis
• X-Linked Progressive Retinal Atrophy 1, XL-PRA1
• Day Blindness, Cone Degeneration, Achromatopsia

Additionally, there are thousands of huskies in the database for Embark, which makes finding relatives an exciting possibility.

The Recommended Test Kit For Huskies

There are many different DNA testing companies out there, and while many of them offer similar features, it’s apparent that Embark is still not only the most comprehensive in their testing, but actually useful for husky owners.

Specifically, the breed ID and health test package, which gives you all of the features listed above.

Some of the key benefits and features of this test kit in particular:

• Screens for 230+ genetic health risks across over 350 breeds, types, and varieties
• Reports on 35+ physical traits, including coat color and length, shedding, adult size and more
• Helps owners detect issues before they develop into incurable health problems
• Gives owners an insight into their husky’s overall health and lifespan
• Go back over the last 3 generations of your husky’s bloodline and tells you if your husky is really 100% pure Siberian husky.
• Helps owners predict their puppy husky’s future size and weight
• Embark has the largest database of dog DNA records compared to other companies
• Measures genetic diversity
• Developed by veterinarians
• Research partner of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

If you’ve been interested in doing a health test or breed make-up for your husky then I highly recommend doing it with Embark.

You get results back in about 1-3 weeks which is fairly standard for this service, and you get your results in an easy-to-read way making everything straightforward to understand.