Mimi Padmabandu

Emergencies can strike at any time. Being prepared with a dog first aid kit and an emergency plan can help you respond to unexpected injuries, accidents, or natural disasters. In some cases, it may even be lifesaving. How to make a dog first aid kit Many of the items commonly found in a family first...

Sometimes called “garbage gut,” dietary indiscretion is an issue that affects many pets, though it’s most common in dogs.  What is dietary indiscretion? Simply put, dietary indiscretion refers to any time your dog eats something they shouldn’t—including garbage, table scraps, or non-food items. It is often accompanied by signs of gastrointestinal (GI) upset, such as...

Congenital deafness is an inherited form of hearing loss in dogs. There are many types of congenital deafness in dogs, affecting at least 100 different breeds. One such form of hearing loss is early-onset adult deafness (EOAD) in Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs. (In fact, Embark scientists discovered this variant, in partnership with the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club...

There are many causes of vision loss in dogs. As dogs get older, it’s natural for their eyesight to be less sharp than it used to be. Senior dogs are at increased risk of vision loss from various age-related conditions, including macular degeneration, iris atrophy, and geriatric cataracts.  The good news is that dogs generally...

By knowing your dog’s genetic risk for MDR1 drug sensitivity, you and your veterinarian can take steps to make sure that your dog doesn’t have a bad reaction to certain drugs. What is MDR1? Multidrug Resistance 1 (MDR1) is caused by a genetic variant in the ABCB1 gene. Dogs who have this genetic variant are...

Anxiety in dogs is rarely a simple diagnosis. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, anxiety is a response to fear and agitation, or apprehension when your dog anticipates a scary situation. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to help your dog cope. What causes anxiety in dogs? There are many possible causes of...

Wondering if your dog may be under- or overweight? Every dog’s ideal weight is different. A body condition score is a tool that you can use in between vet visits to monitor your dog’s weight and help them stay in a healthy range. What is a body condition score in dogs? A body condition score...

Most dogs love their food. So when puppy Rave refused to eat, Liz Burke was worried. Liz has three dogs: Rave, a three-year-old Border Collie; Wasabi, a two-year-old Border Collie; and Bishop, a nine-year-old mixed-breed dog. Liz’s family includes three domestic shorthair cats: Cyril Figgis, Archer, and Owen. After years of trying new diets—none of...

In 2019, Embark scientists Adam Boyko, PhD and Aaron Sams, PhD published a study in the scientific journal G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics investigating the genetic effects of inbreeding in domestic dogs. They found that runs of homozygosity (especially longer ones) are associated with higher levels of known recessive disease alleles. Genetic hallmarks of inbreeding “Inbreeding is the...

When comparing dog DNA tests, we know the choice can be overwhelming. Here, we explore some of the differences between Embark vs Wisdom Panel dog DNA tests, and explain why Embark is the best choice for your dog. Embark vs Wisdom Panel: Which one is better? Comparing Embark vs Wisdom Panel dog DNA tests means...

When Julana and her husband adopted Willie Nelson, they suspected he was 100% German Shepherd Dog, due to his black and tan coat pattern. But as he got older, they noticed that his size was smaller than they expected for a German Shepherd. They decided to use an Embark dog DNA test to find out...

Can you guess the top 10 most common breeds in mixed-breed dogs? If you’ve tested your dog with Embark, you may know that breed ancestry doesn’t always dictate appearance, leading to some surprises. We often receive questions from customers about the breeds in their dog’s genetic ancestry—especially the unexpected ones.  We analyzed genetic data from...