When Haniff arrived at One Tail at a Time in Chicago, he had rapid, involuntary muscle movements in his hind legs (called myoclonus). His neurologist recommended a health screening through Embark—included with every Breed + Health Test—to help inform next steps for his care.
Keep reading to find out what Haniff’s Embark results revealed about his health and his surprising breed mix.
Haniff, a “25-pound cutie”
Haniff came to One Tail at a Time as a stray from Chicago Animal Care and Control. He immediately won the staff over with his sweet and silly personality. The OTAT staff describe Haniff as a “25-pound cutie” who is friendly with everyone he meets. From OTAT, he was placed in a foster home, where everyone got to see his love of other dogs, squeaky toys, playing fetch, and snuggling.
Haniff enjoys snuggling. Photo courtesy of One Tail at a Time.
Haniff with his Lamb Chop toy. Photo courtesy of One Tail at a Time.
“It was so wonderful to see him blossom!” says Alli Rooney, Marketing Manager at One Tail at a Time. “We decided to test his DNA with Embark. We were so excited to find out what he is!”
Haniff’s Embark results revealed that he is 43.6% American Eskimo Dog, 35.9% Boston Terrier, and 6.2% Pomeranian. His Supermutt ancestry likely contains small amounts of DNA from these breeds:
“We expected to see American Eskimo Dog in Haniff’s ancestry, but were surprised by his large percentage of Boston Terrier!” Alli says. “We love being surprised by Embark Dog DNA Tests, as science tells us visual breed identification isn’t accurate for mixed-breed dogs.”
Haniff’s health screening provides some answers
An Embark Breed + Health Test screens for 270+ genetic health risks, including several brain, spinal cord, and neuromuscular conditions. Dr. Rachael Wooten, veterinarian and Medical Director at One Tail at a Time, explains how Haniff’s health results gave his care team some peace of mind and helped Haniff avoid expensive, uncomfortable testing.
“The Embark health screening includes a lot of genetic markers for some neurodegenerative diseases that we suspected. Haniff tested negative for all those markers. That meant that those conditions were less likely, and it was not necessary for us to pursue additional diagnostics! This saved Haniff some uncomfortable, painful tests and allowed our rescue to use that money for other animals who also need care.”
—Rachael Wooten, DVM, Medical Director at One Tail at a Time
Haniff also has one copy of the Copper Toxicosis (Attenuating) variant, which may lower his risk for copper toxicosis, depending on his other genetic variants.
Haniff gets a veterinary checkup. Photo courtesy of One Tail at a Time.
After receiving care from the staff at One Tail at a Time, Haniff is available for adoption and waiting to find his forever family. That could be you! See Haniff’s adoption profile.
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