Review: Canine HealthCheck

The Chesnut Mutts Canine HealthCheck Review

["The Chesnut Mutts" were given a genetic screening in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are genuinely mine and we would not share a product that we did not fully believe in. Please do not use any image without permission. Post also contains affiliate links.]

There have been many swab tests for dogs that have come out recently. We have DNA tests, allergy tests, and now we have Canine HealthCheck.

Paw Print Genetics Canine HealthCheck Genetic health screening for dogs

Canine HealthCheck is a genetic screening for dogs which checks over 150 genes for mutations that could cause genetic disorders or diseases.

It is not a breed identification test, but rather a complete genetic health screen. This is useful because the results will tell you if your dog is at risk or is a carrier for many genetic diseases. You can use this information to prepare for your pup's future.

simple, at-home cheek swab kit for dog genetic screening

All you have to do is swab your dog's cheek and mail it in. 7-10 days after the lab gets your sample, you should get the results in your email and can sort the disorders tested by organ system, breed, symptoms, and more. If needed, you can also order confirmatory tests if you are concerned.

"Come on, Momma! Let's get started!"

So I have the wonderful opportunity to try one of these kits out. I decided to use it on Bailey because her genetics are still a mystery to me, and anything would be great to learn more about her.

The kit opens up to some infographics that help you with the process and has everything you need.

The first thing you need to do is to activate your kit. You can do this by going to their website (www.caninehealthcheck.com), or by scanning the QR code. Click "activate a kit" to continue.

Enter your KitID#, which is located on the postal sticker sheet, and make an account.

Yay! Once your kit is activated, you can check out their instructional video for the next steps.

The next step is to put the ID labels on the swab packaging and biohazard bag, and to put the postal sticker on the padded envelope.

Make sure you don't let the swab touch anything besides your dog's mouth!

Then it is time to swab! Make sure you dog hasn't eaten anything in two hours, and swab each cheek with separate swabs for 30 seconds a piece.

Once done, put the swabs back in their packaging and into the biohazard bag. Then, put the biohazard bag into the padded envelope. Don't forget to put your return address on it!

And that's it! All you have to do is mail the prepaid envelope and wait 7-10 days after the lab gets your sample for the results to appear in your email box.

Bailey looking at her Canine HealthCheck results

It took in total 13 business days for our results to come in after mailing, but after the lab got the sample it was only 8 busines days! Once the screening is finished, you get an email with a link to your results.

Click here to see bigger

Yay! I am so glad that the results came back saying that Bailey is clear of any genetic diseases. She isn't affected or a carrier for any of the conditions tested.

I like the appearance profile, but Bailey's hair isn't really short in my opinion. I talked to Dr. Lisa Shaffer, Founder and CEO of Paw Print Genetics, about this:

"Bailey technically has short hair. Not a smooth coat like a labrador but short hair. This is different than an Afghan hound that would have long hair – like really long hair. So most ‘in-between’ coats come back with the short hair mutation."

There were so many diseases that they tested against that I can't list them all here, but here is a link to Bailey's results which shows everything: Bailey's Canine HealthCheck Results

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I also love that I can organize all the results by breed, symptoms and organ system!

Check out our step-by-step video here:

In a nutshell...

Canine HealthCheck is a genetic screening for dogs that looks at over 150 genetic diseases
This is a swab test where you mail it back in a prepaid envelope and get results 7-10 days after the lab recieves the sample
It is very simple to do and they provide instructions along the way with diagrams and videos online
Results are sent to you via email and are easy to read
ARV is $129.95 for one kit
Can be bought on their website or in our Amazon Store.

I really like tests that tell me more about my dog. We spend a lot of our lives with them, so we should always strive to learn more. I think this genetic screening would be very useful for people with purebred dogs, dogs that are going to be responsibly bred, and dogs with mysterious backgrounds (like Bailey). This test would really be helpful down the road in terms of expecting what genetic diseases your dog could have and preparing for it.