Sometimes you may get a “likely to have” result for a genetic trait in your dog's Basepaws report that doesn’t quite match up with their physical appearance. In other words, their genotype (set of genes in their DNA) doesn't match up with their pheno

<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes you may get a &#x201C;likely to have&#x201D; result for a genetic trait in your dog&apos;s Basepaws report that doesn&#x2019;t quite match up with their physical appearance. In other words, their genotype (set of genes in their DNA) doesn&apos;t match up with their phenotype (how the genes are expressed and observed as traits). <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This could be due to a phenomenon called epistasis. The word is composed of the prefix &#x201C;epi-&#x201D;, which is a Greek root that means &#x201C;upon&#x201D;, and &#x201C;sta-&#x201D;, a root meaning &#x201C;to stand, or set down&#x201D;. In genetics, we use the word epistasis to describe an interaction where the expression of one gene gets modified in some way, because one gene (or multiple genes) can &#x201C;stand upon&#x201D;, mask, suppress, or otherwise inhibit that expression (aka phenotype).&#xA0; <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Epistasis occurs when the observable expression (phenotype) of a gene&#x2014;such as one responsible for the color of your dog&apos;s coat&#x2014;gets modified in some way by a completely different gene that can mask, suppress, or inhibit how that coat color gene is expressed. With something as diverse as dog coat color and pattern, it is almost certain that there are a myriad of epistatic interactions not yet known to science. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scientists are still learning about the many genes and gene interactions that contribute to different phenotypes, or observable traits, that dogs display. If you find a potential instance of epistasis in your dog&apos;s Basepaws report, please let us know by emailing <a href="mailto:hello@basepaws.com">hello@basepaws.com</a>.

Why does the report show a trait result that my dog doesn’t actually express?

*Important note: A reminder that your dog's genetic health results should always be shared with your veterinarian. The Basepaws DNA test is not a substitute for a professional exam and diagnosis by your vet. CLEAR:. A "clear" result means that your d

<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*Important note:<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&#xA0;A reminder that your dog&apos;s genetic health results should always be shared with your veterinarian. The Basepaws DNA test is not a substitute for a professional exam and diagnosis by your vet. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CLEAR:&#xA0; <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A &quot;clear&quot; result means that your dog is negative (i.e., has zero copies) for all of the genetic markers for which we tested that are known to be associated with the particular disease. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, it&apos;s important to remember that this doesn&apos;t rule out the need to consult a veterinarian, since it&apos;s possible that a dog may be positive for genetic markers related to that condition that science has yet to discover. Sometimes, environmental factors may also contribute to the potential to develop a disease, so it&apos;s always best to have your dog&apos;s &quot;clear&quot; results on record with your vet in the event that your dog ever develops symptoms that could be connected to the disease. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CARRIER:&#xA0; <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In genetics, when a dog has a &quot;carrier&quot; result for a disease, it means that the dog carries one copy of the specific allele (aka gene variant) associated with that particular disease, but is not at risk for developing the disease.&#xA0; <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your dog&apos;s result might be because the disease has a recessive inheritance pattern, meaning that they would need to inherit two copies of the specific allele (one from each parent) to develop the disease. If your dog only has one copy, it won&apos;t be at risk for developing the disease, but it can pass the genetic variant associated with the disease onto its offspring, who may then be at risk. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If the disease follows an X-linked inheritance pattern, a &quot;carrier&quot; result can mean that a female dog has one copy of a specific allele. That does not put the tested dog at risk for the disease, however, the allele may be passed down to its offspring. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AT RISK:&#xA0; <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An &quot;at risk&quot; result should always be shared with your veterinarian and can mean any of the following (below is a non-exhaustive list): <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) Your dog has one or two copies of the specific allele linked to the disease. However, the disease is complex because it is not determined by a single gene, but rather by the interaction of multiple genes and their variations, plus environmental factors. Brachycephaly is one example, where multiple genetic factors may be at play and physical presentations and severity may vary. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) Your dog has one copy of the specific allele linked to the disease, but there is a &quot;gene dosage&quot; effect. Gene dosage refers to the number of copies of a specific allele linked to the disease the dog inherited, and how this can affect the way the disease presents. In relation to a dog&apos;s risk, it essentially means that having one copy may cause a milder disease presentation, and having two copies may cause a more severe presentation. An example of a disease with a dosage effect is the bleeding disorder called von Willebrand Disease I. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) Your dog has one or two copies of an allele associated with a disease inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion, making the possibility of the dog developing the disease highly likely. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4) Your dog has two copies of an allele associated with a disease inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion, making the possibility of the dog developing the disease highly likely. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is very important to share any &quot;at risk&quot; results in your dog&apos;s health report with your veterinarian, so that they can evaluate and discuss your dog&apos;s specific needs within a personalized plan that might include additional monitoring or proactive care for their overall health and wellness.

What do my dog’s risk levels mean?

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Dog Health and Traits

Basepaws Breed + Health Dog DNA Test

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