Basepaws Help Center logo
Basepaws Help Center logo

All articles

Sample Collection

Articles

How do I swab my pet's mouth well for a successful DNA test?

See this short video starring Hosico Cat to see how a proper swab sample is collected. For kittens and puppies who are still receiving milk, please wait at least 60 minutes after feeding before swabbing the mouth for the DNA sample. There's no better

How long are the test kits viable?

The test kits will remain viable for 2 years unopened and 1 year after the sample is actually taken from the pet. Concerns about temperature during shipping:. We have shipped our test kits all over the world for several years now. Luckily, we have no

There seems to be food on the swab, is my pet's sample ruined?

Not exactly! If you feed your pet cooked food, whether that is kibble or wet food, we should be able to work around some mild contamination. In that case, we normally recommend sending in the sample, it may very well be completely fine! If we happen

Can you DNA test a deceased pet?

With an increasing number of people joining us, we get more questions about the science behind our work than ever before. One of the most frequently asked questions we get is: "What if my pet passed away, but I still want to do a DNA test?" Here is w

If my pet is on oral medication, will the sample be compromised?

Wait at least an hour after the pet has taken the medication before collecting the sample, since medicine residue may interfere with the efficiency of the DNA extraction process. Otherwise, the fact that the cat or dog is taking medication should hav