I bought and tested both of these tests on the same dog, the same day. I was very interested to know if the Wisdom Panel Essentials Dog DNA test was worth spending the extra $20 for.
Was the less expensive test of lessor accuracy or a lower quality lab? Did the extra money just purchase additional tests run as far as health, or was there a difference in dog breed testing?
Wisdom Panel Essentials is worth spending the extra $20 for if:
- You have an unknown mixed breed dog
- You want to test for genetic health risks
Comparing the 2 tests, the extra $20 for the in depth breed information and testing for the 18 genetic conditions, and the speed this was done is definitely worth the more expensive test.
The test kits that came were identical except the outer sleeve information and graphics. The same sample method, and the samples were sent to the exact same address for testing.
This is where the differences stopped. The more expensive test, Wisdom Panel Essentials with more information came back 5 days sooner than the Wisdom panel 3.0. Both results arrived via an email link.
There is more in-depth breed information for the $20 extra dollars.
Wisdom Panel 3.0 Results for Jackson came back with 3 breeds:
37.5 Boxer
25% Australian Shepherd
12.5% Chow Chow
25% various breed groups
While Wisdom Panel Essentials’ results were :
42% Boxer
28% Australian Shepard
11% Chow Chow
8% German Shepherd
5% White Swiss Shepherd
4% Pomeranian
2% Jindo
..shelter staff matched one breed within the dog’s heritage in 7 out of 20
A canine identity crisis: Genetic breed heritage testing of shelter dogs
Lisa M. Gunter,
Rebecca T. Barber,
Clive D. L. Wynne
To read more about breed identification in shelter dogs, and the accuracy of, click here.
Health Testing:
Both tests showed my dog to have MDR1 Medication Sensitivity. A very important test shows how several common medications might cause severe adverse reactions. Too important to withhold from any pet owner!
“What is Multidrug Resistance 1, (MDR1)?
The MDR1 gene mutation causes a defect to a drug pumping protein that plays an important role in limiting drug absorption and distribution (particularly to the brain). Dogs with the MDR1 mutation may have severe adverse reactions to some commonly used medications……
What does this mean for JACKSON?
JACKSON has one copy of the Multidrug Resistance 1 mutation and will be affected by this condition. Dogs with the MDR1 mutation may have severe adverse reactions to some common medications, so it is important that the results of this test are taken into consideration when medical treatment is needed for JACKSON. For dogs with the MDR1 mutation it is important to be aware of drugs which may result in an adverse reaction. These include Acepromazine, Butorphanol, Doxorubicin, Doramectin, Emodepside, Erythromycin, Ivermectin, Loperamide, Milbemycin, Moxidectin, Paclitaxel, Rifampin, Selamectin, Vinblastine, Vincristine. The discovery of the multidrug resistant gene (MDR1) mutation and its effects on multidrug sensitivity in dogs, was made by Washington State University. The test for MDR1 is patent-protected by Washington State University, and is licensed to Mars Veterinary for use in the Wisdom Panel tests.
We recommend you share these results with your vet.”
Excerpt from Jackson’s Health results from Wisdom Panel Essentials 2021
Click here to read Wisdom Panel’s post about the MDR1 mutation
Wisdom Panel Essentials additionally tested for the following which was not included in the 3.0 test :
- Notable genetic variants
- Canine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency (CLAD), type III
- Canine Scott Syndrome
- Complement 3 Deficiency
- Factor VII Deficiency
- Factor XI Deficiency
- Glanzmann Thrombasthenia Type I
- Hemophilia A
- Hemophilia B
- may-Hegglin Anomaly
- P2RY12-associated Bleeding Disorder
- Prekallikrein Deficiency
- Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
- Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome
- X-Linked Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
- Von Willebrand’s Disease, type 1
- Von Willebrand’s Disease, type 2
- Von Willebrand’s Disease, type 3.
What if you change your mind to upgrade testing later?
Wisdom Panel Essentials offered via email to upgrade to Premium “Screen for genetic conditions with 180+ health tests, free phone call with a veterinarian for notable health results, genetic diversity report: see how diverse your pup’s DNA is compared to other dogs” for an additional $89.00 (minus a $15 coupon).
This offer did not come to me from the Wisdom Panel 3.0.
If you are considering the fullest genetic health testing, it is the most economical to start straight off with the Premium Test, you can see it on Amazon by clicking HERE.
Best Wisdom Panel Dog DNA Test Kit to confirm a pure-bred, or hybrid dog is Wisdom Panel 3.0, check out the latest pricing at Amazon by clicking HERE.
Best Wisdom Panel test for Mixed Breed Identification and basic genetic health screening is Wisdom Panel Essentials, get your best price on Amazon by Clicking HERE.
