Every dog and cat is at risk of becoming infected with worms. In Central Europe, roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms are the most common intestinal parasites. Some of these migrate from the intestine through other organs in the body. In addition, lungworms are playing an increasingly significant role.

Infection usually occurs through the ingestion of feces, grass, and prey such as mice or birds, as well as through intermediate hosts, such as fleas. The individual risk of a worm infestation therefore varies greatly. While some animals almost never become infected, others ingest new worm eggs almost every day. This depends, among other things, on age, lifestyle, and diet.

ESCCAP—an independent European organization that develops guidelines for managing parasites—therefore recommends a risk-based approach. Depending on their lifestyle, dogs and cats should either be dewormed at individually determined intervals or monitored through fecal examinations at the same intervals. The goal is to reduce the excretion of infectious worm eggs and thereby protect the health of both animals and humans. Some species of worms are zoonotic pathogens, which means they can be transmitted from animals to humans. Children and immunocompromised individuals are particularly at risk.

Instead of routine deworming, it is also possible to test a stool sample. This test specifically determines whether an animal is infected with worms. This helps prevent the unnecessary administration of medication. However, eggs are not excreted continuously, so even a fecal sample collected over three days may sometimes fail to detect a minor infestation. A negative test result therefore does not always definitively rule out a worm infestation.

Talk to your veterinarian about the specific interval and type of fecal exam your pet needs, as well as deworming. You can also find more information in our brochure “Advice & Assistance: Is There a Worm in It?”

We offer more than just comprehensive genetic screenings, such as the LABOGenetics XXL packages for dogs and cats. Our portfolio also includes breed-specific packages, as well as nearly all genetic tests, which are also available as individual tests.

Individual tests are particularly useful when an animal needs to be screened specifically for a certain hereditary disease or coat trait. This applies, for example, to symptomatic animals in which specific hereditary diseases need to be confirmed or ruled out, as well as to breeding animals that have not yet undergone a newly available genetic test. In some cases, it is even possible to analyze sample material that has already been stored, without the need to resubmit it.

With our individual tests, you’ll benefit from an affordable price and a particularly short testing time. Our range of individual tests is continually expanding and is always based on the latest scientific findings.

In addition, we are constantly making improvements to our existing tests. Among other things, this allows us to significantly reduce test runtimes even further. Current examples of this include tests for clopidogrel efficacy in cats, as well as tests for the MDR1 gene variant, CEA, and prcd-PRA in dogs.

This is how we ensure that you always benefit from fast and reliable genetic testing and that you can find the right test format for every question. If you’re still unsure which test is right for you, we’d be happy to recommend our decision-making guide to help you choose the right service:

Our popular breed packages are getting some new additions: packages for the Australian Kelpie and Cane Corso Italiano breeds are now available. The breed packages can be used to identify the relevant breed-specific hereditary diseases and coat characteristics. This provides a solid foundation for forward-looking breeding planning.

Cane Corso Italiano Package

Includes the following tests:
Degenerative myelopathy (DM Exon 2), dental-skeletal-retinal anomaly (DSRA), canine multifocal retinopathy (CMR1), hyperuricosuria (SLC), and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL)

Test duration: 7–14 business days
The package costs EUR 110.00 incl. VAT

Intestinal lipid malabsorption is a hereditary metabolic disorder in the Australian Kelpie in which the absorption and processing of dietary fats are impaired.

Affected dogs do not thrive even as puppies, remain significantly smaller than their littermates, and often have greasy, light-colored stools and a shaggy coat. The cause is a variant in the ACSL5 gene, which plays a key role in the absorption and metabolism of long-chain fatty acids in the small intestine. As people get older, the symptoms may subside. Nevertheless, the animals are generally smaller, and they often continue to have an intolerance to high-fat food.

Genetic testing is particularly important for breeders, as it allows them to reliably identify carrier animals and make targeted breeding decisions.

With LABOGenetics XXL Dog, breeders and dog owners get a comprehensive overview of their dog’s genetics. The screening tests for over 340 genetic variants and provides information on possible hereditary diseases, genetic risk factors, and coat colors and characteristics. This makes it possible to identify health risks early on and make informed breeding decisions.

Now LABOGenetics XXL Dog is even more user-friendly and practical:

New Symbols for Symptom Complexes
In the test results, small symbols appear after each test to indicate the corresponding set of symptoms. This makes it easier to interpret the results more quickly.

Two Findings for Greater Clarity
Effective immediately, you will receive two documents: the complete comprehensive report with all test results, and a concise specialized report covering breed-specific tests, coat colors, and any additional tests you requested.

New filter feature on the website
On the LABOGenetics XXL Dog information page, all tests included in the screening can now be filtered by dog breed and/or set of symptoms. This ensures that the relevant tests are displayed.

IGS is an inherited disorder that affects the absorption of vitamin B12. The resulting deficiency impairs blood formation and can lead to anemia as well as neurological deficits. The first symptoms usually appear during puppyhood, between about 6 and 12 weeks of age. Typical symptoms include insufficient weight gain and growth retardation, fatigue, loss of appetite, anemia, and general weakness.

Effective immediately, the IGS genetic test is available for Australian Shepherds and Miniature American Shepherds, in addition to Border Collies, Beagles, and Komondors. For these two breeds, testing is conducted for an autosomal recessive variant in the so-called AMN gene.

Early diagnosis allows affected dogs to maintain a good quality of life through lifelong vitamin B12 supplementation. Genetic testing also helps prevent the birth of affected puppies through targeted breeding planning.

Babesiosis (also known as “canine malaria” or piroplasmosis) is a disease caused by unicellular parasites (babesia) that dogs can get from the bite of infected ticks and is increasingly occurring in Germany. It is mainly transmitted by the meadow tick and the brown dog tick, and more rarely by blood transfusions. If the parasites enter the dog’s bloodstream, they penetrate the red blood cells and multiply there. This destroys the red blood cells, which leads to anemia.

The symptoms usually appear within about 2-3 weeks after the tick bite and are often relatively unspecific. These include severe fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, pale mucous membranes and jaundice. A dark red to brown discoloration of the urine can also occur, which is caused by the excretion of blood pigments (haemoglobinuria). If left untreated, the disease can lead to consequential damage to various organs, such as respiratory distress or kidney failure. The nervous system can also be affected, which can manifest itself in seizures, paralysis or movement disorders. Without treatment, babesiosis is often fatal. Early diagnosis and treatment are therefore very important.

As the pathogens are not transmitted directly with the tick bite, but enter the body with a time delay via the tick’s saliva, rapid removal of the tick and suitable tick protection can reduce the risk of babesiosis. A veterinarian should be contacted immediately in case of suspicion.

On our website https://vbd.laboklin.com you will find useful information on babesiosis and other vector-borne infectious diseases (transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks, for example).

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a hereditary disease in which the regulation of calcium levels in the body is disturbed. Possible consequences are an increasing weakening of the bones, kidney problems and even kidney failure as well as other metabolic disorders.

A variant in the SIRT6 gene was found in the Wolfspitz/Keeshond that is associated with the disease. This is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. The late onset of the disease is particularly challenging for breeders, as the symptoms of PHPT usually only become apparent after the age of 8 and therefore often at a time when the dogs have already been used for breeding. The genetic test enables early identification of affected animals and supports breeders and owners in responsible breeding selection and prevention.

The genetic test for Adult Onset Neuropathy (AON) is now available again! The test is carried out by a partner laboratory and is offered for the English Cocker Spaniel and Field Spaniel breeds.

AON is a hereditary disease whose symptoms are similar to those of degenerative myelopathy (DM). The first symptoms typically appear at the age of 7.5 to 9 years and are characterized by weakness of the hind legs, resulting in an uncoordinated gait and a wide-legged stance. As the disease progresses, the weakness spreads to the front legs and can eventually lead to difficulty swallowing.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic heart disease in which there is an abnormal thickening of the left ventricle. As this ventricle is responsible for the blood supply to the entire body, HCM can significantly impair the heart’s pumping capacity. This can result in a reduced oxygen supply to the organs.

The disease can have serious consequences, including cardiac arrhythmia, abnormal blood clotting (risk of thrombosis) and heart failure. The clinical symptoms are highly variable and range from reduced exercise tolerance and breathing difficulties to fainting or collapse.

A genetic variant in the TNNI3 gene associated with HCM has been identified in a family of Golden Retrievers. The disease is believed to be inherited in an autosomal recessive manner and, in the worst case, can lead to sudden cardiac death.