General
- What is the cost of DNA testing?
- The cost of DNA testing varies. See the pricing page for more details. All prices are in US Dollars (USD).
- What are my payment options?
- You can pay online (credit card* only), mail a check in US funds, or fill out and mail a credit card authorization form included in your order confirmation email. * Credit cards accepted are: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.
- Does the VGL offer a test to determine an animal's breed?
- No, the VGL does not offer any breed tests.
Types of Samples and Sample Collection
- Can I send dewclaws or blood cards for dogs and cats?
- The VGL does not accept dewclaws or blood cards for testing.
- What types of samples are accepted for DNA testing?
- The type of sample required depends on the test. All cat and dog tests can be done using cheek swabs. All horse, cattle, goat, sheep and pig tests can be done with hair samples, except for Freemartin testing which requires a blood sample. Please refer to the "Type of Sample" section on the page specific to the test being ordered. The VGL can accept blood, semen or tissue samples for most tests. Please contact our customer service team if you would like to submit a blood or tissue sample.
- How old does an animal need to be for DNA testing?
- There is no age limit for DNA testing. However, for nursing kittens and puppies, we recommend waiting until they are at least 3 weeks old. To avoid contamination, please isolate the puppies/kittens from the mother and littermates for at least 1 hour, and wait at least 1 hour after nursing before collecting a sample from the animal. If you are submitting a hair sample, we need 20-40 hairs with intact roots. If submitting samples from a young horse, please pull tail hairs.
- Have my samples arrived?
- When the sample arrives at the laboratory, you will receive a confirmation email. You can also inquire with our customer service team on the status of your sample by providing the sample ID via phone or email.
- How do I correctly swab a dog or cat for testing?
- You can view a video demonstrating the proper dog sampling technique here. Step-by-step instructions for cat sampling are available here.
- How do I obtain a hair sample with roots?
- You can find video instructions for collecting hair samples from horses here. There are also pictorial guides to cattle hair collection, goat hair collection, sheep hair collection, and pig hair collection.
MyVGL and Ordering
- How do I order tests in My VGL?
- After logging into your MyVGL account, click on "Order Tests" and select a species in the dropdown menu. If using a mobile device, click on the "+" sign next to "Order Tests" to display a list of species. Fill in the animal's information and select desired test(s). Press "Save" at the bottom and checkout. You can also order tests for a different animal before checkout if desired. Detailed instructions for collecting and mailing DNA samples are included on the submission form sent to your email.
- How long should I wait for an email confirmation?
- An email confirmation should arrive within a few minutes after it was requested or the online payment completed. If you do not see an email confirmation, please check your spam/junk folder.
- Can I add a test to the sample I sent in for testing?
- The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory keeps the samples on file for the life expectancy of the animal. If you were the person who initially ordered the test, you can log into your account and select "Add Test to Existing Sample" to add a test to a previously tested sample.
- Can I add a test to a sample tested by another person?
- If you were not the person who originally tested the animal, you would not be able to add a test to the previously tested sample.
- How do I edit or update an animal's information?
-
If we have not received the sample for testing, you can edit the animal's information by logging into your account, selecting "View Tests/Results", and then clicking on the animal's name or sample ID. After the desired changes are made, read and check the Terms and Conditions, and click "Save". Once the sample arrives at the laboratory, the edit option will no longer be available. If we have already received the sample for testing, you can request a change to the animal's information by sending the request via email through our Contact page. For verification purposes, please email the request from the email address associated with the account.
- How can I cancel a test?
- In your MyVGL account, select "View Tests/Results" in the menu bar, find the test you wish to cancel and click on "View" to the right of the animal's name. On the next page, scroll down to the bottom and select "Cancel Test". Once the sample arrives in the laboratory, the cancel option will no longer be available. Tests that are prepaid online cannot be cancelled.
- How can I reprint a submission form or sample label?
-
In your MyVGL account, select "View Tests/Results" in the menu bar then find the test you wish to reprint. Click on "Print". If you wish to print multiple tests, select all desired tests by checking the boxes on the left and then click on "Print Selected Tests".
Processing and Turnaround
- How long will it take to test my sample(s)?
- Samples are tested in the order they are received. Turn around times vary by test. See the information page specific to the test being ordered for more details.
- Can you RUSH my testing for a genetic disorder?
- Every sample sent to the laboratory is processed upon delivery in the order received. Upon completion of the testing and analysis, the results are sent electronically to the account holder email. However, if you have a medical emergency and genetic testing results are needed to provide critical care to your patient, please contact our contact our customer service team about the possibility of a rush to your case.
Test Results
- I ordered 2 tests for my patient but only received 1 result back. Why?
- Results are sent out as they are completed. Some tests can take longer than others to complete. Possible reasons for delay could also be: poor sample condition or inconclusive results that require additional testing.
- I sent 3 samples at the same time to be tested but only received 2 reports back. Why?
- Reports are sent out as they are completed. Some tests can take longer than others to complete. Possible reasons for delay could also be: poor sample condition, insufficient information on the parents (for parentage verification requests), or inconclusive results that require additional testing.
- Can you send the reports directly to me?
- The laboratory will send the report to the account holder via the email listed on the account. If you need results for an animal tested under the animal owner's account, you will need to ask the owner to provide a copy of the results.
- How can I view/print test results?
- In your MyVGL account, select "View Tests/Results" in the menu bar and find the animal you wish to view/print results for. Click on "Result" to the far right of the animal's name. A PDF of the report will pop up for you to view/print. If a PDF does not pop up, you may have received an email with the report attached. Results completed prior to January 1, 2007 are not available through MyVGL.
- What does a Genetic Markers Report mean?
- The Genetic Marker Report is used for identification (a DNA fingerprint) and/or for parent verification purposes. The Genetic Marker Report does not provide you with specific information about your animal such as coat color, disease, lineage, or breed.
- If parents are listed on a test report, does that mean that they are DNA verified parents?
- No. If a client enters the name of the sire and dam when requesting a DNA test for the offspring, the information will also be shown on the test report. The VGL offers a parentage verification test that will compare the DNA profile of the possible parents to the DNA profile of the offspring to confirm whether the parents qualify. The results of a DNA parentage verification test will be shown on a report titled "Parentage and Genetic Marker Test Report".
- Why is it taking so long to receive my results?
- First, be sure that your sample has been received by the laboratory. You should receive an email the day that it arrives, or you can log in to your MyVGL account, click on View Tests/Results, and verify the "Rcvd Date" for your sample.
Second, the expected turnaround time is based on business days, typically Monday-Friday, but also check the website for occasional holiday closures.
Finally, please understand that we cannot sacrifice quality to meet turnaround times. During each step of the testing and analysis process, there are quality control measures in place to ensure accuracy. If at any point the standards are not met, a portion of the testing process must be repeated, and this can lead to minor or significant delays. During times when the laboratory is experiencing high sample volume, results may be delayed beyond the expected turnaround time. We appreciate your patience while we work to produce results as rapidly as possible.
Parentage Verification
- How do I order parent verification tests using MyVGL (all species except dog)?
- Login to your MyVGL account and select the species. Fill in the offspring’s information, select “Parent Verification,” then "Verify Sire to this animal" or "Verify Dam to this animal." If the sire/dam already have DNA on file with our laboratory and you have their case numbers, select "Enter Name/Reg + VGL Case Number" and enter the information for the parents. If the sire/dam do not have DNA on file with our laboratory (samples will be required), select "Add New Sire" and/or "Add New Dam," enter the parent information, and save.
- How do I order parent verification tests for dogs?
- To order parent verification tests for dogs, select "Order Tests" then "Dog" and click on the link at the top of the page that says "Dog Parentage/Genetic Markers Forms". Fill in the animal information. If dam or sire have been previously DNA typed for parentage verification, provide the VGL case number of the dam and/or sire where indicated. If dam, sire or both have not been previously DNA typed for parent verification, use the "Add New Sire" and/or "Add New Dam" buttons to add and save parent information.
- How can I request additional parent verification for a previously tested offspring?
- In your MyVGL account, select "View Tests/Results" in the menu bar then find the offspring and click on "Add New Parent Verification Request". Multiple sires and dams can be selected.
- Why do you need to test the dam? I know the dam.
- Parentage testing is based on the principle of exclusion. For paternity cases, knowing the genetic information of the dam provides additional confidence in determining which genetic markers could have come from the sire. Testing only one parent does not always give a complete picture and could allow for the qualification of a sire that would be excluded if the dam information was considered.
Website
- I am trying to find a particular DNA test. What is the best way to search for a test on the VGL website?
- You can use the "Find DNA Tests" box on the VGL homepage or on each species' page to search for specific keywords or to filter the list of available tests by Species, Breed, and/or Type of Test. The search function works best if you select a species first. If you know the breed of your animal, it is best to refine the search by selecting the breed from the drop-down list instead of typing the breed name into the Keyword field.
- My search for a particular DNA test returned no results. What should I do?
- If your search did not identify a match, the VGL may not offer a test for the disease/trait you searched for, or the search terms you used did not work to identify an existing test. You can try using an alternate, longer keyword (all keywords must be two or more characters long). You could also try a more refined search by selecting species and breed information prior to your keyword search. Lastly, check the spelling of the term you are searching (the search function identifies exact matches only).
- Do pop-up windows have to be allowed for this site?
- The MyVGL site has some links that open new web browser windows. Some pop-up blocker software may prevent these new web browser windows from opening.
If you have pop-up blocker software, then please change the setting to allow pop-up windows from the MyVGL site. - Does JavaScript have to be enabled for this site?
- Yes, the MyVGL site utilizes JavaScript to provide needed functionality. We require that you have JavaScript enabled in your web browser. If you do not have JavaScript enabled, you will see an alert message at the top of every page (in red text). Please refer to the Help section on your web browser to locate the instructions to enable JavaScript