Our visit to UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Labratory!

BetterBred wants to warmly thank the staff at the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at UC Davis for welcoming us on a tour and visit with them last week.  We were fortunate to tour the facilities, visit the staff, and learn about the process for the UC Davis canine diversity test and other disease testing.  

We were able to see just how meticulous the staff is from start to finish- from receiving your swabs, DNA extraction, to the team that runs the DNA testing.  After the DNA is run, many pairs of eyes check the results for accuracy.  We also got to meet the friendly customer service team, who work hard to respond in a timely manner to your questions.  They truly go above and beyond to ensure that quality tests are available to meet breeders’ needs and really desire to not only provide reliable testing, but relevant tests to each breed.  If you haven’t already, check out a full list of their canine breed specific testing here: UC Davis VGL Canine testing .  The prices are competitive and their lab is OFA approved.  

After meeting with the staff, we were able to drive around the town of Davis and the veterinary school.  We want to thank especially the Director of the Veterinary Genetics lab, Dr. Rebecca Bellone, for being such an excellent and insightful host.  We were interested in learning about the interest many there hold for equine, caprine, feline, and canine research.  Also, we were so excited to meet Shayne Hughes, Associate Director, who helps tirelessly with all our questions with each breed who has been analyzed with VGL.  We really enjoyed meeting the people with whom Natalie corresponded remotely for many years now.  It was thrilling to meet not only the staff of the lab, but also many researchers passionate about animals.

We enjoyed our time on campus and spent our last day relaxing a bit walking around the town of Davis and the veterinary school.  We got to enjoy local flavors (like some most excellent sushi!) and see the farmer’s market.  We were also tickled to see many purebred dogs around town and even saw a standard poodle.  It was nice to get out of the Midwest and enjoy some sun and make some new friends!