photo credit: FidoCure
You already do so much for your pet. You get them the best toys, feed them the yummiest and healthiest foods, and wouldn’t dare skimp on cuddle time or games of fetch.
There’s a good chance you also like to stay up to date on innovative pet companies doing the most for your pets. Today, we’re showcasing two such trailblazing pet companies. Each has developed insightful diagnostic tests that give you a better snapshot of your pet’s total well-being.
Did you know? You can always find pet parenting insights and a listening ear on the purrch app. There you can interact with pet parents just like you—as well as the industry experts featured here—who are navigating pet parenthood together.
In a Nutshell:
MiDOG testing kits are an at-home diagnostic tool that uses microbiome analysis to accurately determine what’s causing an infection in your pet. (BTW, it’s not just for dogs—the test works for all pets!)
How It Works
You request a kit, collect and send a sample (that’d be your pet’s poop!), and send it in for diagnostic testing. MiDOG sends you the results, which you can then share with your veterinarian.
“With the MiDOG test, vets have DNA-evidence to detect and quantify all bacterial and fungal pathogens in clinical samples, along with antibiotic susceptibility information for more than 40 antibiotics,” explains Dr. Janina Krumbeck, director of microbiome application at MiDOG. (photo credit MiDOG)
This gives your veterinarian a much better picture of what might be causing an infection in your pet and how to treat it efficiently.
“This test is particularly helpful for exotic pets, or pets that have been suffering from chronic infections, like UTIs or otitis,” says Dr. Krumbeck. “In these cases, the actual pathogen often goes undetected.
MiDOG in Action
Finley—a super cute 3-year-old frilled lizard—had a skin infection his owners couldn’t figure out. In Finley’s case, it wasn’t bacteria causing the infection, but rather a nasty fungus called Nannizziopsis. MiDOG was able to quickly diagnose the infection so Finley could recover quickly! (photo credit MiDOG)
In a Nutshell:
FidoCure is a genetic testing company that delivers a precision medicine approach to canine cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. These diagnostics have been available to humans for over 20 years, and FidoCure has now paved the way for dogs.
How it Works
We don’t like the stats, but nearly half of all dogs over age 10 will develop cancer. FidoCure’s ultimate mission is to bring treatment options to all dogs with cancer and extend their time with their pet parents.
“FidoCure uses genetic testing of your dog’s tumor to identify cancer-driving mutations in dogs and suggests targeted therapies to fight them,” explains CEO Christina Lopes. “FidoCure can also—in some cases—indicate the utility of a traditional treatment like chemotherapy. [This] gives doctors and families important information before they decide on a treatment approach.”
This technology is currently available through your veterinarian. If you’re interested in using FidoCure, you can ask your vet about whether it’d be a good option for your pup. If your vet is unfamiliar, you can reach out to FidoCure and they’ll have one of their in-house oncologists reach out to the clinic. (To find a vet clinic that has used FidoCure before, use the FidoCure clinic locator.) Photo credit: FidoCure
FidoCure treatments prolong dogs’ lives significantly. Of the first 80 dogs that used FidoCure, almost half were failing with other treatments and were considered terminal. More than 60% of those dogs are still alive today.
FidoCure in Action
Lulu, a 12-year-old Akita Inu, received a thyroid cancer diagnosis in 2017. Many dogs beat this type of cancer, but her tumors spread to her lymph nodes two years later, which meant her cancer was aggressive and had metastasized. Her family considered treatments like chemotherapy, but decided on a targeted therapy approach via FidoCure. Lulu has remained free from cancer metastases after 20 months of FidoCure treatment.
Does your dog suffer from canine cancer? Join the Canine Cancer community on purrch which is led by FidoCure. Here you can benefit from the experiences of others working to overcome this same disease. 
Photo credit: FidcoCure
