London practice offers DNA testing as part of standard membership

A London vet practice has claimed to be the first in the UK to provide DNA testing as a standard members’ benefit.

Pickles in Fulham has begun offering comprehensive genetic screening for dogs and cats as part of its £140 per year membership.

The practice became the first in the country to operate a fully membership-only offering with unlimited consultations when it opened in 2022 and CEO Richard Stokes-White believes DNA testing was a logical next step.

‘Better data’

He said: “The CMA report is a moment of reflection for everyone in veterinary care, ourselves included.

“Pet owners want to feel they’re getting real value and that the focus is on their animal’s health. We built Pickles around that principle.

“Including DNA testing in every membership is a natural extension of our preventive-first approach – giving clinicians better data and giving pet owners tangible benefits they can see and understand.”

Condition reports

The DNA testing programme, delivered in partnership with Basepaws by Zoetis, provides genetic data that feeds directly into each pet’s health record within the Pickles PMS.

Dogs will be screened across more than 200 genetic health markers – including neurological, cardiac, metabolic, renal, musculoskeletal and haematological – as well as drug sensitivity testing including MDR1, and detailed condition reports for any flagged risks.

Cats will be tested for more than 40 health condition markers and also receive a full oral health report covering periodontal disease, tooth resorption, and bad breath risk, plus trait and personality markers.

‘Truly proactive’

Rory Cowlam, clinical director at Pickles, said: “As vets, we’ve always known that prevention is better than cure — but we haven’t always had the tools to make it truly proactive.

“Having a pet’s full genetic profile from the outset changes how we approach every consultation. If a dog carries the MDR1 gene variant, we know before we ever prescribe.

“If a breed has elevated cardiac risk, we can monitor earlier. This is genuinely exciting for clinical practice — it moves us from reactive medicine to something far more personalised.”

Tailored care plans

Samples are taken via a cheek swab and results are returned within two to three weeks following review by the Pickles veterinary team.

The findings are used to build personalised preventive care plans for each animal which include drug sensitivities, breed-specific risks, and early disease markers.

DNA testing sits within a broader technology strategy at Pickles that includes AI-powered triage, automated clinical note generation, and digital health monitoring.