FAQ
Questions, answered honestly.
What's actually in the kit, how the science works, and where we draw lines around your dog's data.
The kit & the swab
- What's in the box?
- A sealed sterile cheek swab, a stabilization tube, a prepaid return mailer, and a single-use activation card with your kit's barcode. Premium kraft packaging, entirely recyclable.
- How do I take the sample?
- Open your dog's mouth, rub the inside of one cheek for 30 seconds, drop the swab into the tube, seal it, and mail it back. The whole thing takes under two minutes and doesn't require any food withholding. We send a step-by-step video alongside your kit.
- Is the swab safe? Does it hurt?
- It's the same kind of soft-tip foam swab used in human DNA collection. There's no needle, no blood, no fasting. Most dogs treat it like a brief, slightly weird cuddle.
- How long does it take to get results?
- Roughly two weeks from the day your swab reaches our lab partner. You'll see live status updates in your dashboard the whole way through — when it's received, when sequencing begins, when results are ready.
- What age does my dog need to be?
- Six months and up. Under six months the methylation clock is still establishing itself; we'd rather wait and give you a meaningful read than a noisy one.
The science
- How accurate is the biological-age estimate?
- Peer-reviewed canine methylation clocks predict age with a median error of about 0.8 years against chronological age. We pair that with a confidence range on every report rather than a single number, because honest science always has error bars. For the underlying papers, see The Science.
- Why methylation? Why not just a blood panel?
- Blood panels are excellent for catching what's wrong right now. Methylation captures something different — how your dog's cells are aging over time. They're complementary tools, but only methylation gives you the longevity baseline.
- Whose research is this based on?
- The canine methylation clock was first established in 2017 by Thompson, vonHoldt, Horvath, and Pellegrini at UCLA. The broader framework comes from the Mammalian Methylation Consortium, a multi-lab collaboration spanning 185 species. None of the science is ours — we translate it into something your dog can benefit from. Full citations live on The Science page.
- Is this a diagnostic test?
- No. Our reports are wellness reads — they surface biological signals and translate them into supplement, nutrition, and lifestyle guidance. They're not designed to diagnose disease, and they don't replace your veterinarian for anything symptomatic.
- Can I retest to see if interventions are working?
- Yes — most dogs in our cohort retest every 6 to 12 months. Methylation moves slowly enough that more frequent testing rarely surfaces signal worth acting on. Repeat kits are available in your dashboard at a returning-customer rate.
Reports & recommendations
- What do I actually get back?
- A digital report with your dog's biological age, aging rate, oral microbiome score, breed makeup, and the 55 wellness-marker readout. Each section is paired with a personalized protocol — supplements, food categories, and routine tweaks built around their specific biology.
- How do the supplement recommendations work?
- Recommendations are generated from your dog's test data against an internal rule set authored by our nutrition advisors. Every recommendation includes why — the specific marker or signal that drove it — so you can see the logic, not just the output. You can order any stack directly through the dashboard.
- Are the supplements veterinary products?
- Our supplements are wellness-grade, not pharmaceutical. They sit alongside (not instead of) anything prescribed by your vet. If your dog is on medication, share the report with your vet before adding anything new — that's good practice for any supplement, ours or otherwise.
- What if my dog already has a condition?
- Our protocols stay in lifestyle/wellness territory. We don't pretend to treat anything diagnosed — that's your veterinarian's domain, and we're built to complement that relationship, not compete with it.
Privacy & data
- What happens to my dog's DNA sample?
- Once analysis is complete, the physical sample is destroyed. We retain only the derived data — methylation values, breed estimates, microbiome read — needed to generate and update your reports.
- Who processes the sample, and where does the data live?
- Sequencing is performed at a research-grade U.S. laboratory partner under a strict data-handling agreement. The lab data we receive back is stored in our PIPEDA-compliant Canadian database. We disclose the cross-border processing step transparently rather than hiding it.
- Will you sell or share my dog's genetic data?
- Never. We don't sell, license, or share individual-level genetic data with anyone — not insurance, not third-party advertisers, not research partners without explicit opt-in consent (and even then, only de-identified). You can request full deletion of your data any time.
- How do I delete my account and data?
- Email hello@preciouspaws.com from the address on your account. We'll confirm and complete deletion within 30 days, including from analytics and backup systems.
Shipping, refunds & subscriptions
- Where do you ship?
- Across Canada, free, on every kit. International shipping is on our roadmap.
- What's your refund policy?
- 30-day refund on unopened kits, no questions. Once a sample has been processed in our lab, we can't refund the test itself — but we're happy to talk through any issue with the report. Email us.
- Can I cancel my supplement subscription?
- Anytime, from your dashboard. No phone call, no retention dance. Cancel and your next shipment is paused immediately.
- I have a question that's not here.
- Write to hello@preciouspaws.com. We answer every email within one business day, often same-day.
Still have questions?
We answer every email within one business day. Or jump straight to the science.