Your pet’s annual health checks will be free of charge for as long as they are enrolled in our study. When signing up, your pet will also get a WISDOM PANEL™ DNA test, both of which will offer unprecedented insights into your pet’s health. Read more about these benefits for you and your pet!

We are now recruiting healthy cats and dogs already visiting some of our US-based VCA™ Animal Hospital and BANFIELD™ Pet Hospital locations, as well as current blood donor clients of BLUEPEARL™ Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital. 

If your pet is already a patient at a VCA Animal Hospital or BANFIELD Pet Hospital in the U.S., they may be eligible to join! Current blood donor clients of BLUEPEARL Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital can also join the study.

A veterinary professional at a designated pet hospital will collect the samples during your pet’s annual routine health check. We will also ask you to bring in a sample of fresh feces.

Once collected, our colleagues at Antech Diagnostics will store them in the MARS PETCARE BIOBANK™, and run the relevant tests. To make the most of these samples, we may also send them for analysis (anonymously) to other service providers we are working with for study purposes.

WISDOM PANEL is a DNA test kit that can determine the precise breed mix of your dog or cat with a simple cheek swab. With data from 3 million + pets, Wisdom Panel tests can detect genetic disorders and health risks in individual pets so you (and your veterinarian) can help your pet lead the healthiest, happiest life.

 

At Mars Petcare, we respect your privacy. Any personal data that you share with us while you’re taking part in the MARS PETCARE BIOBANK study will be managed in accordance with the Mars Privacy Statement. 

Information we collect about your pet – like your pet’s species, age, breed, birthday, or treatment history – is not considered personal data.

As part of the MARS PETCARE BIOBANK, we may collect and share this study data across Mars, Incorporated, and its family of companies. This data will be analyzed by data experts and scientists at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, our global research and development site.

We may also share samples and non-personal data with third parties, such as universities or other research organizations, to gain more insights from the information that is helping build MARS PETCARE BIOBANK. In this case, the information will be anonymized and third parties will not be able to connect this information back to you.

You will receive an e-gift card after your first clinic visit to thank you and your pet for your time and for joining this community. Your pet will also receive free of charge annual routine veterinary checkups, and a WISDOM PANEL genetic test kit for cats and dogs. You will also have the chance to help develop new pet health and lifestyle products. You can rest assured that your participation will improve the lives of other pets in the future - maybe even future four-legged family members of your own!