Does the swab expire?

Yes, but not for a while. Don't worry about it.

We provide you with a Genotek PG-100 swab. These swabs have a shelf life of about 24 months. You can determine the approximate expiration date from the swab code itself. On the swab, there is a barcode that includes a swab code (for example 31011902131234). Within the code, you can find the swab's production date. After the first 4 digits, you'll see a series of 6 digits. That is the swab's production date. Using example 31011902131234, we can conclude that the date is February 13, 2019 (190213). This means that this swab doesn't expire until February 13, 2021.

After the saliva sample has been collected, the swab tube is sealed and the swab is soaked in the stabilizer liquid; we can still extract the DNA for testing for up to a year. However, we recommend sending the sample as soon as you can providing that there are no specific reasons to hold onto the swab. 

In any case, sufficiently sampling the dog's DNA is the most important step. Get lots of slobber! 💦

Do samples expire?

A properly collected DNA sample will last in the tube with the included stabilizing fluid for 6 months and possibly up to a year. We cannot make any guarantees as every sample is unique, so we recommend that you send the sample back to us as quickly as possible after collection. If the sample does not work, we will let you know and send you a free replacement swab.