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Next-Generation Sequencing in Companion Animal Practice for Infectious Disease Diagnostics and Characterizing Normal
1Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine, Rowan University, South Harrison, NJ, USA.
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The purpose of this article is to review and compare the most common and emergent next-generation sequencing methodologies used in small animal veterinary practice, with a focus on their applications to bacterial diagnostics and assessment of the healthy gut microbiome. These methodologies include whole genome sequencing, amplicon sequencing, shotgun metagenomic sequencing, and transcriptomics. Understanding the benefits and limitations of each methodology will help small animal practitioners to make informed decisions for their patients and maximize the utility of each test as part of a complete patient health assessment.
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