Quantitative Real – time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) is a method used in DNA amplification reactions to measure the total amount of products after each polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycle with fluorescent chemical substances. The following are its specific applications in the pet field:

Disease Diagnosis

• Virus Detection
  It can quickly and accurately detect whether pets are infected with common viruses such as canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, feline panleukopenia virus, and feline herpesvirus. By testing samples such as pet blood, secretions, and tissues, a diagnosis can be made in the early stage of the disease, even before the pet shows obvious symptoms, thus winning time for timely treatment.
• Bacteria Detection
  It is used to detect pathogenic bacteria in pets, such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella. Especially for some intestinal and respiratory diseases caused by bacterial infections, quantitative real – time PCR can accurately determine the types and loads of infected bacteria, helping veterinarians develop targeted treatment plans.
• Parasite Detection
  Parasitic infections such as Toxoplasma gondii and coccidia are relatively common in pets. Quantitative real – time PCR can detect whether a pet is infected with parasites and the degree of infection, assisting pet owners and veterinarians in taking corresponding prevention and control measures.

Evaluation of Drug Efficacy

• During the treatment of pets with antiviral, antibacterial, or anti – parasitic drugs, quantitative real – time PCR can be used to monitor the change in the number of pathogens. For example, when treating canine distemper, by regularly detecting the nucleic acid load of the canine distemper virus, the inhibitory effect of the drug on the virus can be intuitively understood. If the virus load gradually decreases, it indicates that the drug treatment is effective; otherwise, the treatment plan may need to be adjusted.

Detection of Genetic Diseases

• Many pet breeds are prone to specific genetic diseases, such as hemophilia in dogs and polycystic kidney disease in cats. Quantitative real – time PCR can detect gene mutations or deletions related to these genetic diseases, helping pet owners and breeders understand the genetic status of pets in advance. Corresponding measures can be taken, such as avoiding the breeding of pets with the same pathogenic genes, thereby reducing the incidence of genetic diseases in pet offspring.

Monitoring of Vaccine Efficacy

• After pets are vaccinated, quantitative real – time PCR can be used to detect the immune response of the pet’s body to the vaccine antigen. For example, by detecting the expression level of genes encoding specific antibodies against certain pathogens in the pet’s body after vaccination, it can be evaluated whether the vaccine has successfully induced the pet’s immune response, and whether the vaccination has achieved the expected effect, providing a basis for whether revaccination is necessary.

Applications in Research

• Gene Expression Analysis
  Researchers can use quantitative real – time PCR to study the expression of specific genes in pets under different physiological and disease conditions. For example, during the occurrence and development of pet tumors, analyzing the expression changes of related oncogenes and tumor – suppressor genes helps to deeply understand the pathogenesis of pet diseases.
• Microbial Community Research
  There are a large number of microbial communities in the intestines, skin, and other parts of pets. Quantitative real – time PCR can be used to quantitatively analyze the changes in the quantity and proportion of different bacterial species in these microbial communities, study the relationship between the pet microbial community and health/disease, and provide a theoretical basis for the development of probiotics.