Application of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Techniques for Selected Companion Animals

Simple Summary This review explores the wide-ranging applications of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques in veterinary medicine for companion animals. It addresses the need for advanced diagnostic and treatment approaches in veterinary care. The aims include understanding parasitic transmission, infectious disease dynamics, metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, oncological processes, and genetic predispositions in animals. The article demonstrates NGS’s efficacy in comprehensive parasite profiling, rapid pathogen identification, personalized tumor analysis, and genetic disease elucidation. Conclusions highlight the transformative potential of NGS in enhancing veterinary diagnostics, treatment planning, and disease management for companion animals. The review’s insights promise to revolutionize veterinary care, enabling precise and tailored treatments, improving animal health outcomes, and advancing overall societal well-being through healthier and happier companion animals. Abstract Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques have revolutionized veterinary medicine for cats and dogs, offering insights across various domains. In veterinary parasitology, NGS enables comprehensive profiling of parasite populations, aiding in understanding transmission dynamics and drug resistance mechanisms. In infectious diseases, NGS facilitates rapid pathogen identification, characterization of virulence factors, and tracking of outbreaks. Moreover, NGS sheds light on metabolic processes by elucidating gene expression patterns and metabolic pathways, essential for diagnosing metabolic disorders and designing tailored treatments. In autoimmune diseases, NGS helps identify genetic predispositions and molecular mechanisms underlying immune dysregulation. Veterinary oncology benefits from NGS through personalized tumor profiling, mutation analysis, and identification of therapeutic targets, fostering precision medicine approaches. Additionally, NGS plays a pivotal role in veterinary genetics, unraveling the genetic basis of inherited diseases and facilitating breeding programs for healthier animals. Physiological investigations leverage NGS to explore complex biological systems, unraveling gene–environment interactions and molecular pathways governing health and disease. Application of NGS in treatment planning enhances precision and efficacy by enabling personalized therapeutic strategies tailored to individual animals and their diseases, ultimately advancing veterinary care for companion animals.