How to take a buccal mucosal DNA sample

For vets

1. The cat’s mouth should be free of food therefore delay sampling for an hour after the cat has eaten.
2. Gloves should be worn.
3. A standard sterile bacteriology swab is used (DO NOT use charcoal medium swabs) - this is inserted into the cat’s mouth and placed between the cheek and gums.
4. The swab is then twisted several times for a few seconds to collect buccal cells onto the swab.
5. The swab is removed and immediately placed into its sterile container.
6. The swab should be clearly labelled with the cat’s identity.

For owners - using a Q-tip

1. The cat’s mouth should be free of food therefore delay sampling for an hour after the cat has eaten.
2. Gloves should be worn.
3. Cut off one end of a new Q-tip and discard (do not touch the remaining cotton tip).
4. Insert the cotton tip into the cat’s mouth between the cheek and gums.
5. Twist the Q-tip several times to collect the buccal cells.
6. Remove the Q-tip from the cat’s mouth and place it in a small, clean plastic bag.
7. Use a zip lock bag or seal the bag with a twist tie.
8. Label the plastic bag with the cat’s name.
9. If more than one cat is being sampled place each Q-tip in a separate, labelled plastic bag.

Please nore: The test is run on DNA extracted from the buccal cells, not on saliva. Failure to collect adequate cellular material on the swab will result in a non-diagnostic sample. The genetic test identifies if a sample is non-diagnostic - in such cases repeat sampling will be required.

Demonstration of swabbing technique (video)

Back to Molecular Diagnostic Unit