EpiPaws HealthScore for Dogs Review: A Smarter Way to Monitor Your Dog's Long-Term Health

We love our dogs like our family and want them to live long, happy lives. However, keeping our dogs healthy is much more than making sure they eat well and get enough exercise. As pet parents, we want to be able to catch potential health concerns before they become serious problems. And the earlier we recognize changes in our dogs' bodies, the more opportunities we have to work with our veterinarians to support their longer, healthier lives.

While routine veterinary exams are one of the most important parts of preventive care, they only provide a snapshot of your dog's health at a single point in time. New advances in dogs’ health monitoring are giving pet parents another tool that can help track subtle changes over time.

One product that stands out is EpiPaws HealthScore™, an at-home biological age and health screening test designed to monitor your dog's overall wellness. Rather than diagnosing specific diseases, HealthScore™ measures biological aging and health trends using epigenetic markers, helping pet parents identify meaningful changes that may deserve closer attention.

About EpiPaws

EpiPaws is a biotechnology company dedicated to helping pets live longer, healthier lives through the power of epigenetics, the study of changes in gene activity that occur throughout life. The company's mission is to give pet parents and veterinarians meaningful insights into a dog's health before any visible signs of illness appear, making preventive care more proactive instead of reactive. By analyzing thousands of molecular markers from a simple cheek swab, EpiPaws provides information that can help track a dog's biological aging and overall wellness over time.

EpiPaws was founded in 2022 by Andria Beal, PhD, an epigenetics researcher whose doctoral work focused on marine mammals. During her research, Dr. Beal developed the first epigenetic age-estimation test for dolphins, demonstrating that molecular aging clocks could accurately estimate age across mammalian species. She later realized that the same technology could transform companion animal healthcare by helping detect changes in biological health earlier, before many diseases become clinically apparent. That vision led to the creation of EpiPaws and its focus on bringing cutting-edge longevity science to everyday pet parents.

What Is EpiPaws HealthScore™?

EpiPaws HealthScore™ is an at-home health screening test that evaluates your dog's biological age and overall health status using DNA collected from a simple cheek swab.

Unlike chronological age, which simply counts birthdays, a dog’s biological age reflects how your dog's body is aging on a cellular level. Some dogs age more slowly than expected, while others may show signs of accelerated aging due to genetics, lifestyle, nutrition, stress, or underlying health conditions.

HealthScore™ analyzes thousands of epigenetic markers to generate an easy-to-understand wellness score that reflects your dog's current biological health. The results are designed to establish a baseline and help track changes over time rather than diagnose a specific illness.

Because biological aging often changes before clinical symptoms develop, monitoring these trends may help pet parents have more informed conversations with their veterinarian.

How HealthScore™ Works

One of the biggest advantages of HealthScore™ is how simple the process is.

After you order the kit, you'll receive everything needed to collect a DNA sample from your dog's cheek using a painless swab. The sample is then mailed back to the EpiPaws laboratory using the prepaid packaging included with the kit.

Once the sample is analyzed, you'll receive an online report that includes your dog's HealthScore, biological age assessment, chronological age (birthday) if needed which is great for rescues and personalized insights based on the epigenetic analysis. It will also include a comparison of the two ages, allowing you to track your dog's health trajectory.

You usually receive the report in four to six weeks after the sample has been received.

The report is designed to be easy for pet parents to understand while also providing valuable information that can be shared with your veterinarian during routine wellness visits.

Because the sampling process is completely non-invasive, dogs tend to tolerate it very well, making it a stress-free experience compared to many traditional diagnostic procedures.

Why Test Every Six Months?

The HealthScore™ is best utilized if your dog is tested every six months. While one test provides useful baseline information, the real value of HealthScore™ comes from monitoring trends over time.

Just as veterinarians recommend regular wellness exams, repeating the HealthScore ™ approximately every six months allows pet parents to observe changes in biological aging and overall health. Tracking these changes may reveal improvements following lifestyle adjustments or identify concerning trends that require additional veterinary evaluation.

Regular testing can also help evaluate how changes in diet, weight management, exercise routines, supplements, or medical treatments may be influencing your dog's overall wellness.

Instead of waiting until visible symptoms develop, HealthScore™ encourages a more proactive approach by helping monitor health before problems become obvious.

Who Is HealthScore™ Best For?

HealthScore can be useful for dogs of virtually every age, although certain groups may benefit the most.

It is an excellent option for pet parents who want to take a proactive approach to preventive healthcare and enjoy tracking measurable health data over time. Dogs entering their senior years may particularly benefit from regular monitoring as age-related health changes become more common.

HealthScore™ may also be valuable for dogs with chronic medical conditions, dogs recovering from illness, and breeds that may be predisposed to certain health concerns. Even healthy young adult dogs can benefit from establishing an early baseline that can be compared with future results.

Because the test is non-invasive and easy to perform at home, it can also be a great option for dogs that become anxious during veterinary visits.

And, good news, cat parents! The HealthScore™ for cats will be available soon too!

Pricing

The HealthScore™ costs $250 per kit which includes your dog’s estimated age (birthday), access to the report and pet portal, a biological health analysis, long- term wellness trends, disease-risk assessment, and dog- specific recommendations. The price is reduced to $199 for their semi-annual plan or $189 for their quarterly plan.

Our Pros and Cons

Pros

• Simple at-home cheek swab collection

• Completely non-invasive and painless

• Measures biological age rather than just chronological age

• Tracks overall health trends over time

• Personalized digital report with easy-to-understand results

• Helps establish a wellness baseline for future comparisons

• Can complement routine veterinary care

• Useful for dogs of all ages -even puppies can be tested for health markers

Cons

• Not intended to diagnose specific diseases

• Results should always be interpreted alongside veterinary examinations

• Requires waiting for laboratory processing after mailing the sample

Final Thoughts

Preventive healthcare continues to evolve, and EpiPaws HealthScore™ offers an interesting new way for pet parents to monitor their dog's long-term wellness. Rather than replacing routine veterinary care, it serves as an additional tool that helps track biological aging and overall health trends using cutting-edge epigenetic science.

What makes HealthScore™ particularly appealing is its simplicity. The painless at-home cheek swab is easy to perform, the reports are straightforward to understand, and repeat testing every six months provides meaningful information that can help identify changes over time.

If you're looking for a proactive way to better understand your dog's health beyond the annual veterinary exam, EpiPaws HealthScore™ is an innovative option worth trying. Make sure to buy one for your dog today! You and your pup will be happy you did!