The ACVO is pleased to announce a new Eye Certification Registry (ECR). The new ECR is a joint effort between the OFA and the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) and has the full endorsement of the ACVO and their member Diplomates. The addition of eye examination results to the OFA database will unquestionably make the OFA the most complete resource of canine health screening results in the world and enhance this important toolset for responsible breeders to make more informed breeding decisions in an effort to reduce the incidence of inherited disease.

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The new OFA Eye Certification Registry will be available as of November 1, 2012. Transition to this new registry should be seamless for both owners and examining ophthalmologists:

EXAMS - There will be no changes to the existing exam protocols. The standard exam process will still be conducted by qualified ACVO Diplomates assessing dogs for the presence or absence of observable hereditary eye disease.

RESULTS - There will be no changes to the interpretation or classification of the exam results. Dogs with normal eye exams will receive OFA eye clearance numbers similar to the OFA numbers issued for hips, elbows, cardiac, etc. Dogs with observable, but passing conditions (currently known as Breeder Option Codes), will be issued notated OFA eye clearance numbers. Dogs with observed eye diseases of significance will be reported as ineligible for eye clearance numbers. A complete list of Breeder Option Codes and Ineligible Categories will be available on the OFA website soon.

FORMS – All active ACVO Diplomates will receive the new OFA exam forms by mid-October in advance of the transition. The forms will be similar in format to the exam forms currently in use.

VALID PERIOD – OFA eye certification numbers will be considered valid for one year from the time of the exam.

FEES - Fees for both initial submissions ($12) and resubmits ($8) of passing results for eye certifications will remain the same with one change. In order to maximize the benefits to breeders it is important to encourage owners to share all exam data, both normal and non-passing results. To that end, there is no charge to owners to submit non-passing results to the database if they authorize open disclosure.

ONLINE ACCESS – All normal/passing eye exam results submitted to the OFA will be available on the OFA’s website. Non-passing results will be available on the OFA website if the owner authorizes disclosure.

AKC – OFA eye certification numbers will be shared with the AKC for inclusion on their registration and pedigree documents if the dog was permanently identified via microchip or tattoo AND the ID was verified by the ophthalmologist at the time of the exam.

STATISTICAL DATA COLLECTION – Regardless of whether the owner opts to register eye exam results with the OFA, the examining ophthalmologist will submit the results for statistical purposes to monitor disease prevalence and progression at the breed level. Working with the ACVO Genetics Committee, the OFA will make aggregate statistics available to ACVO Diplomates, breed clubs, and the public.

In addition to the new Eye Certification Registry (ECR), the OFA is working with the ACVO to establish a new Clinical Database of Ophthalmic Diagnoses (CDOD). Recognizing that the ECR represents a biased population of primarily normal dogs, the CDOD will capture additional data regarding disease prevalence for those dogs presenting to private and institutional practices for reasons other than a certification exam. Together, the OFA’s new ECR and CDOD will be important tools to monitor canine inherited eye conditions and reduce their incidence.

As a not-for-profit organization, a portion of the proceeds from all OFA eye registrations will be donated to the ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation to support research leading to the elimination of ocular diseases causing vision loss and suffering in animals. In keeping with the OFA’s existing policy to support canine health research grants, these donations will be in addition to grants supported through the AKC Canine Health Foundation and the Morris Animal Foundation.

Please refer back to the OFA website in the coming weeks as more details become available.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
2300 E Nifong Blvd.
Columbia, MO  65201
Phone:  (573) 442-0418
Website:  www.offa.org

If you have questions for CERF or would like to obtain your CERF registration number please contact the CERF office or visit their website at www.vmdb.org.