Health TESTING resources

Today's breeders have a lot of resources available to them to aid in eliminating hereditary disease. The following are links to the ones we regularly use.

Embark advanced DNA testing for breeders - Embark screens for 270+ genetic health risks - US based
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Betagene - Canadian Genetic Testing

University of Cambridge BOAS Research - Respiratory Function Grading Scheme (RFGS) is now available in Canada and registered with OFA.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) - The OFA's mission "is to promote the health and welfare of companion animals through a reduction in the incidence of genetic disease".  

Health tests recommended for Japanese Chin / CHIC Program Requirements
     - Eye Examination once 36 months old. Results registered with OFA
     - Veterinary Evaluation of Patellar Luxation. Results registered with OFA. Minimum age 1 year.
     - Gangliosidosis (GM2) - DNA test results from an approved lab
     - Cardiac Evaluation - One of the following:
          Advanced Cardiac Exam
          Basic Cardiac Exam, minimum age 4 years, to be performed by a board certified cardiologist
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Why submit to OFA databases and participate in the CHIC program?
The benefits of submitting tests to OFA and participating in the CHIC program are twofold. Firstly, OFA and CHIC provide a reliable source of health information regarding dogs. OFA requires that health results come from reputable labs, and submissions must show the lab name and date of testing for verification. For breeders, this may help in the selection of dogs to use in their breeding program. Potential owners can obtain accurate information on a breeder’s dogs’ health to assist their search for their future family member. For parent clubs and health foundations, OFA and CHIC provide a health database with no upfront cost. OFA maintains health data securely and independently from commercial labs, which prevents issues seen when the latter go out of business, leading to the loss of invaluable health data. The database is not subject to time, technology, or resource constraints, and allows parent clubs and health foundations such as the CHF to focus on identifying health concerns, educating their membership, and encouraging participation in these programs.
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The OFA website itself has a wide range of useful tools and resources. Breed and disease-specific statistics are available publicly through the CHIC program and show trends for all breeds as well as individual breeds. The Advanced Search tool allows one to view results with breed- and disease-specific filters. Moreover, health information pedigrees are also available: the combined health pedigree shows testing done on a dog’s parents and grandparents, and the vertical testing pedigrees show, for each disorder, the test results for all those dogs’ siblings and offspring.
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But more importantly, using OFA is paying it forward to future generations. The health data and statistics obtained thanks to these public databases are invaluable.