Canine Health Information Center - "CHIC"

Program Approved by ACKCSC Board of Directors and ACKCSC Health Committee

The OFA created the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) by partnering with participating parent clubs to research and maintain information on the health issues prevalent in specific breeds. They have established a recommended protocol for breed-specific health screenings. Dogs tested in accordance with that protocol are recognized with a CHIC number and certification..

CHIC Fees - No Charge

All test results from the OFA and CERF are entered in the CHIC registry AUTOMATICALLY at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE. All data from both of these registries will be available for researchers working on canine health problems.

CHIC Fact Sheet

The Canine Health Information Center, also known as CHIC, is a centralized canine health database jointly sponsored by the AKC/Canine Health Foundation (AKC/CHF) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).

Mission Statement & Goals

To provide a source of health information for owners, breeders, and scientists, that will assist in breeding healthy dogs by:

Working with parent clubs in the identification of health issues for which a central information system should be established;

Establishing and maintaining a central health information system in a manner that will support research into canine disease and provide health information to owners and breeders;

Requiring scientifically valid diagnostic criteria for the acceptance of information into the database;

And by basing the availability of information on individually identified dogs at the consent of the owner.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Requirements

To qualify for CHIC, Cavaliers must be screened for Hip Dysplasia (OFA, Penn HIP or OVC), Cardiac (OFA - exam performed by Board Certified Cardiologist. Recommended Annually.), Patellar Luxation (OFA), and have a CERF eye examination. Although it is not required, it is recommended that an initial CERF exam be performed at 8-12 weeks, with a follow up exam once the dog reaches 12 months of age, annual exams thereafter until age 5, and every other year until age 9.

CHIC Basics

• CHIC combines the health screening results from multiple sources into one centralized database
• CHIC is administered by the OFA, including responsibility for the infrastructure, parent club relations, and daily program communications.
• Parent Clubs establish the breed specific testing protocol.
• Dogs complying with the breed specific testing requirements are issued CHIC numbers.
• Once the recommended testing has been completed and the results are on record with CHIC, CHIC numbers are issued REGARDLESS of the result AS LONG AS the owner agrees to place the results in the public domain. In other words, a dog with abnormal results is still eligible to receive a CHIC number if the owner is willing to share the results.
• To be eligible, dogs must be permanently identified.
• CHIC numbers should not be misinterpreted as a stamp of approval for breeding. A CHIC number indicates compliance with the parent club recommendation for health screening at a given point in time.
• CHIC numbers do not expire, however CHIC clearly indicates test dates so that compliance with recommendations for re-testing can be determined (ex CERF recommendation for annual re-examinations).
• CHIC determination is automatic with all OFA/normal, CERF results. For Cavaliers, only PennHIP, OVC, or abnormal CERF results need to be manually sent in. To submit, the owner should send a written request along with the test results to CHIC stating that the results are being submitted for inclusion in the CHIC database.

The CHIC website is located at https://www.ofa.org/about/chic-program#