OFA Thyroid Procedures
Purpose
To identify those dogs that are phenotypically normal for breeding programs and to gather data on the genetic disease autoimmune thyroiditis
Examination and Classification
Each dog is to be examined by an attending veterinarian and have a serum sample sent to an OFA approved laboratory for testing according to the enclosed application and general information instructions. The laboratory fee will be determined by the approved laboratory. All OFA forms and the OFA fee are submitted with the sample to the approved lab. Check with the referral laboratory for special sample handling and tests for registry purposes.
Certification
A breed database number of will be issued to all dogs found to be normal at 12 months of age. Ages will be used in the certification process since the classification can change as the dog ages and the autoimmune disease progresses. It is recommended that reexamination occur at ages 2,3,4,6, and 8 years.
Preliminary Evaluation
Evaluation of dogs under 12 months of age can be performed for private use of the owner since the few dogs are already positive at that age. However, certification will not be possible at that age.
Dogs with Autoimmune Thyroiditis
All data, whether normal or abnormal is to be submitted for purposes of completeness. There is no OFA fee for entering an abnormal evaluation of the thyroid into the data bank. Information on results determined to be positive or equivocal will not be made public without explicit written permission of the owner.
Thyroid Abnormalities
Thyroid abnormalities fall into several categories—two types will be defined by the registry.
- Autoimmune Thyroiditis
- Idiopathically Reduced Thyroid Function
Autoimme thyroiditis is known to be heritable
Equivocal Results
Those dogs with laboratory results that are questionable, therefore not definitive, will be considered as equivocal. It is recommended that the test the repeated in three to six months.
