• To work with parent clubs in the identification of health issues for which a central information system should be established.
• To establish and maintain a central health information system in a manner that will support research into canine disease and provide health information to owners and breeders.
• To establish scientifically valid diagnostic criteria for the acceptance of information into the database.
• To base the availability of information on individually identified dogs at the consent of the owner.

The CHIC program offers benefits to breeders, buyers, parent clubs, and researchers.

• For breeders, CHIC provides a reliable source of information regarding dogs they may use in their breeding programs. Using CHIC, breeders can analyze the pedigrees of a proposed breeding for health strengths and weaknesses as well the traditional analysis of conformation, type, and performance strengths and weaknesses.
• For buyers, the CHIC program provides accurate information about the results of a breeder's health testing. For diseases that are limited to phenotypic evaluations, there are no guarantees. However, the probability that an animal will develop an inherited disease is reduced when its ancestry has been tested normal. Further, as more DNA tests become available and the results are entered into CHIC, the CHIC database will be able to establish whether progeny will be clear, carriers, or affected.
• For parent clubs considering establishment of health databases on their own, CHIC provides the answer with no upfront investment required by the club. The CHIC infrastructure is supplied and maintained by the OFA. The data is maintained in a secure environment by trained staff. The services are not subject to the time, technology, and resource constraints that parent clubs might face on their own. This frees parent clubs to focus on their core strengths of identifying health concerns, educating their membership, and encouraging participation in the CHIC program.
• For researchers, CHIC provides confidential and accurate aggregate information on multiple generations of dogs. CHIC information will also be useful for epidemiological studies enhancing our knowledge of health issues affecting all breeds of dogs.
• For everyone interested in canine health issues, CHIC is a tool to monitor disease prevalence and measure progress.

The CHIC database is a tool that collects health information on individual animals from multiple sources. This centralized pool of data is maintained to assist breeders in making more informed breeding choices, and for scientists in conducting research. In order for data to be included in CHIC, test results must be based on scientifically valid diagnostic criteria.

Breed Specific

Core to the CHIC philosophy is the realization that each breed has different health concerns. Not all diseases have known modes of inheritance, nor do all diseases have screening tests. Some screening tests are based on phenotypic evaluation, others on genetic testing. With all these variables, a key element of CHIC is to customize or tailor the CHIC requirements to the needs of each breed. These unique requirements are established through input from the parent club prior to the breed's entry into the CHIC program. Breed specific requirements typically consist of the inherited diseases that are of the greatest concern and for which some screening test is available. Each parent club also drives specific screening protocols. As an example, one parent club may allow cardiac exams to be performed by a general practitioner. Another parent club may require the exam to be performed by a board certified cardiologist. A club may also use the CHIC program to maintain information on other health issues for anecdotal purposes. Later, as screening tests become available, the disease may be added to the breed specific requirements.

Identification

Regardless of breed, each dog must be permanently identified in order to have test results included in CHIC. Permanent identification may be in the form of microchip or tattoo.

Informed Consent

CHIC operates an informed consent database. Owners are encouraged to release all test results realizing it is in the ultimate health interests of the breed and the information greatly increases the depth and breadth of any resulting pedigree analysis. In order to qualify for a CHIC number, all results must be released into the public domain.

A CHIC number is issued when test results are entered into the database satisfying each breed specific requirement, and when the owner of the dog has opted to release the results into the public domain. The CHIC number itself does not imply normal test results, only that all the required breed specific tests were performed and the results made publicly available.

A CHIC report is issued at the same time as the CHIC number. The CHIC report is a consolidated listing of the tests performed, the age of the dog when the tests were performed, and the corresponding test results. As new results are recorded, online CHIC information is updated.

Once included in the CHIC program, the breed specific requirements are dynamic. As health priorities within a breed change, or as new screening tests become available, the breed specific requirements can be modified to reflect the current environment. If the breed specific requirements are modified, existing CHIC numbers are not revoked. Again, the CHIC number is issued to a dog that completed all required tests at a given point in time.

CHIC will provide the parent club quarterly reports consisting of both aggregate numbers and specific dogs that have been issued CHIC numbers.

Test results from the OFA and CERF databases are shared automatically with the CHIC program. There is no fee to enter test results from either the OFA or CERF, and there is no requirement to fill out any additional forms.

To enter results into CHIC from another source such as PennHIP or parent club maintained databases, there is a one time per dog fee of $25.00. To enter results from any of these organizations, a copy of the test results, the fee, and a signed note requesting the results be entered into the CHIC database should be sent to the OFA. Any additional results after the one time fee is paid are recorded at no charge. Additionally, there is no charge when entering results on an affected animal from a non-CERF/OFA source.

Any parent club interested in participating in the CHIC program should contact the OFA to discuss the program, entry requirements, or to answer any questions.

Each breed should have a health committee and survey results which determine the major health concerns within the breed. The club should select one person from the health committee to be the CHIC liaison, and to work with the club's membership in determining what health tests should be considered for participation in the CHIC program. Questions to be considered are: what tests are currently available and being used, and at what age are the tests appropriate and reliable. The OFA will assist parent clubs during this phase of requirement and protocol definition.

The following list of breed specific requirements for Labrador Retrievers and Dalmatians illustrates how CHIC has tailored specific test requirements to the health issues facing each breed:

Labrador Retrievers

• Hip Dysplasia Evaluation
• Elbow Dysplasia Evaluation
• Ocular Disorders – ACVO Eye Exam
• Exercise Induced Collapse DNA Text

Dalmatians

• Hip Dysplasia Evaluation
• BAER Deafness Testing
• Health ELECTIVE consisting of EITHER
  • Autoimmune Thyroiditis Laboratory Evaluation
  • OR
  • Ocular Disorders – ACVO Eye Exam

Questions regarding the CHIC program may be addressed to:

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Inc.
2300 East Nifong Blvd.
Columbia, MO 65201-3806
(800) 442-0418
Email: chic@offa.org, Website: www.offa.org

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) foundation formed in 1966 with the following objectives:

1. To collate and disseminate information concerning orthopedic and genetic diseases of animals.
2. To advise, encourage and establish control programs to lower the incidence of orthopedic and genetic diseases.
3. To encourage and finance research in orthopedic and genetic disease in animals.
4. To receive funds and make grants to carry out these objectives.