Eye Certification Registry Procedures
After the painless examination of the dog’s eyes, the board certified veterinary ophthalmologist will complete the OFA Eye Certification Registry form and indicate any specific disease(s) found. Breeding advice will be offered based on guidelines established for that particular breed by the Genetics Committee of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO). Bear in mind that the OFA and the ACVO are separate, but cooperating entities. The ACVO only provides their professional services and expertise to ensure that uniform standards are upheld for the certification of dog’s eyes with the OFA.
The forms are in triplicate. One copy is for the vet’s records, one is for the owner, and one is for the OFA’s Clinical Database.
Once the OFA receives the form from the veterinary ophthalmologist, the information will be recorded for aggregate statistical purposes to monitor breed specific trends and susceptibility. This information will NOT be released to the OFA website, and will NOT result in a certification number unless the owner submits their copy of the form (see next paragraph)
The owner has the option of sending their copy of the form, along with appropriate payment, to the OFA for entry into the Eye Certification Registry. Upon owner submission of results to the Eye Certification Registry, dogs with passing results, including those with “breeder option codes,” are issued certification numbers. A report is printed and sent to the owner, and the results are published on the OFA website. Owners also have the option of submitting non-passing results to the registry. If the abnormal release block on the application form is initialed, these results will also be published on the OFA website, although no certification number is issued. In order to encourage open sharing of results, there is no charge to submit abnormal results into the open database.
Certification is valid for twelve (12) months from the date of the eye exam. Annual re-examination is recommended.
