Factors Preventing Eligibility for a CAER Certification Number
Conditions that prevent eligibility for an OFA CAER Number
There are currently ten disorders for which there is an unequivocal recommendation against breeding in all breeds. These diagnoses are ineligible for OFA Eye Registry certifications.
These are conditions which frequently result in blindness and for which there is definite evidence of heritability in one or more breeds.
*Note: The prudent approach of these disorders is to assume they are hereditary except in cases specifically known to be associated with trauma, other causes of ocular inflammation, specific metabolic diseases or nutritional deficiencies.
- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) - Breeding is not recommended for any animal demonstrating keratitis consistent with KCS. The prudent approach is to assume KCS to be hereditary except in cases suspected to be non-genetic in origin. See above note.
- Cataract - Breeding is not recommended for any animal demonstrating partial or complete opacity of the lens or its capsule unless the examiner has also checked the space for “significance of above cataract unknown” or unless specified otherwise for the particular breed. See above note.
- Lens luxation or subluxation See above note.
- Glaucoma See above note.
- Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV)
- Retinal detachment See above note.
- Retinal dysplasia - geographic or detached forms See above note.
- Optic nerve coloboma
- Optic nerve hypoplasia
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) - Breeding is not advised for any animal demonstrating bilaterally symmetric retinal degeneration (considered to be PRA unless proven otherwise).
Other Factors regarding eligibility for an OFA CAER Number
Two categories of advice regarding breeding have been established by the Genetics Committee of the ACVO:
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BREEDER OPTION: Entity is suspected to be inherited but does not represent potential compromise of vision or other ocular function. Please note, although the dog will ‘pass’ it will have additional documentation on its OFA Eye Certification number with a category listing the problem. Click here to see a listing of Breeder Option Codes. Some Breeder Option Codes are breed specific.
When the breeding advice is ”NO,” even a minor clinical form of the entity would make this animal unsuitable for breeding. When the advice is ”BREEDER OPTION,” caution is advised. In time, it may be appropriate to modify this stand to “NO” based on accumulated evidence. If it becomes apparent that there is insufficient evidence that an entity is inherited, it may be deleted from the list.
Portions of the material above have been reprinted with permission of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists from the publication “Ocular Conditions Presumed to be Inherited in Purebred Dogs”, 5th Edition, 2010, produced by the Genetics Committee of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, © American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
