You may have heard these acronyms when looking for a collie breeder, researching health issues or in your own breeding and showing journey. This page will explain to you what these acronyms mean, why we should pay attention to them and how to participate in their programs!
The Collie Health Foundation has voted to subsidize the submission of the three required CHIC DNA tests to OFA for CHF members, for a value of $30 per dog (up to a maximum of 19 dogs submitted per person per year). Reimbursement will require submission of CHIC certificates, and will be retroactive to include CHIC certified dogs from 01/01/2023.
The OFA’s main function to canine enthusiasts and breeders is as a database. These serve all breeds of cats and dogs and provide breed clubs and preservation breeders with tools to improve the health of their breed through better breeding practices.
The OFA maintains databases for genetic test results, elbow dysplasia, thyroid function, cardiac examinations and many more.
The Canine Health Information Center website >>
The Canine Health Information Center, also known as CHIC, is a centralized canine health program born from the collaboration between the OFA, the AKC Canine Health Fund and parent breed clubs. Parent clubs are national breed clubs, such as the Collie Club of America. They set codes of ethics and rules at the national level, and therefore can help establish testing guidelines for their breed. The goals of the CHIC program are:
- 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 first mission of the CHIC program is to provide, thanks to assistance from parent clubs, recommended guidelines for health testing. If a dog has the required testing submitted to the OFA, it gains the “Canine Health” or CHIC certification, showing that all appropriate testing has been submitted to the public OFA databases. DNA testing results do not have to be clear/normal to obtain CHIC certification. The only implication is that all relevant breed screenings have been submitted. The dogs must also be identified permanently, via a microchip or a tattoo.
For Collies, the Collie Club of America has determined that the requirements for CHIC certification are submission of the following 3 DNA tests: Multi Drug Resistance 1 (MDR1), Progressive Retinal Atrophy rcd2 (PRA-rcd2), and Dermatomyositis (DMS). Once these three tests are submitted to OFA, a CHIC certificate will be emailed to you directly.
A second facet of the CHIC program is the Martha Hoffman DNA Repository. This is independent of the CHIC certification described above and aims to store canine DNA samples along with relevant genealogic and health data to facilitate future research. This is an invaluable resource for researchers by expediting the sample collection process and improving the likelihood of a genetic discovery or breakthrough. The CHF subsidizes up to $125 of the costs for blood collection and shipping to encourage participation.
The Collie Health Foundation has an ongoing collaboration with the CHIC DNA Repository and will cover submission costs as well as blood draw and shipping costs up to $125 per DNA collection. More details on our DNA Banking page >>
