Information About Health Clearances

What is CHIC?

In short, CHIC is a database of consolidated health screening results from multiple sources. Co-sponsored by the OFA and the AKC Canine Health Foundation, CHIC works with parent clubs to identify health screening protocols appropriate for individual breeds. Dogs tested in accordance with the parent club established requirements, that have their results registered and made available in the public domain are issued CHIC numbers.

 

Do test results have to be normal?

No, CHIC is not about normalcy. CHIC is meant to encourage health testing and sharing of all results, normal and abnormal, so that more informed breeding decisions can be made in an overall effort to reduce the incidence of genetic disease and improve canine health.

Learn More About CHIC

Newfoundlands are a CHIC Breed- the following are the breed requirements:
Hip Dysplasia: OFA evaluation or PennHip evaluation
Elbow Dysplasia:OFA evaluation
Cardiac DIsorders: OFA Congenital Cardiac Clearance, the NCA recommends echocardiogram for all breeding stock
Cystinuria DNA test by a qualified laboratory: PennGen, VetGen, Optigen, HealthGene, or Veterinary Diagnostics Center. Alternately, progeny may be cleared by parentage. Please refer to the OFA Website for their policy on "Clear by Parentage".

Health Abbreviations -

HE- OFA Excellent Hips

HG- OFA Good Hips

HF- OFA Fair Hips

HP- Hips Pending OFA

L- OFA Elbows Clear

LP- Elbows pending OFA

P- OFA Patella Clear

HrC- Heart Clear- Cardiologist

HrS- Heart Clear- Specialist

HrP- Heart Clear Practitioner

HR- Heart clear

T-OFA Thyroid Clear

C- CERF eye clearance

OFA- Orthopedic Foundation for Animals

CERF- Canine Eye Registry Foundation