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.
My breed is not listed, is my dog eligible for a
CHIC number?
No. To receive a CHIC number, the breed itself must be one
of the participating breeds. Participation in CHIC must be
initiated by the breed’s Parent Club.
My dog has met all the breed specific CHIC
requirements. Do I need to do anything else to receive my CHIC
number?
If all the results have been registered appropriately, you
shouldn’t need to do anything extra. The CHIC number should
generate automatically.
My dog has met all the breed specific CHIC
requirements. How long does it take to receive a CHIC number?
The program which identifies newly qualified CHIC dogs is
typically run two to three times a month, so there is some lag
time between the recording of the last requirement and the
issuing of the number. If you believe your dog should’ve
received a CHIC number, and it has been more than 4 weeks since
the registration of the last test result, you may email
chic@offa.org to inquire about the dog’s status.
Is there a charge for CHIC?
Currently, the only fee is to register PennHIP or OVC results
since this must be done manually. To include these in CHIC, the
fee is $25. Send the fee, along with a copy of the test
results, and a note asking that the data be included in CHIC to:
Canine Health Information Center
2300 E Nifong Blvd.
Columbia, MO 65201
My dog has completed all the requirements for CHIC,
why haven’t I received a CHIC number?
The two most common reasons are 1) the owner simply hasn’t
allowed enough time for the information to be recorded and in
sync and 2) the dog has not met the requirement for permanent id
via tattoo or microchip.
My parent club is interested in joining CHIC. How
do we go about doing this?
For clubs interested in participating in the CHIC program, it
is best to begin with a verbal dialogue regarding potential test
requirements, protocols, etc. Contact may be initiated via
phone or email. Contact Eddie Dziuk at
chic@offa.org, or 573-442-0418 x222.
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. |
