Dogo Argentino
CHIC Health Testing Program
CHIC (Canine Health Information Center) is a program jointly sponsored by AKC Canine Health Foundation and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). The primary goal is to provide a source of health information for owners, breeders, and researchers to assist in the goal of breeding healthy dogs.
The purpose of this program is to work with parent clubs to identify health issues, accepted diagnostic criteria for the health issues, and to store the information in a manner that will provide readily available information and aide in research on breeding stock at the consent of the owner. This benefits breeders, buyers, and parent clubs.
For breeders, CHIC provides a reliable source of information regarding dogs they may want to use in their breeding programs. Breeders can analyze dogs for health strengths and weaknesses.
For buyers, CHIC provides accurate information about a breeder’s health testing. The probability that an animal will develop an inherited disease is reduced when it’s ancestry has tested normal. As more tests become available and the results are entered into the CHIC database, it will become more clear as to whether progeny will be carriers or affected by the health issues tested for.
The Dogo Argentino Club of America has approved current testing profile for the breed and will make additions to the testing requirements and recommendations as the need arises and health priorities within the breed change, or as new screening tests become available.
The Dogo Argentino Club of America has recently approved the Dogo Argentino’s participation in the CHIC program and has determined the following testing profile which includes a total of four (4) tests:
REQUIRED
Congenital Deafness – OFA evaluation based on BAER test
Hip Dysplasia – OFA or PennHIP evaluation
Cardiac Evaluation – Cardiac exam done at 12 months or older by a Cardiologist
ELECTIVE (MUST CHOOSE ONE)
OFA Elbow Evaluation
Autoimmune Thyroiditis – tested through an OFA approved lab
Eye exam – done by a board certified ophthalmologist
CHIC DNA – repository participation
Should you choose to participate in the program, a CHIC number will be issued when test results are entered into the database satisfying the requirements and when the owner of the dog has opted to release the results into the public domain. The CHIC number itself is not confirmation normal test results, only that all the required breed specific tests were performed and the results made available. Dogs participating in CHIC must be permanently identified with either a microchip or tattoo in order to participate in the CHIC program.
The other aspect of the CHIC program is the CHIC DNA repository, the purpose is to collect and store canine DNA samples along with the corresponding genealogic and phenotypic information to facilitate future research and testing aimed at reducing the incidence of inherited disease in dogs. The hope of this program is to facilitate more rapid research by expediting the sample collection process.
DACA and our Health Committee would like to encourage our club members to embrace the CHIC program. As we all strive to produce and own healthy Dogos, a program such as this helps to ensure that we continue to move in that direction.
For more information: https://www.ofa.org/about/chic-program