1. OFA Is a Health-Information System, Not One “OFA Test”

OFA maintains databases for multiple conditions. The underlying information may come from radiographs taken by a veterinarian and interpreted by OFA consulting radiologists, a hands-on examination, a specialist examination, or an approved laboratory result. OFA then records the submission under the rules for that registry.¹

Normal submitted results generally appear publicly. Abnormal results may remain private unless the owner authorizes release, depending on the registry. OFA encourages open disclosure because complete information is more useful for breed health and pedigree analysis.²

2. Screening Must Be Breed Specific

Breeds do not share identical health risks. OFA’s Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) works with participating national parent clubs to define the primary screening protocol for each breed. Those requirements may change as evidence and available tests change, and they are not necessarily an exhaustive list of every possible disease.^3,4

A Maltese may have different recommended screens from a Miniature Schnauzer, and the required examiner can differ too. One parent club may accept a general veterinarian’s cardiac examination; another may require a board-certified cardiologist. Buyers should begin with the current recommendation for the breed, then consider family history and any additional concern in the line.

3. What a CHIC Number Means—and Does Not Mean

A dog receives a CHIC number when it has completed the screenings required by its participating parent club at that time, is permanently identified, and the results are released publicly. A CHIC number promotes completeness and transparency.

It does not mean every result was normal. OFA explicitly states that CHIC certification records completion and public availability, not universal normalcy. Buyers must open the dog’s record and read each result. A later change to a breed’s requirements also does not revoke an older CHIC number.³

4. Orthopedic Screening: Hips and Elbows

Hip dysplasia screening

Hip screening uses a properly positioned radiograph to evaluate joint conformation and evidence of dysplasia or degenerative change. For final OFA certification, dogs are generally at least 24 months old; preliminary evaluations are available from 4 through 23 months. Final films are independently evaluated by three board-certified veterinary radiologists.⁵

OFA hip grades are Excellent, Good, Fair, Borderline, Mild, Moderate, and Severe. Excellent, Good, and Fair are within normal limits. Borderline means the films do not support a clear normal or dysplastic classification and repeat imaging may be advised. A radiographic grade describes the phenotype visible on those films. Clinical pain does not always track perfectly with radiographic severity.⁶

Elbow dysplasia screening

Elbow evaluation also relies on properly positioned radiographs and specialist interpretation. Elbow dysplasia includes several developmental abnormalities and secondary osteoarthritis. Correct positioning and diagnostic-quality images matter. A normal result reduces concern based on that examination but does not make every descendant risk-free.⁷

5. Patellar Luxation Screening

The patella is the kneecap. In patellar luxation it moves out of its normal groove, medially or laterally. The examination is performed with the dog awake; chemical restraint is not recommended. The veterinarian palpates and classifies each patella. OFA certification is available for dogs 12 months and older, while younger evaluations are treated as consultations.

Patellar luxation can be intermittent, may not be obvious during ordinary movement, and can appear later. OFA recommends periodic reexamination because some luxations are not evident at the first evaluation.⁸

6. Cardiac Screening: Listening Versus Imaging

OFA maintains separate Basic and Advanced Cardiac databases. A basic examination may be performed by a licensed veterinarian and commonly relies on auscultation—listening for a murmur or abnormal rhythm. This is valuable but cannot reveal every structural or adult-onset condition.

An Advanced Cardiac examination must be performed by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist and includes echocardiography. Advanced certification separates congenital and adult-onset clearance. Congenital clearance is considered permanent, while adult-onset clearance is valid for one year and must be repeated to stay current. Some breeds have additional requirements, such as Holter monitoring for Doberman Pinschers and Boxers.⁹

7. Eye Screening

The OFA/ACVO Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER) examination must be performed by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist. The eyes are dilated and examined for inherited or suspected inherited abnormalities. Some findings may be classified as a breeder option; others may lead to a recommendation not to breed.

Eye certification is valid for one year. Annual examination is recommended because several inherited eye diseases, including some cataracts, may appear later in life. A normal eye examination at one age does not guarantee that the dog will remain free of all eye disease.¹⁰

8. Thyroid and Other Laboratory-Based Screening

OFA autoimmune thyroiditis evaluation is not simply a routine total T4 measurement. The registry uses a defined thyroid panel processed through approved laboratories with quality-control requirements. Results must be interpreted under the registry’s criteria and in the context of age and clinical findings.¹¹

Other OFA registries cover conditions such as deafness, respiratory function, dentition, sebaceous adenitis, and additional phenotypic or laboratory evaluations. The relevant set depends on breed recommendations and individual risk.

9. What a Normal Result Can—and Cannot—Tell You

Many screened traits are complex or age dependent. Environment and management can influence expression, while genes from both parents and the wider family affect risk. OFA recommends considering the record of parents, grandparents, siblings, and progeny—not merely a single certificate.¹²

10. Why Timing and Examiner Qualifications Matter

A valid interpretation depends on the dog’s age, the condition, the registry, and sometimes the examiner. Final hip and elbow certification generally requires 24 months of age; patellar and cardiac certifications generally begin at 12 months; CAER eye exams have no minimum age but are current for one year. Advanced cardiac and eye screening require board-certified specialists.

A result can be authentic yet still be outdated, preliminary, or insufficient for the breed’s current protocol. Always check the examination date, dog’s age, permanent identification, examiner type, and whether repeat testing is recommended.

11. How Puppy Buyers Should Verify Results

1. Confirm the dog’s registered name and permanent identification.
2. Search the OFA database yourself.
3. Check that the record belongs to the correct sire or dam.
4. Open every individual result, not just the CHIC label.
5. Compare the tests with current breed recommendations.
6. Check the dog’s age on the examination date.
7. Distinguish preliminary from final results.
8. Check whether a specialist was required.
9. Check whether a time-limited result is still current.
10. Ask to see the original certificate or report.
11. Ask about abnormal or follow-up findings.
12. Review relatives when records are available.
13. Ask what was not tested and why.
14. Discuss a concerning result with your veterinarian.

OFA provides sample certification forms and warns that documents presented as OFA reports but not on official forms should be treated with caution.¹³

Conclusion

OFA and physical health screening are most powerful when used as transparent, breed-specific evidence. They document what was examined, when it was examined, who performed it, and what was found. They do not promise perfection. Responsible buyers and breeders read the individual results, respect the limits of each screening method, consider the wider family, and pursue additional veterinary evaluation when a finding or symptom requires it.