New Cocker Spaniel Health Registry
We are pleased to announce that cooperation between the American Spaniel Club (ASC) and the Orthopedic Foundation For Animals (OFA) has filled an important need to start an American Spaniel Club Health Registry for our breed.
Effective immediately we will use the OFA Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) certification for our Cocker Health Registry by making the existing OFA database and registry the American Spaniel Club designated health registry.
As soon as a cocker two years or older is evaluated by OFA for hips and by a CAER Ophthalmologist for cataracts, they will be eligible for an OFA CHIC number! This will allow anyone to review the health testing information on any cocker and the health status of ALL relatives using the OFA database. The CHIC number is good for the life of the dog, certifying that necessary testing was completed on the animal after age two. Of course, we encourage yearly eye exams afterward, but the baseline information will be available for research and breeding information! Any additional tests such as annual eye exams, PRA testing elbows, or cardiac evaluations can also be recorded. If you have already submitted hips and CAER exams, you already have a CHIC number!
It is easy to get a CHIC number, and doing so establishes that you are a conscientious breeder! Most of us already use OFA to evaluate the hips of our dogs, so you will just continue as usual. Then simply either mail or register the results of your CAER exam with OFA. The cost to the owner is $15 per submission, but if you submit five exams together it is only $10 a submission.
Click here for OFA Submission Instructions
ASC Foundation and OFA Participation Incentives
To encourage participation in the Health Registry, the ASC Foundation is giving owners a $5 rebate for each OFA CAER submission for the next two years. In January 2025 and January 2026, you can mail in the names of dogs you submitted for CAER to OFA for the previous year. Once verified, the Foundation will issue a rebate check of $5 per CAER registration. Further details on the submission process will be issued as January draws closer but we wanted you to be aware of this incentive. We hope to cut LOTS of checks in 2025 and 2026!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Specifics of OFA CHIC program
Cocker Spaniel CHIC Certification
