From The SCOA Delegate’s Corner…
IT IS TIME to update your older dog’s CHIC DNA Health information!
Many of us have had blood drawn at our Nationals for the CHIC DNA Database. In the event that a researcher makes a request for DNA for a study of a particular breed or disease that impacts our breed it helps to have many samples available.
The problem is, we often have the blood drawn when the dogs are younger and healthier. If we are not updating the health information as the dogs age and health issues and disease appears there is no data that would flag our dog or our breed for a particular study.
Recently a researcher submitted a request for DNA for epilepsy research. They requested samples from whatever three breeds had the highest number of epilepsy cases. I do not believe our breed was one of the three—and maybe we would not have been in the top three anyway but with no supporting data for occurrence of diseases in our breed there are fewer reasons to include the breed in a study.
So How Do We Update Information on our Dogs?
Look up your dog on the OFA website https://ofa.org You can search by the dog’s name in the search bar, top right when the dog appears click on the bar with your dog’s name and information and your OFA testing will drop down. Record the number of your CHIC DNA Bank OFA number.
Send an email to ofa@offa.org and include the dog’s full name, the AKC registration Number and the CHIC DNA Bank OFA number along with specific information updating health issues/disease. You may also download the DNA repository form from https://ofa.org/applications/ and fill out the survey form to send if you find that more helpful. It lists many health conditions that you might not think of immediately. You can submit updates at any time so it is not to late to update for any dog that you had a DNA blood sample submitted for, even if long gone.
It states on the website that they will contact people for updates every two years however I have not found that to be the case.
At this point in time there is no online form or method to update. This was a specific determination to keep information private and safer from data breaches.
I have focused on this as it came up during the Delegate Health Committee meeting and it is important. I hope that you will also check the AKC Secretary’s Pages regularly. Much of the result of what we do as delegates can be found in the Secretary’s Pages after our quarterly meetings as rules are changed, and new developments are formulated.
Please reach out to me anytime at SCOADelegate@gmail.com with questions or remarks.
Karen Luckey, Delegate, Spinone Club of America