The board certified ophthalmologists at Animal Eye Doctors pet eye clinic in Southwest Florida provide OFA certification eye exams.
OFA Eye Certification examinations are screening exams performed by board certified veterinary ophthalmologists. The OFA Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER) provides breeders with information regarding canine eye diseases so that they may make informed breeding decisions in an effort to produce healthier dogs.
The Eye Certification exam consists of indirect ophthalmoscopy and slit lamp biomicroscopy. It is not a comprehensive ocular health examination, but rather an eye screening exam. Before the exam, the eyes are dilated with eye drops. Following the examination, the board certified veterinary ophthalmologist will complete the OFA Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER) form and indicate any specific disease(s) found.
The exam will generate one of three results: Pass and eligible for certification, Breeder Option but eligible for certification, and No and not eligible for certification.
Two categories of advice regarding breeding have been established by the Genetics Committee of the ACVO:
- “NO”: Substantial evidence exists to support the heritability of this entity AND/OR the entity represents a potential compromise of vision or ocular function.
- “BREEDER OPTION”: The eye condition is suspected to be inherited. However, it does not represent potential compromise of vision or other ocular function. Although the dog will ‘pass’ it will have additional documentation on its OFA Eye Certification number with a category listing the problem.
If the breeding advice is ”NO,” even a minor clinical form of the entity would make the animal unsuitable for breeding. When the advice is ”BREEDER OPTION,” caution is advised.
10 inherited eye conditions will trigger a “No” breeding recommendation. Generally, individuals with one or more of these conditions will not be eligible for OFA certification:
- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS)
- Cataract – Breeding is not recommended for any animal demonstrating partial or complete opacity of the lens or its capsule unless the examiner has also checked the space for “significance of above cataract unknown” or unless specified otherwise for the particular breed.
- Lens luxation or subluxation
- Glaucoma
- Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV)
- Retinal detachment
Retinal dysplasia – geographic or detached forms- Optic nerve coloboma
- Optic nerve hypoplasia
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
More information concerning OFA Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER) can be found at the OFA website . You may also contact Animal Eye Doctors, a premiere pet eye clinic in Southwest Florida at 239-948-3937.
