CHIC Frequently Asked Questions

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What is CHIC?

In short, CHIC is a database of consolidated health screening results from multiple sources. Co-sponsored by the OFA and the AKC Canine Health Foundation, CHIC works with parent clubs to identify health screening protocols appropriate for individual breeds. Dogs tested in accordance with the parent club established requirements, that have their results registered and made available in the public domain are issued CHIC numbers.

My breed is not listed, is my dog eligible for a CHIC number?

No. To receive a CHIC number, the breed itself must be one of the participating breeds. Participation in CHIC must be initiated by the breed’s Parent Club.

My dog has met all the breed specific CHIC requirements. Do I need to do anything else to receive my CHIC number?

If all the results have been registered appropriately, you shouldn’t need to do anything extra. The CHIC number should generate automatically.

My dog has met all the breed specific CHIC requirements. How long does it take to receive a CHIC number?

The program which identifies newly qualified CHIC dogs is typically run two to three times a month, so there is some lag time between the recording of the last requirement and the issuing of the number. If you believe your dog should’ve received a CHIC number, and it has been more than 4 weeks since the registration of the last test result, you may email chic@offa.org to inquire about the dog’s status.

Is there a charge for CHIC?

Currently, the only fee is to register PennHIP or OVC results since this must be done manually. To include these in CHIC, the fee is $25. Send the fee, along with a copy of the test results, and a note asking that the data be included in CHIC to:

Canine Health Information Center
2300 E Nifong Blvd.
Columbia, MO 65201

My dog has completed all the requirements for CHIC, why haven’t I received a CHIC number?

The two most common reasons are 1) the owner simply hasn’t allowed enough time for the information to be recorded and in sync and 2) the dog has not met the requirement for permanent id via tattoo or microchip.

My parent club is interested in joining CHIC. How do we go about doing this?

For clubs interested in participating in the CHIC program, it is best to begin with a verbal dialogue regarding potential test requirements, protocols, etc. Contact may be initiated via phone or email. Contact Eddie Dziuk at chic@offa.org, or 573-442-0418 x222.

Do test results have to be normal?

No, CHIC is not about normalcy. CHIC is meant to encourage health testing and sharing of all results, normal and abnormal, so that more informed breeding decisions can be made in an overall effort to reduce the incidence of genetic disease and improve canine health.