Database Key

HD - Hip Registry
EL - Elbow Registry
PA - Patella Registry
TH - Thyroid Registry
CA - Cardiac Registry

Only OFA ratings indicative of CLEAR hips are FAIR , GOOD and EXCELLENT. Borderline, Mild, Moderate and Severe are NOT passing ratings.

NOPI = No permanent identification

This information is also available at www.offa.org

The certification is good for 12 months from the date of the exam and afterwards the dog must be reexamined and recertified to maintain its' registration with CERF.

What does it mean if my certificate has a Category listed on it?
The category system was implemented in May 1998. All dogs that have a category listed are still considered breedable dogs, however they have a condition indicated on the exam form other than normal that is considered a "Breeders Option" in the ACVO Ocular Disorders Book. The ACVO Genetics Committee has devised this system to help control various conditions that are not necessarily problematic, do not cause vision impairment, and may not be hereditary. They recommend that you try to breed these dogs to others that do not have the same category.

Simply because a dog has a condition listed on the back of a CERF certificate does NOT mean that any dog with that condition may be certified. The exam form must first be compared with a set of guidelines listed by breed in the ACVO Book and then if it passes it will get a certification.

The categories are simply laid out in order of location with category A being eyelid problems, category B being Third Eyelid, C being Cornea problems, D being Uvea problems, E being Lens problems, F being Vitreous problems, G being Fundus problems.

A Special Thanks to CERF for allowing us to post this info. Visit their web site to learn more about their vital work.

ATTS - American Temp Test Society
USTTS - US Temperament Test Society ( passing score 70+ indicated)
SCMET - Scand.Canine Mental Eval Test

GDC-SHLDR = Shoulder Registry
GDC-HIP = Hip Registry
GDC-EL = Elbow Registry
Evaluated = Tested, but no rating earned
Cert # = number-registry-age in months - rating
Example: 1234(dog’s cert #)- H (hip) - 14(age in months) - EN (excellent/normal)
Before 1994 hips were not graded. Given "N" for normal when passed.
After 1994 hips graded as follows:
EN = EXCELLENT/Normal
GN = GOOD/Normal
AN = ACCEPTABLE/Normal
Elbows and Shoulders NOT graded.

First is a number indicating the age <in months> of the dog at time of evaluation
Second,L - <index> and R - <index> showing the evaluations for left and right hip respectively.
Example: 26 - L .35, R-.42 means a dog aged 26 months was evaluated with a left DI (distraction index) of .35 and a right DI of .42.
Third is the Month/Year of test.

Additional Information: The MEDIAN Distraction Index for GSMD as of December, 2002, is .55
This means that if the DI is lower (TIGHTER) than .55, the dog's hips are tighter than the median. PennHip proposes that as a minimum breeding criterion, breeding stock be selected from the population of dogs having hip laxity in the TIGHTEST half of the breed. This proposes that only GSMD with D.I. scores of .55 or tighter (0.0 to 0.55) should be bred. "Higher selection pressure equates to more rapid expected genetic change per generation". (ie increased chance of improving hip tightness if only dogs in TIGHTEST half of population are bred). From PennHip: "By implementing selection based on passive hip laxity, we expect the breed average DI over the years to move toward tighter hip configuration, meaning lower hip dysplasia susceptibility. The PennHip database permits scientific adjustment of criteria to reflect these shifts: the average laxity and range of laxity for a particular breed will change over time.

Interpretation of percentiles. It needs to be understood that if a dog(s) scores are .55, that dog is in the MEDIAN or 50th percentile. Dogs with scores tighter than the median, represent a higher percentile respectively. For example, a dog with a score of .50 would be in the 60th percentile. A dog with a score of .48 would be in the 70th percentile, etc. Dogs with the tightest scores for the breed range ( .20 - .36 ) are in the 90th percentile (have the tightest hips represented by the breed in the PH database) The LOWER the DI, the TIGHTER the hip(s) and the higher the percentile represented.  Likewise, the HIGHER the DI, the LOOSER the hip(s) and the lower the percentile represented. For example, a dog with a PennHip score around .70 represents the 30th percentile. In other words, that dog's hips are LOOSER than 70% of the dogs representing that breed in the PennHip database.

As quoted from the PennHip report: "There is an increasing risk of developing DJD as the DI increases, low risk when DI is close to .30, high risk when DI is .70 or above. In cases where the dogs hips have different DIs, the laxity profile ranking is based on the hip with the GREATER laxity. If one of the dogs hips exhibits cavitation or has had surgery performed, the opposite hip is used in the analysis. If both hips cannot be analyzed, the laxity profile ranking will not be performed."

Cavitation- the presence of an air bubble in the synovial fluid of the hip joint. If "cavitation " is noted on the PennHip report for one of the dogs hips, that hip is not measured for a DI. The presence of cavitation might affect the DI measurement. Hence, PennHip will only measure hip(s) that have no evidence of cavitation or recommend the x-rays be taken over with a different placement procedure.

As of December, 2002, there were 140 GSMD in the PennHip database. The median was .55.

Since the PennHip database is CLOSED, the only way interested parties can have access to PennHip DIs on Swissies, is to ask the OWNER for photocopy of the report, or for the OWNER to submit the PennHip info to the GSMDCA for inclusion in the GSMDCA Health database. The more info we have on our dogs' health, the better for everyone, especially the dogs.