BTCA Health Certification Program

Hello fellow club members:

It is that time of year to post a reminder to members of the BTCA about submitting your application and Certificates to me for the 2012 BTCA Health Committee, Health Certification Program. Those who apply for the Gold or Silver Level Certificate will once again be recognized in our Awards Banquet Catalog at the 2012 BTCA Nationals and placed on the BTCA Web Site under the Health Committee section. This special recognition for our Boston's, is especially important for the future health of our Breed. How wonderful it would be to see all the Veterans, 7 years of age or older, receive this special recognition, with it being noted on the Award that they are a Veteran. The information registered with OFA can then be used in any studies that need to be completed in the future. So please register those negative results too. All information is needed. Thank you, to those of you that have already sent me your applications. The Cut off date for all tests to be current and used for the 2012 Health Certificate is December 31, 2011. All Health Certificates are valid for 1 year from date of issue.

With OFA requiring that all permanent identification of dogs be VERIFIED by your Vet, please take the opportunity to have that form completed while having your Vet do their Health Examination. http://www.offa.org/pdf/vpiapp_bw.pdf

Reminder: Permanent Identification should be implemented prior to any testing.

Please mail PHOTO COPIES of these official Certificates OR A PRINTOUT from OFA's website showing your Boston's status as proof of certification and your completed application. There is NO FEE to participate in this program. There is a new Application Form to be used. Please indicate if you will pick these up at the Nationals or if you need the Health Certificates mailed to you.

Along with your appropriate documentation, please mail it to me postmarked no later than Feb 15th.

Sue LeCalsey
BTCA Health Committee
4125 Dollar Lane
DePere WI 54115-8790.

Summary of requirements for each level are as follows:

Silver Certificate:

1. Send a COPY of your CERF and Patella Certificate OR
2. Make a print out or mail a photo copy from the OFA Web Site.

Gold Certificate:

In addition to the 2 previous documents, you must include proof of your OFA BAER Certification.
In lieu of copies of Certificates, you may send a printout from OFA’s Web Site showing your dogs status as proof of Certification, whichever is easier for you to do.

CHIC Certificate:

You will automatically receive your CHIC Certificate after your results for the CERF, OFA Patella and OFA BAER Tests have been registered with CERF and OFA. No application or additional fee is required to receive the CHIC Certificate.

BAER Test Sites may be located at http://www.lsu.edu/deafness/baersite.htm The BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) test needs to be performed only once in a dog’s life, sometime after it is 35 days of age. OFA recommends this test should be performed by a Board Certified Veterinary Neurologist, but will accept results from experienced veterinarians and audiologists. 
Bilateral hearing PASSES. Unilateral or bilateral deafness FAILS.

Application fee is $15.00 per dog unless you qualify for the Litter Rate of $30.00 for 3 or more littermates. Kennel Rate is $7.50 for 5 or more dogs owned by the same person.
Equivocal and affected dogs are registered at No Charge.

CERF Test Sites may be located at http://www.vmdb.org/clinic.html
Puppies can be examined as early as 8 weeks of age and CERF will also register them at that time. Send owners copy of the physician completed CERF Exam form into VMDB with your $12.00 fee. Re-certification and Kennel Rate charge is $8.00. They forward the info to OFA. Permanent Identification at time of exam of your dog (must be by microchip, tattoo or DNA profile) is required as of 1/1/01 to register your dog. Certification is good for 1 year from date of exam. Dogs should be CERF'd annually.

Patella Examination form can be located at http://www.offa.org/plappbw.pdf
The Patella Examination is performed on dogs 12 months or older by your veterinarian and should be registered in the Patellar Luxation Database with OFA. Puppies examined younger than 12 months will be treated as Consultations and no OFA breed numbers will be assigned. Fee for dogs over 12 months of age is $15.00. The Litter Rate of $30.00 applies to 3 or more submitted together. The Kennel Rate of $7.50 applies to 5 or more submitted together, owned/co-owned by the same person. Patellas should be re-examined bi-annually. There is no charge for re-submitting bi-annual Patella results to OFA.

Miscellaneous Web Sites to obtain additional information about each test or Program:
BAER  http://www.offa.org/deafbaer.html
CERF http://www.vmdb.org/cerf.html
OFFA  http://www.offa.org/geninfo.html
CHIC http://www.caninehealthinfo.org

For more information on each test, please go to the BTCA Web Site
under the Health Committee section.

Thank you in advance to everyone that cares enough about the future of this wonderful breed to do these Health Tests and for going the extra mile and submitting your results (good or bad) to OFA. 

You may e-mail me with any questions this notice does not provide answers for, at AchatesBostons@Ameritech.Net

Sue LeCalsey, Chair of the BTCA Health Certification Program

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