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BMDCA MEMBER INPUT NEEDED! Please send your comments regarding the following proposal to Sandy Novocin at: santeraken@comcast.net
BMDCR Health Committee Proposal for Inclusion of PennHIP for CHIC and Revised CHIC Recommendations
At this time the BMDCA Health Committee is recommending changes to the requirements for acquiring a CHIC number. The Canine Health Information Center, or CHIC, was established for the same reasons that Berner-Garde was established, in order to encourage health testing and the open sharing of the results of that testing. In order to maximize the benefits of such a program, the determination of what tests should be required need to appropriate for the breed, and the requirements need to encourage maximum participation. It should not be so limited as to be meaningless, nor so onerous that it unduly limits participation.
The health surveys done in 2000 and 2005 help to define what genetic diseases most affect Bernese Mountain Dogs. This chart summarizes some of those findings:
| 2000 | % | 2005 | % | |
| Degenerative Myelopathy | 5 | 0.5 | 17 | 1.3 |
| Elbow Dysplasia | 123 | 11.5 | 205 | 15.8 |
| Eye - Cataracts | 33 | 3.1 | 61 | 4.7 |
| Eye - Ectropion | 7 | 0.7 | 13 | 1 |
| Eye - Entropion | 44 | 4.1 | 31 | 2.4 |
| Eye - PRA | 3 | 0.3 | 4 | 0.3 |
| Hip Dysplasia | 148 | 13.9 | 135 | 10.4 |
| Hypothyroid | 80 | 7.5 | 96 | 7.4 |
| OCD of the shoulder | 12 | 1.1 | 16 | 1.2 |
| Patellar Luxation | 10 | 0.9 | 17 | 1.3 |
| Sub Aortic Stenosis | 5 | 0.5 | 2 | 0.2 |
| von Willebrand’s Disease | 7 | 0.7 | 1 | 0.1 |
| Histiocytic cancers (based on count of deceased dogs) | 45/261 | 17.2 | 52/215 | 24.2 |
| Umbilical Hernia | 199 | 18.7 | 309 | 23.9 |
| Total Berners in survey | 1062 | 1294 |
In selecting the tests that are needed for Bernese, we have to consider the incidence of a disease, and the impact to a dog’s quality or length of life. Hip and elbow issues are both high incidence and a large impact to quality of life. In some cases even length of life. It is therefore reasonable to require these tests for every dog. If we were to have a genetic test for histiocytosis, this too would qualify as having both high incidence and high impact; a disease for which the test would need to be required for all dogs. With a disease such as umbilical hernias, certainly the incidence is extremely high, but the quality of life impact is low. If there were a genetic test available for this, it would not be something to require of all dogs participating in CHIC.
DNA tests are being developed with greater rapidity, each expansion of knowledge of the canine genome makes it quicker to identify genetic mutations. Determining the validity and applicability of the tests will prove to be a challenge. Task forces may be needed to help collect information and to make recommendations. A test for Renal Dysplasia is not currently recommended by the BMDCA Health Committee, there are too many unanswered questions. The test for Degenerative Myelopathy is recommended, but it is only for one specific genetic mutation that is associated with the disease. There are still unanswered questions about the genetics of the disease, but it is felt that this test will be of great benefit in reducing the disease incidence. As more tests are developed, each will have to be individually assessed.
Currently the BMDCA requires the following in order to acquire a CHIC number:
PennHIP needs to be included as an option for hip evaluations. It is currently the best tool available for improving hips, joint laxity has been shown to be the current best predictor of eventual degenerative joint disease. Breeding hips that are tighter than the breed median helps provide selective pressure toward reduced incidence of hip dysplasia. For example, as of 2011, They have identified a distraction index of .50 or less, which represents 40% (also known as 60th-100th percentile)or better, for tightest hips, and will improve subsequent genetics hips in a breeding program. This score of .50 or less in both hips would represent a ‘passing score’ for breeding (per Dr. Mandy Wallace, PennHIP Research Fellow, 9/11). Like VetGen's vWD registry, PennHIP is a closed database.
Also like VetGen's vWD registry, the PennHIP results would need to be recorded in the OFA database for open view, just as for all other CHIC requirements.
We now recommend the following changes:
Required for participation (Note all these tests must be entered in the OFA database in order to qualify for CHIC consideration):Optional for participation, at least three of the following to be done:
The CHIC requirements will need to be periodically reassessed as more tests become available, or as breed disease and disease incidence change. For example, while it is currently a distant possibility that a genetic test for hip dysplasia will be developed, should that become available then hip radiographs to assess the phenotypic expression of the disease would be less beneficial than the actual genetic status of the dog in elimination of the disease. At such a time a switch to requiring the DNA test instead of x-rays would be of paramount importance. As another example, should von Willebrand’s Disease suddenly increase in frequency it may be necessary to switch that DNA test from optional to required.
