OFA stands for the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and was founded in 1966 to provide radiographic evaluation, data management, and genetic counseling for canine hip dysplasia. It continues to help prevent passing on hip dysplasia in many dog breeds but has since evolved to help prevent passing on genetic conditions within companion animals.
The OFA does not require dogs to be purebred or registered in order to perform an OFA evaluation or to register test results into our databases, however OFA evaluations are most often performed on purebred or registered dogs to help prevent passing on genetic malformities within a purebred line of dogs. To know which tests your breed may benifit from please schedule an appointment to consult with us or your veterinarian or visit the Breed Statistics page on the OFA website
Your dog must be 24 months or older for OFA certification, For Preliminary Evaluations (<24 months), there are specific criteria that must be met which can be found on the OFA website. Radiography of females in estrus or pregnant should be avoided due to possible increased joint laxity (subluxation) from hormonal variations. OFA recommends radiographs be taken one month after weaning pups and one month before or after a heat cycle. Physical inactivity because of illness, weather, or the owner’s management practices may also result in some degree of joint laxity. The OFA recommends evaluation when the dog is in good physical condition.
