Canine Eye Certifications: A Breeder's Complete Guide

After 28 years of breeding Rough and Smooth Collies, I have filled out more eye certification forms than I care to count. The first time I tried to get one of my dogs certified, I spent two hours on hold with OFA, drove to the wrong clinic, and ended up with a form that was missing half the information my breed club needed. It was a mess.

That experience taught me that eye certifications are important but the process can be confusing. CERF used to be the standard, then OFA took over, and now there are multiple registries competing for your attention and your money. Add in the alphabet soup of examination codes and breeder requirements, and it is no wonder so many new breeders just skip eye testing altogether.

That is a mistake. Eye problems are among the most common hereditary issues in purebred dogs, and many of them are completely preventable through proper screening. This guide covers everything I wish someone had told me back in 1996 when I got my first litter.

Why Eye Certifications Matter

Collies are prone to Collie Eye Anomaly, which is why I got into eye testing in the first place. But eye problems affect nearly every breed. Progressive Retinal Atrophy shows up in Labs, Spaniels, and dozens of other breeds. Cataracts are everywhere. Distichiasis, entropion, ectropion, the list goes on.

The thing about most of these conditions is that they are hereditary. You cannot see them by looking at a dog, and many do not show symptoms until the dog is several years old and has already produced multiple litters. By then, you have spread the problem across your breeding program and potentially into other breeders' lines.

Regular eye exams catch these issues before breeding. A dog with early cataracts can be removed from the breeding program before passing the trait to puppies. A bitch with mild entropion can be evaluated for severity before you decide whether to breed her.

Quick Overview of the Guides

The Basics in Brief

Which Registry Should You Use?

For most breeders in the United States, OFA Eye Certification Registry is the way to go. CERF technically still exists but stopped issuing new registrations in 2012. OFA took over as the primary registry and that is what most breed clubs and puppy buyers expect to see. I cover the history and the practical differences in my OFA vs CERF comparison.

Finding an Examiner

Not all veterinarians can perform certification exams. You need a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, which means they have ACVO or ECVO credentials. I share my tips for finding qualified examiners, including the clinic I use in the Pacific Northwest, in the finding an ophthalmologist guide.

The Exam Process

The actual exam takes about fifteen minutes once you are in the room. The challenging part is the preparation and the paperwork. My eye exam guide walks through what to expect, what to bring, and what questions to ask your ophthalmologist.

Understanding Results

Eye exam results come with codes that look like another language. PPM, CEA, PRA, PHTVL, and about thirty other abbreviations. I break down what each one means and which ones should concern you in the reading certifications guide.

When to Retest

Eye certifications expire. How often you need to retest depends on your dogs' ages and your breeding plans. I explain the different approaches in my retest timing guide.

My Own Certification Journey

When I started Cascade Collies, DNA testing for Collie Eye Anomaly did not exist. The only way to know if a dog was affected was an eye exam, and even then, you could only identify affected dogs and carriers were invisible. I lost two promising puppies from my first litter to CEA before I understood what I was dealing with.

Now I test every breeding dog annually and every puppy before they leave for their new homes. My current stud, Sterling, has had seven consecutive clear eye exams. His offspring have a 100% pass rate on their puppy exams. That is not luck. That is decades of careful selection backed by consistent testing.

I also learned the hard way about the importance of documentation. In 2008, one of my puppy buyers contacted me because their dog had developed cataracts at age four. They were upset and suggested I had sold them a defective dog. Because I had complete eye exam records for both parents going back multiple generations, I could show them that the issue came from somewhere else in the pedigree, likely the granddam on the sire's side who had not been tested. That documentation saved me from a lawsuit and protected my reputation.

Getting Started

If you are new to eye certifications, start with the OFA vs CERF comparison to understand the current registry landscape. Then find a qualified examiner using my ophthalmologist guide. Once you have an appointment scheduled, read the exam preparation guide so you know what to expect.

Eye certifications are not difficult once you understand the system. They just require a bit of planning and the right information. That is what this guide provides.