The Eye Scheme
The Eye Scheme is run in conjunction with BVA,
the Kennel Club (KC) and the
International Sheep Dog Society (ISDS).
The Scheme is based on a clinical eye examination and is a means of identifying inherited and non-inherited eye conditions in dogs. Eye examinations are carried out by
expert veterinary surgeons who are members of the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Panel. The results of the examinations should then be used to inform breeding programmes.
As some inherited diseases of the eye have a variable age of onset, more than one examination under the Eye Scheme may be recommended. All dogs of 8 years and older that have been bred from should also be re-examined under the Eye Scheme in order to identify later onset inherited eye disease and to gather longitudinal information.
The Eye Scheme may also be used as an annual eye check-up for dogs that are not used in breeding.
For more information on the Eye Scheme and eye disease, download our
eye disease leaflet (15.3 MB PDF).
Schedules A and B
Schedule A (406 KB PDF) lists the breeds known to suffer from one or more of the inherited eye diseases the Eye Scheme examines for.
Schedule B (400 KB PDF) lists the breeds that are under investigation for one or more of the inherited eye diseases the Eye Scheme examines for.
Litter screening
The Canine Health Schemes also offers litter eye examinations for congenital hereditary conditions such as collie eye anomaly and multifocal retinal dysplasia when the puppies are 5 to 12 weeks old.
Information for your clients
If your client would like to have their dog(s) examined under the Eye Scheme, they should contact one of our expert veterinary panellists directly to arrange an appointment.
When taking a dog for an eye examination, owners should remember the following:
- The Scheme is open to all breeds including crossbreeds (they do not have to be registered with the Kennel Club)
- All dogs must be permanently identified by microchip before examination and certification, and the identification will be verified prior to the examination
- If applicable, owners must have the relevant KC or ISDS owner registration document with them in order to present the dog for an eye examination and certification
- Wherever possible, they should also provide any previous eye certificates issued for the dog
Find an eye panellist near you
Find a BVA appointed eye
panellist near you. Upcoming group examinations in
January (256 KB PDF) and
February (252 KB PDF).
See all our panellists
and their contact details (PDF 235 KB).
Cost of submission
See
cost of submissions and examinations for a full breakdown including reduced fees for older dogs and group examinations.
Results
Once the examination is complete,
the expert panellist will issue a
CHS Eye Examination Certificate (516 KB PDF) which records the inherited eye disease status relevant to the dog being examined. The results are recorded as Clinically Unaffected (does not have the condition) or Clinically Affected (does have the condition) with the exception of the results of gonioscopy which are graded.
Publication of results
The results of Kennel Club registered dogs will be published on the
Kennel Club Mate Select website if a specific condition is known to be inherited and certified as such.
Further information
The Eye Scheme
The Eye Scheme, run by BVA,
the Kennel Club and the
International Sheep Dog Society, is a clinical examination of the eye, undertaken by
expert veterinary surgeons, otherwise known as Panellists, appointed by BVA. The examination is a means of identifying inherited and non-inherited eye conditions in dogs. The Scheme aims to ensure that there is no clinical evidence of hereditary eye disease in dogs that are to be used for breeding.
Download our
leaflet on hereditary eye disease in dogs (15.3 KB PDF) for more information on the conditions and the scheme.
The conditions currently screened for under the Eye Scheme are:
Congenital and early onset eye disease (condition exists from birth or soon after birth):
- Collie eye anomaly
- Multifocal retinal dysplasia
- Total retinal dysplasia
- Congenital hereditary cataract
- Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous
Non-Congenital eye disease (condition develops later in life):
- Hereditary cataract
- Primary lens luxation
- Primary open angle glaucoma
- Generalised progressive retinal atrophy
- Retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy
- Breed-specific retinopathy
Schedules A and B
Schedule A (406 KB PDF) lists the breeds known to suffer from one or more of the inherited eye diseases the Eye Scheme examines for.
Schedule B (400 KB PDF) lists the breeds that are under investigation for one or more of the inherited eye diseases the Eye Scheme examines for.
Litter screening
The Canine Health Schemes offers litter screening for congenital hereditary conditions, such as collie eye anomaly and multifocal retinal dysplasia, when the puppies are 5 to 12 weeks old.
Information needed for litter screening:
- Owner details
- Parent details
- Number of puppies born
- Date of any previous examinations
- The microchip number of each puppy (all puppies being litter screened need to be microchipped before they are examined)
After the litter screening examination, you will receive a litter screening certificate with the results on. The results of litter screening of Kennel Club registered dogs will also be available on the
Kennel Club database.
Booking a CHS eye examination
- Find a BVA appointed eye panellist near you (
full list of our eye panellists).
- Make an appoint with them to examine your dog’s eyes as part of the CHS Eye Scheme.
- When attending the examination, please bring any relevant registration documents.
- After the eye examination, the panellist will complete the eye exam, giving you a copy of the eye certificate with the results on and sending another copy to BVA.
- If your dog is registered with the Kennel Club, the results will also be published on the
Kennel Club website.
Find a BVA appointed eye panellist near you or download the
full list of our eye panellists (235 KB PDF). The dates and locations of upcoming group examination sessions are below:
January (256 KB PDF) and
February (252 KB PDF).
Cost of examination
See cost of submissions and offers for a full breakdown including discounts for group examinations and for dogs over 8 years old.
The results
Once the examination is complete, the expert panellist will issue a
CHS Eye Examination Certificate (515 KB PDF) which records the inherited eye disease status relevant to the dog being examined. The results are recorded as Clinically Unaffected (does not have the condition) or Clinically Affected (does have the condition) with the exception of the results of gonioscopy which are graded.
We recommend always discussing treatment options with your vet once you have your results.
Publication of results
The results of Kennel Club registered dogs will be published on the
Kennel Club Mate Select website if a specific condition is known to be inherited and certified as such.
Appeals
An owner has a right to appeal with regards to the results of an eye examination. The procedure can be found on our
appeals page.
Further information
The Eye Scheme
The Eye Scheme is based on a clinical eye examination undertaken by
expert veterinary surgeons. The exam identifies both inherited and non-inherited eye conditions. The results of eye examinations can then be used to make breeding decisions.
Owners can also use the Scheme as an annual eye check for their dogs so that future management can be optimised and to flag potential problems in the future.
DNA tests, when available, should be used in conjunction with the Eye Scheme.
Understanding the results
If you are going to purchase a puppy that could be at risk of inherited eye disease, it is very important that you see the results and/or eye certificates of the parents before you commit to buying the puppy. You can use
The Puppy Contract to help you ask all the right questions.
Dogs will be marked as Clinically Unaffected (meaning they do not have the condition) or Clinically Affected (meaning they do have the condition) for 12 inherited eye diseases.
How to get my dog’s eyes examined
For information on how to get your dog’s eyes examined, please see below:
- Find a
BVA appointed eye panellist near you or
download the full list of our eye panellists (PDF 50 KB).
- Make an appointment with them to examine your dog’s eyes as part of the CHS Eye Scheme.
- After the eye examination, the panellist will complete the eye exam, giving you a copy of the eye certificate with the results on and sending another copy to BVA.
- If your dog is registered with the Kennel Club, the results will also be published on the
Kennel Club website.
You can also get your dog’s eyes examined at a group examination session. The dates and locations of upcoming group examination sessions are below:
Upcoming group examinations in
January (256 KB PDF) and
February (252 KB PDF).
See
cost of submissions and offers for a full breakdown including discounts for older dogs.
Further information