The OFA cardiac exam, basic and advanced, explained
"Heart clear" can mean a thirty-second listen by a family vet or a full ultrasound by a cardiologist. Those are very different levels of proof. This VerifiedStuds guide explains the two OFA heart databases, and which one your breed needs.
An OFA cardiac exam screens a breeding dog for inherited heart disease. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals records the result in one of two databases. Which one applies depends on who examined the dog and how.
Basic cardiac
Advanced cardiac
Method
Listening with a stethoscope (auscultation)
Auscultation plus an echocardiogram
Examiner
A veterinarian; a cardiologist is preferred
A board-certified veterinary cardiologist
Finds
Murmurs and rhythm faults that can be heard
Structural and muscle disease as well
Minimum age
12 months
12 months
Valid for
Life for congenital disease
Congenital part for life; adult-onset part for 1 year
In a basic exam, the examiner listens to the heart for murmurs and abnormal rhythms. It is quick and inexpensive. In addition, it catches many defects present from birth. Therefore, it suits breeds whose main heart risks are congenital.
However, it has limits. A quiet murmur is easy to miss, and some diseases make no sound at all in the early stages. For that reason, the form records who did the exam: a general practitioner, a specialist or a cardiologist. Above all, an exam by a cardiologist carries the most weight.
The advanced exam adds an echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound of the heart. In other words, it shows the valves, the chambers and the muscle in motion. As a result, it can find disease that a stethoscope cannot.
The advanced database gives a two-part result. First, one part covers congenital disease and stands for life. Second, the other covers adult-onset disease, and it stays valid for only one year. So breeding dogs in at-risk breeds need a new echo each year.
Parent clubs decide. However, their lists differ. In general, breeds with diseases of the heart muscle or subtle valve defects ask for a cardiologist.
Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers and Newfoundlands: prone to subaortic stenosis, so clubs ask for a cardiologist.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels: mitral valve disease, checked yearly.
Dobermans and Great Danes: dilated cardiomyopathy, which needs an echocardiogram.
Boxers: aortic stenosis by echo, plus a Holter for arrhythmia.
Many toy and terrier breeds: a basic exam is the listed requirement.
Check your own breed in the health testing guides.
A Holter is a small recorder that the dog wears for 24 hours. It counts abnormal heartbeats, which neither a stethoscope nor an echo can do over a full day. Therefore, cardiologists use it for breeds with rhythm disease, mainly Boxers and Dobermans.
Holter results are reported separately, and they should be repeated yearly as well. See Boxer health testing and Doberman health testing.
Prices vary widely. As rough estimates, a basic exam often costs $50 to $100. An echocardiogram by a cardiologist commonly costs $300 to $600, and a Holter adds more. In addition, OFA charges a small registration fee. Meanwhile, heart clinics at dog shows are usually cheaper.
Search his registered name on the OFA website.
Check which database the result sits in, basic or advanced.
Note the examiner type. The record shows practitioner, specialist or cardiologist.
Read the date. For adult-onset disease, the result should be under a year old.
Ask about relatives. For example, long-lived parents are the best evidence against cardiomyopathy.
A normal exam lowers risk, yet it cannot rule out disease that develops later. So repeat testing and family history both matter.
The heart is one line on a breed's list. Read what is a CHIC number for how the full list works. Then find a health-tested stud, and compare prices in the stud fee guide. Stud owners can list their stud free. This page is general information, not veterinary advice.
What is the difference between basic and advanced OFA cardiac?
Basic is a stethoscope exam. Advanced adds an echocardiogram by a board-certified cardiologist and covers adult-onset disease.
Does my breed need an echocardiogram?
It depends on the parent club. Breeds prone to cardiomyopathy or subaortic stenosis usually do.
How long is an OFA cardiac clearance valid?
A congenital clearance lasts for life. An adult-onset clearance in the advanced database is valid for one year.
At what age can a dog have an OFA cardiac exam?
From 12 months for a certification number.
What is a Holter monitor used for?
It records the heartbeat for 24 hours to detect arrhythmias, mainly in Boxers and Dobermans.
Sources: Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, cardiac disease, Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, CHIC program, American Kennel Club, breed health testing requirements. Cost figures are estimates.
Every profile shows his results, and you can verify them on OFA.