Is there certification process for normal eyes as there is for normal hips?
No, and there cannot be. Extensive research has shown that hip conformation is established by two years of age. Abnormalities of the eye unfortunately can appear over a range of several years. Therefore, annual eye examinations are imperative, for it is possible to have a dog diagnosed as being free of abnormality at the age of one year, yet severely afflicted one or two years later. Additionally, in the case of hip dysplasia, eradication of the defect can best be attained by breeding only those dogs that have normal hip conformation, while in the case of eye disease consideration must be given to the possibility that the defect occurs as a genetic recessive characteristic. In this instance, both normal dogs and dogs that are carriers of the defect will pass the certification examination. In 1975, a central agency was formed to register annual eye examination reports for all breeds. This was CERF, the Canine Eye Registry Foundation, and it performs an invaluable service by compiling se
