CERF Clinic
At the
BEARDED COLLIE CLUB of AMERICA
2007 National Specialty
Wednesday, October 4, 1:00-4:00 PM
Nancy Bromberg, VMD, DACVO

Dr. Bromberg is a board certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School in 1978 and has done many CERF clinics at dog shows and other venues.

Pre-registration is required and we must have 50 dogs signed up in order to hold this clinic. If we do not have enough dogs registered for this clinic, it will have to be cancelled. Registration deadline is September 1, 2007.

New CHIC DNA Repository
Be Among the First to Participate!

The lack of genetic samples from dogs with known health status is the major problem facing all genetic research studies. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and the AKC Canine Health Foundation are co-sponsoring the new Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) DNA Repository to expedite this sample collection and storage, thus providing the research community access to a bank of DNA information.

Bearded Collies are now eligible to participate in this DNA Repository. The NCBCC will be holding a clinic at the National Specialty to collect blood samples and cheek swabs for the DNA Repository. A licensed veterinary technician will be on hand to draw the blood samples (5‑10 cc per dog). Applications and health surveys are available on the 2007 National Specialty web site http://beardie.net/bcca/specialty2007/index.shtml. We will also need a copy of your dog’s three-generation pedigree and, if available, a copy of his or her AKC registration.

Blood is the gold standard for genetic material and provides a yield of DNA sufficient for all research methods. The stability and purity of this DNA is of the highest caliber. Blood samples are processed upon receipt; the extracted DNA is then frozen and stored indefinitely at the Small Animal Molecular Genetics Lab at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Cheek swab derived DNA is a viable option for DNA banking; the yield and purity of this DNA is inferior to that obtained from blood but is suitable for most genetic approaches. Because of the lower yield, owners are asked to submit multiple cheek swabs from each dog. Swab samples are stored as swabs with DNA extraction taking place when the sample is approved for use in a specific research project. The swabs are stored indefinitely at the Veterinary Genetics Lab at UC Davis.

The fees for placing samples in the bank are $5.00 per dog for swab based samples and $20.00 per dog for blood based samples. The fees cover the costs of data management, sample processing and storage. Owners are encouraged to view the fees as supporting canine health research.

Your participation in the CHIC DNA Repository will assist health research for decades to come and we urge everyone to enroll as many dogs as possible to show your support for a healthier future for Bearded Collies.

Thank you.

Please use the seminar registration form at the top of this page (and in the forms section) or in the back of your planning guide to sign up for the CERF and/or DNA.