Rationale for Changing Cardiac CHIC Requirements

The Bouvier Health Foundation is proposing a change in the Cardiac CHIC Certification Program for Bouvier des Flandres. We are proposing the change to eliminate SAS from our breeding program. SAS is the number one heart disease in large-breed dogs. It is genetic.

BHF’s goal is to eliminate this from our breed by early detection through testing.

Currently, the CHIC cardiac testing option allows for either:

1. Advanced Cardiac Exam (echocardiogram and auscultation performed by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist (DACVIM/Cardiology or DECVIM/Cardiology) Or

2. Basic Cardiac Exams ( auscultation that can be conducted by any licensed veterinarian.)

The BHF proposes that the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) accepts only the Advanced Cardiac Exam for CHIC certification of Bouvier des Flandres. The exam must be done on dogs 12 months or older.

The following outlines the supporting evidence for this proposal:

1. According to research by Veterinary Cardiologist Dr. Joshua Stern, SAS (Subvalvular aortic stenosis) has been established as an inherited condition and Bouviers are known to carry the gene for SAS.

2. Auscultation is a subjective tool; it requires good hearing acuity, a high level of experience on the part of the healthcare professional, and the cooperation of the dog to detect abnormalities.

3. Echocardiography is an objective tool and the gold standard in diagnosing aortic valve diseases. Results are reproducible.

4. A research study done in 2021 on the accuracy of auscultation by veterinarians showed that cardiologists and internists made a correct diagnosis on 53% of occasions, whereas general practitioners and veterinary students did so only on 33% and 29% of occasions. https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/ 10.1002/vetr.305

5. Auscultation of a heart can miss low-grade heart murmurs, resulting in a false negative diagnosis and potentially a diagnosis that would benefit from early medical intervention.

6. According to the OFA Cardiac Disease Data Base, eliminating the basic cardiac exam option will help ensure that forms of heart disease, whether congenital or acquired, that may be difficult or impossible to detect on auscultation alone, are not overlooked.

7. Dr Stern's research has shown even a small or mild heart murmur, can still be indicative of subaortic stenosis (SAS). Since these are genetic diseases, dogs with even mild SAS can produce offspring with severe SAS.

8. Echocardiograms done on dogs 12 months or older accomplish two things 1) provide the opportunity to start appropriate medical intervention that can prolong the dog's life. 2) Eliminates dogs with SAS from breeding programs which will help eliminate the spread of this genetic disease in the breed. The BHF recognizes that this recommendation places financial burdens on dog owners and breeders. There are also issues of accessibility. There are places in the country that have no access to a cardiac specialist.

The BHF is committed to mitigating these concerns by providing affordable discounted testing to local communities. Discounted tests are offered to all Bouvier owners who are interested - not just ABDFC club members.

HEALTHY HEARTS WITH ECHOCARDIOGRAM