Since publishing our “Heart Echo & Hip X-Ray Screening Results” blog post, I’ve had three different breeder friends reach out to ask how to go about finding an OFA affiliated vet that can do hip xray and/or heart echo screening for their breeding Maine Coons, so I figured I’d share the websites I used and some helpful tips I learned back when I was still researching the process.
Here is a link you can use to search for vets that provide these services: https://vetswift.com/dir/vets/cardiology/ofa/ (use the drop down menu to select the city or state nearest you).
When you call to inquire with each vet office, you want to ask a few things.
🐾 Confirm they do OFA hip xrays for Maine Coons. Confirm they provide the OFA application. Some vets will only do hip screening for dogs, despite the fact that the OFA application and positioning of hips are the same for cats.
🐾 Once you’ve confirmed they will do the OFA hip xrays for Maine Coon, be sure to specify if you will be completing the application for the preliminary xrays (which are for cats under 2yrs of age where hip grading results only are emailed back to you), OR for hip grading plus certification (which is done for cats 24 months or older - again, results and certification is emailed).
🐾 Confirm they do OFA advanced cardiac screening for Maine Coons. This requires a board certified veterinary cardiologist to be on staff and equipment on site to perform an echocardiogram. In most cases you will need to go to a separate office for this. The OFA application and exam is the same for dogs or cats, but some vets aren’t aware of and/or don’t have experience with cats. Be sure to mention this is for preventative screening only NOT because the animal is symptomatic (the later requires a vet referral).
Once you’ve scheduled your appointments...
🐾 Be sure to bring with you each cat’s registration number, birth date, microchip ID#, and your cat’s king (sire) / queen (dam) name and registration number to have on hand when filling out the OFA application.
🐾 If you plan to have your vet submit these results to PawPeds, be sure to ask if there are any additional fees for filling out the PawPeds specific forms and sending them off on your behalf (more info on the PawPeds Health Program and HD/HCM screening forms can be found here: https://pawpeds.com/healthprogrammes/).
Average cost:
OFA hip screening in my area (state of SC): $200-300 per cat.
OFA advanced cardiac screening (includes echocardiogram): $400-$600 per cat, with reduced price for annual recertification.
Note: Sometimes you can find an OFA health clinic hosted at a vet office or show hall with these services offered at a reduced price. You can check OFA’s Health Clinic calendar for details: https://www.ofa.org/health-clinics
This health screening is so very important for the welfare of our beloved breed, so if anyone has questions about either process, whether for OFA or PawPeds, please don’t hesitate to reach out (email: info@lakeviewcoons.com, or private message through social media). I’d be happy to help guide interested individuals through the process!
