Introduction to Scottie Health
In order to take the best care possible of their Scotties, all dedicated owners strive to learn as much as they can about the health of their dogs.
To that end, we invite you to navigate through the pages of the STCA Health Trust Fund website and click on the various links for information on the health issues that can arise occasionally in the breed, as well as a full spectrum of topics on management and welfare, research, health registries, and more.
STCA Health Trust Mission Statement
STCA’s Health Trust Fund (HTF) is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to the health and quality of life of the Scottish Terrier. Formally established on October 8, 1994, the HTF has the following mission:
- Identify important health issues in the Scottish Terrier
- Support research to enhance the understanding, the prevention and the cure of these diseases for the betterment of the Scottish Terrier
- Communicate important new health and breeding information and research findings to all Scottie owners and breeders through education and outreach
- Monitor health in the Scottish Terrier using Registries, Health Databases and periodic breed-wide surveys
- Support Scottie breeders with discounted health testing, clinics and screening
- Contribute for the future health and preservation of the Breed.
Please note: The Health Trust Fund is not able to give specific veterinary advice. The articles located in the Guardian Newsletter and the Health Library serve as a resource and provide overviews of various health topics. If available, your breeder may be willing to serve as a health resource and may be an excellent source of information. Whatever other resources you may seek out, we strongly urge you to consult your personal veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment of any health problems you may encounter with your Scottie.
CHIC Registry - Recommended screenings for the Scottish Terrier
Breeding healthy dogs requires a thorough commitment to sound breeding practices and an understanding of several sets of complex information:
• Breed standard and type
• Pedigrees and potential breeding partners
• Health problems that the affect the breed and the particular breeding partners.
How a Registry Benefits All
- By providing a centralized, independently managed repository for recording health data on all Scottish Terriers.
- By providing a readily accessible, open data base for pedigree analysis and research.
- By recording the incidence of many genetic diseases as well as carrier and clear status where DNA tests are available.
- By providing registration for any affected Scottie free of charge.
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) created the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC), an open and fully searchable registry, by partnering with participating parent clubs to research and maintain information on the health issues prevalent in specific breeds. A recommended protocol has been established for breed-specific health screenings. Dogs tested and registered in accordance with that protocol are recognized with a CHIC number and certification.
Current RECOMMENDATIONS
The STCA has established a list of testing requirements and elective tests for submission of a Scottie into the CHIC Registry.
Starting January 1, 2025, there will be an update to the requirements for the CHIC Registry. The changes reflect the importance placed on available DNA tests by making the CMO required. Also, the HTF added other tests to the optional category to underscore the importance of these health issues in Scottish Terriers.
Required Tests: vWD – DNA test from an approved lab and results registered with the OFA; CMO – DNA test from an approved lab and results registered with the OFA; Patellar Luxation – Veterinary evaluation and results registered with the OFA.
Optional Tests (Choose one): Autoimmune Thyroiditis Panel from an approved lab and results registered with the OFA; ACVO Eye Examination and results registered with the OFA; Serum Bile Acid Test from approved lab and results registered with the OFA; Kidney Screen (Urine Protein: Creatinine Ratio) and results registered with the OFA; Legg-Calve-Perthese, radiographs submitted to OFA for evaluation.
Permanent identification in the form of a microchip or tattoo is required, as before.
Details on the procedures for these new tests are explained on the OFA website.
The STCA publishes the names of all STCA member Scotties that achieve their CHIC status in The Bagpiper on a quarterly basis. Also, many Scotties with CHIC certification are indicated as such on the STCA pedigree database, where the CHIC number is an active link that will take you directly to that individual dog’s CHIC page.
Search a CHIC Registered Scottie
You can easily search for any Scottie that has been tested and that has achieved its certification on the CHIC website, https://www.caninehealthinfo.org/. You can use registered name, AKC number or kennel name as your search parameters.
For more detailed information, go to the following article about the OFA/CHIC Registry for Scotties.
For further questions about CHIC and information on the HTF’s sale of DNA tests at National Specialties, contact the STCA’s CHIC Liaison, Helen Prince at haprince@comcast.net.
The STCA/HTF DNA Bank
As of March 18, 2025, the Scottie DNA Bank has a new home with Azenta Life Sciences, Indianapolis, IN.
All DNA samples have been received, registered, and are currently stored safely in the new facility. Azenta Life Sciences, in operation since 2011, is a global company that specializes in the collection, processing, storage, and distribution of biological samples for various clinical trials and research projects.
Our Scottie DNA, once processed from donated blood samples, will be held within Azenta’s automated cold storage facility ready for retrieval for HTF STCA approved research. This exciting move represents a major step-up in operations and security for the Scottie DNA repository and will also enable the addition of Scottie samples from around the world with Azenta’s laboratories and bio-repositories located in Europe and Asia.
Our Scottie samples are accessible via an on-line client portal so that the HTF can easily monitor inventory and place orders for retrieval and shipment for new research projects. In the coming weeks, the HTF will provide all the details for resuming shipments of new samples to add to the Scottie DNA Bank.
Please visit the new STCA Health Trust Fund website for more information, links to databases and the Scottie Guardian newsletter.
Ethics
All members of the STCA sign a Code of Ethics which states that STCA Breeders must make use of available DNA testing when needed in order to produce Scottish Terriers free of genetically transmitted disease, and they must disclose known hereditary defects, health, and physical condition of any stock offered for sale or breeding purposes.
Having a more complete picture of the health and background of potential breeding pairs is possible if breeders test their dogs and register the results to enable the best choices for current breeding programs. Since breeders often study many generations of a pedigree, a Registry can be a very useful tool for breeders in the future as more research provides answers to currently frustrating health issues.