Optigen 20/20 Clinic Feb 2008

[cockahoot]

If anyone is interested I've just received details of a 20/20 clinic being held in February 2008 in Surrey, details as follows:

The clinic will be held at: "Foxbarton", 15 Beaconsfield Road, Langley Vale, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 6HA  but you can join the clinic by posting your sample to arrive by Monday 4th February to VAl Tiller, "Foxbarton", 15 Beaconsfield Road,Langley Vale, Epsom, Surrey KT18 6HA
(01372) 273597). All breeds are welcome for whom blood tests are listed on the Optigen website, www.Optigen.com
 
1) The Optigen Clinic Code Number is SBCC825 and it will be live online from 22nd January, when you should order your tests from Optigen.   Have your Credit Card and all your dog's details to hand  - KC Registration Number, Registered names of Sire and Dam; Date and vet who performed last eye test (if applicable,); Tattoo or Microchip number.  If your dog isn't permanently identifiable, Optigen will send you the result of your test, but Certificates are available for dogs with a Normal result, only if they are permanently identifiable by Tattoo or Microchip number.  From July 2005, the ISDS only consider certificates valid from Microchipped dogs.
 
Ordering online with Optigen and using the clinic code gets you 20% discount.  Paying by Credit Card, when you place your order, gets you a further 5% discount, so well worth having.  (Optigen don't take your money until the bloods arrive safely in New York for testing, however they may advise your card company that this payment is "pending" and this could affect your amount of credit available on your card until it goes through.)   

[Cob-Web]

I'm in two minds about this    If it was up to me, I'd have my two tested to make the results available to others who are breeding similar lines; but OH says he doesn't want to spend that much money on something that is not going to give us any direct benefit, and may leave us worried about the future if one of them is affected.......in his case, ignorance is bliss 

[Nicola]

Thanks for this info, I will get sorted to get Rodaidh's samples sent off in time 

[debz]

Yes thanks i have been looking into getting Thomas done 

[cockahoot]

Cross posted email from Val Tiller of Southern Border Collie Club

The 8th Optigen 20/20 Clinic will be at 1.45pm, on Tuesday 5th February, 2008, and all breeds are welcome, for whom blood tests are available on the Optigen website, www.Optigen.com  Border Collies may also have blood samples taken for TNS testing at this clinic, the samples being sent to Alan Wilton in New South Wales, Australia.
 
KINDLY CROSS-POST THIS E-MAIL TO ALL CANINE INTERNET LISTS THAT YOU BELONG TO, ALL BREEDS, and of course pass on the details to any friends.
 
The clinic will be held at: "Foxbarton", 15 Beaconsfield Road, Langley Vale, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 6HA  We're very easy to find - we're just 1 minute's drive from the Grandstand at Epsom Racecourse.  If you don't have Satnav, just go to the AA link, www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp and type in your postcode and mine, KT18 6HA, and you can print out the entire route to follow.  It couldn't be simpler.
 
1) BEFORE YOU COME
The Optigen Clinic Code Number is SBCC825 and it will be live online from 22nd January.  Please order your test with Optigen as soon as possible after this date, live online at www.Optigen.com  - you must bring your correct paperwork with you. 
 
2) Have your credit card and all your dog's details to hand before you begin your order online: KC Registration Number, Registered names of Sire and Dam; Date and vet who performed last eye test (if applicable); Tattoo or Microchip number.  If your dog isn't Microchipped, I can do this before the blood draw and put the barcode on your order form for the vet to countersign.
 
3) From July 2005, dogs must be Microchiped for the ISDS to consider the test valid.  Microchipping is £12.50 on the day. Please book in advance if you'd like your dog chipped on the day.   
 
4) Ordering online gets you the 20% discount.  Paying by Credit Card when you place your order, gets you a further 5% discount, so well worth having.  (Optigen don't take your money until the bloods arrive safely in New York for testing, however they may advise your card company that this payment is "pending" and this could affect your amount of credit available on your card until it goes through.)   
 
5) Please let me know how many dogs you want to bring - do this BEFORE you order your test from Optigen to make sure we have places available - we can take a maximum of 50 dogs.  I type labels for each blood sample and its outer packaging, before the clinic, so remember to e-mail me the following for each of your dogs:
 
a) BREED:
b) PET NAME
c) REGISTERED NAME
d) REGISTERED OWNER/S NAME/S
 
6)  COST: We try to keep costs to a mimumum for you and our vet very generously does this also.  The 20/20 Clinic charges per dog are:

Blood Draw per dog - £7.87 + VAT
Share of the vet's callout charge - £3.50
Share of Fedex Air Freight/Admin -  £2.50
 
7)  Should your circumstances change and you find that you cannot attend the clinic in person, let me know straight away and I'll send you the instructions for sending your sample to me by post.  Samples drawn and mailed on the Friday before the clinic will be able to be included.
 
Please save and print this e-mail for future reference.  If you have any queries, please either e-mail me or tel (01372) 273597 before 8pm please. 
 
We look forward to seeing you and finally, 
 
DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR PAPERWORK WITH YOU ON THE DAY! 

Val Tiller :-)
For Southern Border Collie Club

[*jean*]

Ordering online with Optigen and using the clinic code gets you 20% discount.  Paying by Credit Card, when you place your order, gets you a further 5% discount, so well worth having.  (Optigen don't take your money until the bloods arrive safely in New York for testing, however they may advise your card company that this payment is "pending" and this could affect your amount of credit available on your card until it goes through.)   

 what do optigen charge?

[cockahoot]

I just looked at their website and it's $195 which equates to approx £95

[sarah25]

Does anybody know when they are going to have another Clinic in West Midlands?

[sportsmonki]

Thank you for the info cockahoot.

I havent heard of the next one organised for the W. Midlands, but when I had Storm tested we went to our local vet for him to draw the blood (we had got the correct philes).  We then posted them to arrive in time for the 20-20 clinic that was being held quite far away from us so they could all be send off together and we could get our discount. 

[cockahoot]

That's exactly what I plan to do, Val Tiller will send you the philes and instructions for sending samples by post.  Samples drawn and mailed on the Friday before the clinic will be able to be included.
 

[Gilly]

For those not wanting to wait until February next year their is a Satellite Clinic taking part with bloods to arrive at Optigen between the 12-16 November 2007. You can email Becki at Optigen for the code which entitles you to 20% discount and then you get an extra 5% discount for completing your application online.

 November 11, 2007 - Mid-Jersey Labrador Retriever Club Health Clinic with Satellite Participation for OptiGen Tests
Health Clinic 8:00 AM TO 1:00 PM
EYES - Michael J. Ringle, DVM, Diplomate ACVO
HEART - Carl Sammarco, BVSc, MRCVS, Diplomate ACVIM
OPTIGEN/MICROCHIP - Liesl Briekner, DVM, CCRP
FEES - All fees are non-refundable. Exam results are confidential.
EYES - $28 exam only
HEART - $40 auscultation (Reduced OFA registration rate will be available)
MICROCHIP - $26 insertion of Home Again chip plus form for registration (additional fee)
OPTIGEN - $12 includes blood draw, prep. & shipping only. You will pay Optigen directly (check or credit card) for the test and are encouraged to go to http://www.optigen.com/ and register with Optigen for the very best discount.
Satellite participants should ship their samples to OptiGen so that they arrive between November 12 and November 16.
For more information, please go to http://www.mjlrc.org/events.htm
Breed: All Breeds
Location: Red Bank Veterinary Hospital Physical Rehabilitation Center, 210 Newman Springs Road, Red Bank, NJ  07701
Contact: Sarita Gellman
Email: shastalabs@gmail.com
Phone: 917-353-1956

[ladylola]

Just a quick question as I am a litle confused about these tests.  If you buy a puppy from Health tested clear parents. would you still have these tests done on your pup when old enough, Shouldn't it be clear anyway.

[Cob-Web]

Just a quick question as I am a litle confused about these tests.  If you buy a puppy from Health tested clear parents. would you still have these tests done on your pup when old enough, Shouldn't it be clear anyway.

Both the sire and dam would both need to have clear Optigen tests for there to be no chance of the puppies being carriers......this is critical if there are ever plans to breed from any of the pups in the litter as a carrier should never be bred with another carrier, they must be bred with a clear dog in order to avoid the risk of affected puppies 

If the sire and dam have had clear eye-screening (as recorded on the KC certificate) then this is no guarantee of their genetic status - they could still be carriers, and if both are, they can produce affected puppies 

The results of one Optigen test on one dog can often provide information about a number of dogs in its ancestry too......and the more dogs that are tested, the better picture will be created of the extent of this gene in the gene-pool.

[AnnieM]

For those not wanting to wait until February next year their is a Satellite Clinic taking part with bloods to arrive at Optigen between the 12-16 November 2007. You can email Becki at Optigen for the code which entitles you to 20% discount and then you get an extra 5% discount for completing your application online.

 November 11, 2007 - Mid-Jersey Labrador Retriever Club Health Clinic with Satellite Participation for OptiGen Tests
Health Clinic 8:00 AM TO 1:00 PM
EYES - Michael J. Ringle, DVM, Diplomate ACVO
HEART - Carl Sammarco, BVSc, MRCVS, Diplomate ACVIM
OPTIGEN/MICROCHIP - Liesl Briekner, DVM, CCRP
FEES - All fees are non-refundable. Exam results are confidential.
EYES - $28 exam only
HEART - $40 auscultation (Reduced OFA registration rate will be available)
MICROCHIP - $26 insertion of Home Again chip plus form for registration (additional fee)
OPTIGEN - $12 includes blood draw, prep. & shipping only. You will pay Optigen directly (check or credit card) for the test and are encouraged to go to http://www.optigen.com/ and register with Optigen for the very best discount.
Satellite participants should ship their samples to OptiGen so that they arrive between November 12 and November 16.
For more information, please go to http://www.mjlrc.org/events.htm
Breed: All Breeds
Location: Red Bank Veterinary Hospital Physical Rehabilitation Center, 210 Newman Springs Road, Red Bank, NJ  07701
Contact: Sarita Gellman
Email: shastalabs@gmail.com
Phone: 917-353-1956

A couple of quick questions for anyone that has done this.  Does your vet use their own tubes for the samples and how do you ship your bloods, Royal Mail, Fed Ex. etc, is it easy to do it this way?

[cockahoot]

Most vets don't stock the Vacutainer that Optigen specify, and won't get them for you, as they come in packs of 100, so get them from the clinic's contact.  Let them  know how many dogs you want tested and they'll  post you the Vacutainers, plus 1 spare one in case of accident, which is returnable if unused.