LIDA was designed to collect, organise and disseminate information on the prevalence of inherited disorders among Australian cats and dogs.

The website, developed with assistance from the Thyne Reid Foundation, uses non-technical descriptions and is designed to make the task of choosing a healthy pet easier and enable potential pet owners to understand health problems different breeds may face.

Dr Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney and main developer of the site said, "In creating LIDA, our aim was to offer jargon-free description of inherited disorders and to classify the disorders by breed and organ system in a logical and easy to retrieve manner".

The data presented on this website will assist:

• Potential purchasers to make informed decisions when buying puppies and kittens.
• Veterinarians to provide clients with local current data and professional experiences of their colleagues.
• Breeders to recognise which unwelcome traits are increasing and which are being successfully reduced.