# Distichiasis - A3 ?



## Jenny Wren (Feb 27, 2007)

What do folks know about this eyelid disorder?

Would you buy a pup from someone if the mother has this in their CERF results?

Love this mother...Love the father...but don't understand what this means for the pups...

Appreciate any advice folks have... There's lots to be learned here...


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## Golden123 (Dec 6, 2009)

Sadies momma had that. A3-Eyelids, distichiasis it says on her cerf. *Distichiasis* is a condition in which there is growth of extra eyelashes (cilia) from the glands of the upper or lower eyelid. Sadie has perfectly normal eyes, no problems at all.


whos your breeder? You can PM me if you dont want to say on the board.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

Tucker's sire has that listed on his CERF clearance as well, but Tucker's eyes are perfectly fine and have never had any problems at all. From what I have researched, it's a very common condition in Goldens.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

If the extra lashes are soft, they usually don't present a problem. In fact, sometimes they will be present at one eye exam and gone at the next. They can present a problem if they are are hard-then they may need to be removed.

It's not something I would double up on, but their presence alone would not keep me from buying a puppy. As long as the mother didn't require surgery, and it hasn't caused any problems in prior litter, I wouldn't be concerned.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

I remember the first time I saw this on a CERF breeder's option- I thought it was a bad sign. I later learned it was very common and usually not a problem and surgery is often unnecessary. I assisted on one surgery to correct the problem in a Weimerainer. Pretty cool, but his case was extreme and he wasn't a dog for breeding. 

I would just double check that each parent has clearances for hips, elbows, eyes, and heart and that they have been done for several generations back. Also that they're active in conformation, or another dog activity.

Sorry to hear of the loss of Taya. I must have missed the thread. Good thoughts coming your way.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

When I was researching golden retrievers, I went to my vet and asked for her opinion. She and another vet there had GR littermates. She wrote down the distichiasis on a piece of paper and told me not to buy a puppy that had that in its lines. The litter that she got her puppy from, a majority of the litter had serious eye issues because of this. 

She fought with the breeder for many years until the breeder finally agreed to no longer breed those lines.

When I brought Brady in for his first wellness check up, she spent a lot of time checking his eyes because of this too. 

I did show my breeder the piece of paper with the name. She said it was just usually a harmless condition with the eye lashes. Can't remember exactly her words.

So maybe it just depends on the severity???


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## Katie and Paddy's Mum (Mar 31, 2010)

Both Katie and Paddy (littermates) have had the condition.
In their pedigree (when I looked back after the fact!!) their mother had distachias D1. I called the breeder right away to inform them that we had trouble with both dogs and they should advise other owners who bought from that litter.
In both cases each dogs eyes ulcerated. Paddy's was very minor, and the vet was able to use tweezers in his office to remove the hair (and he has never had a problem since - although the vet checks his eyes on each visit). Katie's was absolutely horrible, in that it developed bilaterally (both eyes). In addition to distachiasis, Katie also had ectopic cilia which is hair deeper inside the eyelid and had to have two emergency (8 months apart) laser surgeries for removal of the hairs. The veterinary optometrist said Katie's was one of the most severe cases he had ever seen. Now that she is 4 years old, the vet does not think it will be a problem any longer. He says it typically shows up in a dog under 3 years of age. He also mentioned that hairs are often present, but so long as they remain soft they will not rub against the cornea. Katie's were obviously very coarse and caused awful ulcerating on both occasions. It was absolutely heartbreaking. Although, to be honest, I believe it was the ectopic cilia rather than the distachias that led to her needing surgery. The vet, might have been able to manually remove the hairs if only distachias had of been present. 
Thank goodness and knock on wood she has been fine for the last 2 years!

I have to say, I would be hesitant to buy another pup with this condition on their CERF results. We did not do a lot of research prior to purchasing Paddy & Katie as we were looking to quickly add another Golden to our family after the loss of our beloved Bear. We were very lucky we had the means to care for Katie as each surgery was well over $1000CAD. 

If you do purchase a puppy, just make sure to keep a close eye on the eyes (no pun intended!). It may not present problems, but as you can see I had a worse case scenario and thought I would share!

Good luck in your search!


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## Golden123 (Dec 6, 2009)

Apparently it is the growth of extra eyelashes, but it can get worse if those eyelashes curl under into the eye causing constant irratiation.


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

I have a flat coat with distichia... she has two eyelashes in one eye that occasionally bother her but of course it doesn't matter how many eyelashes are there the presence warrants the diagnosis of distichia... the issue is that sometimes she gets cleared without a notation if the eyelashes had fallen out at the time of her clearance and sometimes it shows up which means that even a clear dog can have it and its hard to totally rule out that a dog who is clear may not really be clear at all... 

that having been said... 

What I have been told is not to double up on it ... so if mom has it she should be bred to a dog that doesn't and vice versa... and that doubling up on it will increase the severity... 

for my girl NONE of her puppies have ever had any distichiasis.... and hers is a mild case so I would not be concerned about it.... 

you have to weigh everything... and I would want to be sure it wasn't in both parents.


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## Jenny Wren (Feb 27, 2007)

Thank you so much for your advice... I knew that folks here would have heard of it. Now I have to think this through...
Sometimes ignorance is bliss...or not. Sounds like I'd want good pet insurance...


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Golden123 said:


> Apparently it is the growth of extra eyelashes, but it can get worse if those eyelashes curl under into the eye causing constant irratiation.


Actually, there are two separate conditions. The first is distichia, which is simply extra eyelashes. This may or may not be a problem depending on the number of eyelashes and whether they are hard or soft. Then, there is entropion, where the eyelid rolls inward, which forces all that hair and the lashes into the eye. Entropion is very serious, frequently requires surgery and can cause severe damage if not corrected. Entropion and ectropion are disqualifying faults in the Golden Retriever standard.


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## alibaba (Oct 19, 2012)

I know who the breeder is, it is a breeder well known in Colorado that is breeding and selling dogs with this as well as a dog in CA, WA state, and Louisiana too. It makes me upset that they know about it and they keep breeding and passing that genetic to the off springs which is so very sad, all for money while we are all suffering with this in our dogs.


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

Tahnee GR said:


> Actually, there are two separate conditions. The first is distichia, which is simply extra eyelashes. This may or may not be a problem depending on the number of eyelashes and whether they are hard or soft. Then, there is entropion, where the eyelid rolls inward, which forces all that hair and the lashes into the eye. Entropion is very serious, frequently requires surgery and can cause severe damage if not corrected. Entropion and ectropion are disqualifying faults in the Golden Retriever standard.


Interesting... I had a pup come up wiht entropian diagnosed by the vet not the opthalmologist... vet insisted he needed surgery... I talked to Marge.. my mentor and owner of the stud dog who said don't do anything... these big headed boys just need time, the pup was five months old... she was insistent that they do nothing... and I talked to my puppy person who luckily is a friend and did nothing and by the time the pup was a year the entropian was gone and eyes are perfectly normal and no problems at all... he is now six with nothing at going on ... I had never heard that entropian could come and go with growth but it is something that I keep a close eye on now...


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Shalva said:


> Interesting... I had a pup come up wiht entropian diagnosed by the vet not the opthalmologist... vet insisted he needed surgery... I talked to Marge.. my mentor and owner of the stud dog who said don't do anything... these big headed boys just need time, the pup was five months old... she was insistent that they do nothing... and I talked to my puppy person who luckily is a friend and did nothing and by the time the pup was a year the entropian was gone and eyes are perfectly normal and no problems at all... he is now six with nothing at going on ... I had never heard that entropian could come and go with growth but it is something that I keep a close eye on now...


I have seen this several times with young puppies, so I do not rush into surgery with a young puppy. It happened with one of my Trouble puppies, so I held onto him and took him in frequently to the vet so she could check his eyes. She consulted with a veterinary opthamologist. A staple was put in each lower eyelid to keep the eye and cornea from getting irritated. In about 3 weeks, his head had grown and changed enough that the staple could be removed. He turned out to have a lovely head, and is a very lovely pet.


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