# For those who have posted about GR uveitis or glaucoma



## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

My Gunner was diagnosed with Golden Retriever Uveitis, Glaucoma and a cataract approximately a year and a half ago, after our vet saw what he thought was a mass behind his iris at a routine visit.
Gunner has been being treated by a veterinary opthomologist.
His eyes are now clear of inflammation and his pressures are much better. But he needs to be watched closely for any redness in his eyes, have two kinds of drops for each condition put in his eyes twice daily and have rechecks at least every six months. We have been very lucky. So far we have saved his sight and his eyes.
The opthomologist told me about a woman with a golden she had seen right before Gunner on Thursday who had put off her dog's appointment for two weeks and when they came in, her dog was blind. The vet felt so bad and said there was nothing she can do now.

Our regular vet also told me that the same week he saw Gunner and referred us to the OP, he also referred three other people/dogs. We were the only ones who followed up. I know it's expensive but what is your choice? Let your dog go blind and have his eyes removed?

I am posting because there is hope and Gunner is proof. He recently turned seven and hopefully we can save his sight for the rest of his life, and he can always still retrieve his frisbee. : )


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Debles, thank you so much for this reminder for all of us who have dogs with eye issues to keep our veterinary visits on time and not postpone. I'm so happy for Gunner and his good news regarding his sight and he's handsome in the photo you attached! 
Do we have a sticky on the uveitis? I ran across an article a year or so ago. If I can find it I might post it here. It mentioned symptoms, what to look for and how to treat this disease.


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## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

Sophie's mother has GR uveitis, so we will be watching her closely for this as she grows up. Here's hoping she doesn't get it.... 

Sophie was about a year old when her mother was diagnosed.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

I had noticed Gunner's eyes were alittle red a few days before his routine check in July but had really not thought much of it. His eyes do get red when he is excited and he stresses easily (thunderstorms, fireworks)so it had been a stressful few weeks.
Thank God my vet was on the ball and saw the swelling/inflammation behind his irises! There is some history with his father but our breeder had not been told of it by the stud owner when the breeding took place.


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## 3SweetGoldens (Feb 28, 2007)

Deb...thank you so much for the information you have provided everyone about your beautiful Gunner. I am so THRILLED that his check up went so well, and he is doing great! By you posting this, it may save another dog in time before the vision is gone. Please give him an extra hug from me tonight, I am just so happy for him and for you!:smooch:


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

I posted this before but I will say it again as it may help others.

First, Pigmentary Uveitis aka Golden Retriever Uveitis is a nasty disease. If you are lucky, your dogs eye(s) will be inflamed. In that case go to your vet immediately. If your vet isn't in, go to your nearest emergency room. Every hour counts. I took Buster to my vet on a Monday morning and the opthamologist squeezed him it that afternoon because he knew it was critical.

If you are not lucky, your dog may go blind and develop secondary glaucoma without showing any inflammation at all. This also happened to Buster. I took him for one eye only to discover he was already 80% blind in the non-inflammed eye. We were able to control pressure in his good eye (only 20% vision loss) until he died of hemangiosarcoma. We had to remove his other eye because of secondary glaucoma.

The average age for the on-set of PU is 8 and it is almost always bilateral.

Yes, PU is a nasty disease.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

There is a study re: Pigmentary Uveitis......

http://www.grca.org/health/uveitis.html


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

I had contacted them about this study and was told they no longer needed participants. I am sure Gunner's is hereditary considering his father/grandfather ended up with many of the same issues.
His father is from Wisconsin.

artbuc, I am so sorry Buster had no warning signs. As I said, we were just lucky that Gunner's vet saw it at the right time. If we had gone in later for his routine check, he may have lost his eyes. and still may. For now, the drops are working. And Gunner developed this at age 5 which is very young so that makes me think it is even more likely genetic.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Deb, that's great news that Gunner is doing so well. It is so important for owners of golden retrievers to have eyes checked regularly. Finn's drops are working, too, although he does keep producing uveal cysts I don't mind paying the opthalmologist's fees to insure that Finn retains his sight for life!


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Thanks Molly! I am sorry Finn still has the cysts. Is he on pred and timilol both? or does he have glaucoma? I can't remember. I know both meds create the symptoms in each different disease. It's frustrating. The pred creates higher pressure and the timilol causes inflammation!


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Deb, he does not have glaucoma. He's on the predisilone drops every other day, and at the last visit, the opthalmologist was hopeful that the cysts were gone. Nope, she could see them lining up like airplanes in the take-off line Now if we could just permanently fix his rotated pelvis!


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