# Iris cyst in my 4 year old golden



## bluetou (Oct 13, 2008)

Yesterday my daughter noticed in our 4 year old Maggie's right eye a round circle ( the size of a top of a pencil eraser) ....I have never seen this before so it seems it mists appeared over night! I did a closer examination and noticed it was a floating spot in her eye - so when she laid on her back the spot in her eye would fall to the too part of her eye - if Maggie was sitting upright the spot in her eye would fall to the bottom of her eye....etc

So I took her to vet ASAP - she looked at it and said it was an iris cyst. There was no cause for concern no reason to worry - she said to monitor it for a few weeks to see if it would grow ...etc - also check the whites of her eyes to see if there is ever redness in the eye - as this could mean glaucoma ..... And she could lose her eye!!!

So I go home and start researching iris cyst - and I guess the vet should have darkened the room and shone the light in her eyes to see if the cyst was retro illuminate or transilluminate - (read below)

6). Iris cysts
Common in the dog especially Golden retriever and Boston terrier breeds. Present as fairly smooth circular to oblong free-floating or attached brown colored structures in the anterior chamber. Not associated with pain or inflammation. In a dark room, will be able to retroilluminate/ transilluminate with bright focal light source. No need for treatment.

So i called vet and ended up going back - she took Maggie in the dark (and I came) and she shone the light in her eye and it seemed as though u could see through it slightly (the cyst)

Anyway she told me it was nothing to worry about - but now that I'm reading I'm wondering if there is a risk with this iris cyst - should I have it removed - I really need advice please.

Your help anyone's is greatly appreciated 

Thank you so much


----------



## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

If you are still concerned the best thing to do is see an opthomalogist vet.


----------



## bluetou (Oct 13, 2008)

Will the opthomalogist will he tell me the same thing as vet ....I guess I'm wondering - do iris cysts - should they be removed ? Is it better to remove it then to leave it? Thanks


----------



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

Bluetou, iris cysts are normally nothing to worry about. However, golden retriever are prone to something called golden retriever uveitis, which often starts with iris cysts as a symptom. Your very best bet is a veterinary opthalmologist; they have the specialized equipment to see what's going on inside the eye. Many goldens are put on prednisilone acetate to try to keep the numbers of cysts down and keep the interocular pressure normal. My copy and paste isn't working, but try to go to www.animaleyecare.com/animalvision and look for golden retriever uveitis FAQ. You'll get some very straight forward information on cysts and the golden breed. My Finn has golden retriever uveitis (only sysmptom when we adopted him from a rescue was bloodshot whites of his eyes). He is on the pred acetate every other day for life, and so far, he still has cysts but no glaucoma or crazy pressures. Depending on where you are, a vet opthalmologist will run you around $65-90 for a thorough consultation.


----------



## gold4me (Mar 12, 2006)

We just went through this exact same thing with Gambler (who is also 4). Our vet noticed the cysts and immediately said we needed to see an ophthalmologist as they have the appropriate equipment to see into the eye and look more carefully. The eye dr. did a close exam and a pressure test. Gave us all the options and what could happen. Gambler had 3 cysts and they were covering his pupil. We decided to have them out. She was able to look deep into the eye and check for other cysts that might be lurking. We now will be going to see her once a year and our vet in between. We have drops for his eyes for the rest of his life. The vets (both) have certain things they will be looking for. Please feel free to PM me with any questions.


----------



## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

There are many threads on here about Pigmentary Uveitis in goldens. It has become very common unfortunately and many if not most breeders recommend that even pet goldens have yearly CERF exams or exams by a canine ophthalmologist. PU is a very painful disease which can lead to them losing their eyes if not caught and treated at an early stage. Regular vets do not have the equipment or training to do the exam needed. Both my goldens have cysts, but not PU (thank doG). However, they are monitored by an ophthalmologist every 8-10 months. Not every vet is up to date on the prevalence of PU in our breed (including mine... until I insisted on a CERF exam which turned up the cysts).

Important to note that while all dogs with cysts do not necessariy have PU, all dogs with PU have cysts.


----------



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

My vets never heard of PU either. Iris cysts definitely are grounds for concern if you have a golden retriever.


----------



## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

DON'T PANIC! Iris cysts are typically harmless. You're going to hear pigmentary uveitis brought up, and that's a good thing, because you need to be aware of it as a GR owner. However, a single cyst you can see with the naked eye is nothing at all to be concerned about.

Get a yearly exam from an ophthalmologist. If possible, get an AVCO exam so you can file a CERF on your dog. If you have a good breeder, they will be happy to see that you're doing this. A yearly AVCO exam on _every_ Golden is a good idea, especially after the dog is 4 or 5.

So don't panic. The ophthalmologist is likely to say that it's totally harmless, but you do want to catch any early signs of PU, just in case, and it's best to get an ophthalmologist to do the exam, not your GP vet.


----------



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

http://www.grca.org/pdf/health/eyes-health.pdf

Information on PU here.


----------



## BajaOklahoma (Sep 27, 2009)

bluetou said:


> Will the opthomalogist will he tell me the same thing as vet ....I guess I'm wondering - do iris cysts - should they be removed ? Is it better to remove it then to leave it? Thanks


Since we are not vets, your best choice is to see a vet opthalmologist. Some require a referral.
Since they only have one set of eyes, IMO it is worth the vet visit even if he says the same thing your general vet said.


----------



## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

So I just freaked out a client when I told her her golden had iris cysts..went into the discussion that all Goldens with golden retriever uveitis have iris cysts, but not all dogs with iris cysts will get GR uveitis. The ophthalmologist called me after she examined the dog, got interesting info from her, but what she said does not jive with what I know anecdotally...


----------



## bluetou (Oct 13, 2008)

Thanks so much for all your advice and added information - I decided to get a referral to a vet ophthalmologist - I will feel more confident in seeing him and helping us properly treat Maggie (and diagnose) etc....I feel so bad for her as this spot in her eye is quite large and I'm sure it obstructs her vision. It came on so suddenly - thanks again


----------



## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

bluetou said:


> Thanks so much for all your advice and added information - I decided to get a referral to a vet ophthalmologist - I will feel more confident in seeing him and helping us properly treat Maggie (and diagnose) etc....I feel so bad for her as this spot in her eye is quite large and I'm sure it obstructs her vision. It came on so suddenly - thanks again


That's sure what I would do too. Please keep us posted as to what the ophthalm. says.


----------



## gold4me (Mar 12, 2006)

I think you are doing the right thing to see an ophthalmologist. Please do keep us posted on how she is doing.


----------



## bluetou (Oct 13, 2008)

I will for sure thank u so much


----------

