# Pigmentary Uveitis



## RedGolden (May 5, 2008)

Hi everyone, 

I have not posted here in a while. But I hope to come back and become more active in light of something that has occurred with my golden. 

We co-own a beautiful girl who just turned seven in November, with a breeder. She went to her appointment with her ophthalmologist yesterday to get her eyes re-certified but instead, she was diagnosed with the eye disease called pigmentary uveitis. I'm sure some of you have heard of it... becoming very prevalent in goldens unfortunately. 

Needless to say, she won't be bred anymore (her breeding days were coming to an end regardless) and we will be treating the uveitis with daily drops. I'm just wondering if anyone has had experience with this with their goldens that they can share with me. I am hopeful that it can be kept at bay with the drops. The opthamologist says it has been caught very early. Her last appointment was about a year and a half ago and all was fine/re-certified. Her sight has not been compromised. 

Again, anyone who has had experience with this, your advice and stories would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Some years back I had a female that developed Uveitis. In her case it didn't develop until she was in the twilight of her life. She passed on long before her eyesight failed. I think we had been doing the eyedrops for just under a year when she passed on.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

My Gunner has pigmentary uveitis, cataracts and glaucoma. He is seeing an opthomologist and takes two sets of eye drops twice a day. His inflammation and pressure were both down and much improved at his last appointment. We are to take him back in Jan. Gunner will be 7 in Feb. He was diagnosed a year and a half ago when our vet noticed something behind his retina on a regular exam and referred us to the opthomologist.

Good luck with your pup. Gunner's inflammation from the uveitis was totally gone at his last appointment.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

bumping up for more opinions


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

PU is becoming a pretty serious problem in a number of prominent bloodlines. I have a friend with an affected dog--it came on quite young with him and put an end to his hunt test career. He is also on eye drops daily, but his is progressing, and he will likely experience a fair bit of pain as the disease progresses. 

It is becoming a significant enough problem that there is a study ongoing with cooperation from the GRCA. Check out the link here for more information on the study. The more affected dogs involved in the study the better the chance of dentifying the genes and mode of inheritance. http://www.grca.org/health/uveitis.html


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

Our puppy Austin was diagnosed with uveitis when he was only 5 months old....he just turned 1 on the 27th. The vet had him on 3 different eye drops for about 3 weeks. She said she was amazed, and relieved, that we caught it so fast. He has had no recurrence of uveitis since but it is definitely something we need to be diligent in watching for. 

Hopefully your golden girl will have no lasting effects!!!


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## RedGolden (May 5, 2008)

Thank you for the posts everyone. It helps to know that there are other people out there whose dogs are going through the same thing. 

It seems to me through the research I've done that the key is to catch it early and just hope that it doesn't progress further. Hopefully they will be able to isolate the gene and prevent it from becoming more widespread through this special, special breed. 

Again, thank you for your posts.


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

Major difference between PU and uveitis. Uveitis is a very common problem for people and animals. It is an inflammation and easily treated. PU, however, is not treatable and not very well understood. It is also called Golden Retriever Syndrome and Smoldering Uveitis. Dogs can become blind without showing any symptoms at all. All you can do is treat symptoms but that is hard. The meds to reduce inflammation increase eye pressure and the meds to reduce eye pressure increase inflammation. Usually the eye must be removed due to secondary glaucoma.

If you live in the Philadelphia, PA area, Dr Steve Grossman at the Metropolitan Vet Clinic is a superb opthamologist.

Good luck.


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## MyMaggieGirl (Nov 12, 2008)

As Artbuc stated, uveitis and pigmentary uveitis are two very different things.

I recently adopted beautiful Flirt who was diagnosed this year (at age 4) with PU. She had her first opthamologist appointment a month or so ago, we, too, have non-steroidal, anti-inflamatory drops (diclofenac) once a day. We have a follow up visit in February.

I contacted the people conducting the study at Michigan State University as quoted in sterregold's posting. We have submitted blood sample and other information and I urge anyone who's dog has been diagnosed with PU to do the same. All it cost me was a small fee for my vet tech to draw the blood and do a cheek swab, the university covers all shipping costs. 

My opthamologist feels that Flirt will definitely have glaucoma in her later years but as long as we keep treating her, we should be able to keep the PU at bay for many years and save her eyesight.

The opthamologist told me what to look for as far as advancement symptoms, namely redness on the white of the eye above the iris and excess drainage from the eye. 

I have a friend in Canada who has two Goldens that have had PU for a few years with no advancement in the disease. She puts drops in their eyes daily.

If you search the internet you can find plenty of information on PU. When I was adopting Flirty, I knew that she had just been diagnosed so I read up quite a bit before I made the committment.

I also commend Flirt's breeder Mac (Doolin's) for being honest about her condition and for having her spayed right after her PU diagnosis. You wouldn't get that with a backyard breeder-but then again a backyard breeder probably doesn't even have her dog's CERF'd, right?!

If you want to email me privately, please do so. I want to know as much as I can about the disease, too!

By the way, I just love my Flirty like crazy!!! She's such a sweetie pie.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

A comment about uveitis (not PU)-one of the causes of uveitis can be Lyme Disease, so with a diagnosis of uveitis I would want to make sure there is not also Lyme Disease.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Gunner has pigmentary uveitis.

Thanks to Finn's Fan (Molly) I asked our op. (after we paid $48. for steroid eye drops from her!) to write a generic script for our pharmacy where we now pay $10 for the steroid drops and around the same price for the glaucoma drops. The only meds we haven't gotten at the pharmacy are Gunner's thyroid meds which ar $24 for three months at the vet.

There is a chance that Gunner could lose his eyes but right now he is doing well with the drops for both the PU and the glaucoma.


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

Debles said:


> Gunner has pigmentary uveitis.
> 
> Thanks to Finn's Fan (Molly) I asked our op. (after we paid $48. for steroid eye drops from her!) to write a generic script for our pharmacy where we now pay $10 for the steroid drops and around the same price for the glaucoma drops. The only meds we haven't gotten at the pharmacy are Gunner's thyroid meds which ar $24 for three months at the vet.
> 
> There is a chance that Gunner could lose his eyes but right now he is doing well with the drops for both the PU and the glaucoma.


Best wishes to you and Gunner. We were able to control Buster's pressure for 8 or 9 months. By then he had lost almost all vision and, when his pressure started to increase, we removed the eye to keep him out of pain. Pain from elevated eye pressure is excruciating. Goldens are so stoic plus their instincts tell them to hide pain. Our doc did such a nice job we hardly knew the eye was gone once his hair grew back. He still had his beautiful eye lashes and his eye brow moved making it look like he was winking at you. Within 3 days of surgery, you could tell he felt SO MUCH BETTER! His remaining eye was still dong ok (about 20% vision loss with good eye pressure) when we lost him to hemangio.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

It is so awful that they can't tell you how they are feeling! Gunner shows no signs of being in pain. Even with his allergies and before he was diagnosed with either the eye problems or hypothyroid he was his usual happy rambunctious self! We were so lucky our vet saw the cysts behind his iris.

I am so sorry about your sweet boy. HUGS


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## MyMaggieGirl (Nov 12, 2008)

I, too, am sorry about losing Buster.

I am curious, however, how your dogs were diagnosed with PU, did they have symptoms?


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

MyMaggieGirl said:


> I, too, am sorry about losing Buster.
> 
> I am curious, however, how your dogs were diagnosed with PU, did they have symptoms?


It is quite a tale. One morning Buster was pawing at his left eye and we saw that it was red. Went right to our vet who said he has uveitis and needs to see an opthamologist right away. Our vet called Met Vet Clinic and Dr. Gross fit him in that afternoon because he considered it an emergency. The exam showed that Buster was already 80% blind in his right eye. He had never shown any symptoms in his right eye whatsoever. He had lost 20% vision in his left eye and pressures were slightly elevated in both eyes. Dr Gross (I think I said Grossman in an earlier post) prescribed Timolol drops for pressure and NeoPolyDex drops for inflammation. We were able to keep his left eye stable for almost one full year before the hemangio. Dr Gross said and I have also read that PU is almost always bilateral and the prognosis is almost always guarded or worse. This happened in 2007/2008. At that time the underlying cause of PU in Goldens was not known so the only thing we could do was treat symptoms. I don't know if they have made any breakthroughs since then.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Gunner is treated with Timolol for pressure and Prednizone eye drops for the inflammation. He had horrible inflammation behind his iris's that looked like cysts to my vet. Once he was on pred twice a day for a few months: the inflammation was gone. His pressure had gone up so they increased the Timolol to twice a day and now it has gone down.
His uveitis was found at his yearly check by our great vet. He had no symptoms that we had seen. His eyes get somewhat pink when he is excited as do Selka's so we weren't aware of a problem. As far as we know, he sees fine.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Not quite two years later, ten different kinds of drops and seeing the opthomologist often and Gunner has had his eye removed due to GR PU and glaucoma. His eye is being donated to Purdue for their research study on GR PU. I hope it helps find a cure.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*dEB*

DEB: God Bless Gunner and you

Red Golden: Praying your baby is doing o.k.


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

Debles, oh boy. Good for you to donate the eye. I am "glad" that you found a way to get him out of pain. It stinks.


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## MyMaggieGirl (Nov 12, 2008)

Debles said:


> Not quite two years later, ten different kinds of drops and seeing the opthomologist often and Gunner has had his eye removed due to GR PU and glaucoma. His eye is being donated to Purdue for their research study on GR PU. I hope it helps find a cure.


 
Somehow I missed your posting of Gunner losing his eye this past Fall. I am so sorry to read this but glad that he is out of pain and that you donated it to the study.

Please give him a hug for me.

Flirty has PU and the little stinker tries to keep her eyes shut when I approach her with the drops. I wish I could get her to understand just how important the medication is.

Please everyone, get your dogs' eyes checked by an opthamologist. As many have written, my regular vet had no idea of PU.


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## dmarieski (Mar 8, 2012)

My Golden Colby, 8 years old was just diagnosed with early pigmentary uveitis. 

I was wondering what drops your vet used on your Golden. And how has it progressed. 

I have giving Colby
once a day Flurbiprofen
twice a week astropine sulfate

I would appreciate any information you can provide. Hope your Golden is doing well.


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## RedGolden (May 5, 2008)

Dmarieski, our dog is currently on two types of drops: Voltaren and Mydriacyl. She gets Voltaren every morning and Mydriacyl every night before she goes to bed. For the first two months after her diagnosis, she also got a steroid drop twice a day (I think it was prednisone but I don't remember for sure). 

After the first three months, her pressure levels were great and they took her off prednisone and put her on Voltaren and Mydriacyl once a day. She's doing great now and the drops are just part of our daily routine!

Hope Colby does well with the drops! Best of luck!


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Though it is everyone's fear to have your dog lose an eye, Gunner has done so extremely well since his surgery. He plays like a pup (at age 9) with Sasha and doesn't pant anymore (which showed he was in pain) He has no trouble fetching/retrieving and is much more active now.

I wish everyone long eye sight with their uveitis/glaucoma meds!!


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## dmarieski (Mar 8, 2012)

It seems like everyone is using different drops. Makes it a little discouraging if he's not getting the correct drops. 

Thanks for all the input. Every bit of information helps.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

My 3 year old dog Copley was diagnosed with Pigmentary Uveitis at his yearly CERF today. He is 3 years old. Any advice for how to proceed?


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

Ljilly28 said:


> My 3 year old dog Copley was diagnosed with Pigmentary Uveitis at his yearly CERF today. He is 3 years old. Any advice for how to proceed?


So very sorry to hear that. Hope he does well with the treatment.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Oh Jill, so sorry. I would contact Gayle Watkins. I know that she has had very good luck with OcuGlow on her Goldens with PU. There was quite a discussion on this on Barb's FB discussion group.

Fingers crossed that Copley will have a very mild case.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Thanks for the tip. I will look up the discussion. I am frightened of the dx at the moment.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Ljilly28 said:


> Thanks for the tip. I will look up the discussion. I am frightened of the dx at the moment.


Obviously, every dog and every case is different but I was quite heartened by the discussion around OcuGlow (Ocuglo?). I hesitate to say "cure" but very good results so far.

I think this *may *be the website

Ocu-GLO Rx | Canine Cataract | Cataract Dog | Dog Cataract Surgery | Dog Vision Problems

Definitely check with Gayle, as she is the one who initiated the talk about Ocuglo.


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## KeaColorado (Jan 2, 2013)

Ljilly28 said:


> My 3 year old dog Copley was diagnosed with Pigmentary Uveitis at his yearly CERF today. He is 3 years old. Any advice for how to proceed?


Ugh, you must be sick to your stomach over this, I know you have a full plate right now, especially with babies on the way  Can you get him into the GRCA PU study? Here's the link, but I'm sure you're on top of it already. 
Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) How to Participate in Pigmentary Uveitis Research


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

That is the website Linda. After I read Gayle's FB post last fall, I talked to our ophthalm. about it and her attitude was.... well, it can't hurt, let's try it. Then when the girls had their check in May, she was shocked that they no longer had cysts or pigment (note, they didn't have PU). She said she had never seen this before, and now recommends it heartily, and told me, "Don't stop!!!" Worse case scenario is it's a good antioxidant combo.


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## NikNik (Sep 11, 2010)

Hello ~ 

I too also posted a couple weeks ago about a recent dx of PU. Where does one find the posts with Gayle and Ocu Glo or the FB page? I just started my boy on a low dose of Ocu Glo to see how he tolerates it. Thanks


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## msc (Nov 3, 2008)

Yes, link to FB page for Gayle?


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

If you live in the Philadelphia, PA area, Dr Steve Grossman at the Metropolitan Vet Clinic is a superb opthamologist.

Good luck.[/QUOTE]
I just had Neeko to Dr. Grossman last week for the PU....Luckily he had no signs of the disease....and Dr. Steve Grossman is great, had a wonderful experience with him and his staff...good luck with your girl....


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