# Eyes



## Princess Bella (Oct 17, 2006)

OK I don't know what to do anymore.... 
Can anyone help?!?! 
What is wrong with her eyes!! 2 vets have seen her, and nothing changes, we've tried steroids, clavimox, 2 different eye meds, eye wash, changed her food 3 times! maybe she's allergic ?? but to what ??
Here she is, 3 months old today, feel really bad not sure how to help her anymore...


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## Joe (Apr 9, 2005)

Gosh, this looks really bad... Hm...
I know you tried different diets, but for eye problems I heard that raw diet was the best. Also moving away from dry food and switching to *lamb and rice* diet is very good for eye allergies and irritations. Lamb and rice are less likely than most foods to cause any type of allergy reactions. Try it out, cook it yourself, it may be little more expensive, but you would know exactly what food your dog is eating.

Also I wanted to ask, how often do you shower or bathe her? Could it be your shampoo causing problems?

Anyhow, this may also be a genetic problem predisposing her to some type of a bacterial conjunctivitis, like '*dry* *eye'* (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) or similar... But, Goldens are not very commonly affected by this, so hard to say... 

Schirmer Tear Test is a simple way to check, but your vet should look at other of numerous diagnostic tests such as the fluorescein application to the cornea, the measurement of interocular 
pressure along with the slit lamp and ophthalmoscopic examination. This examination hopefully results in a diagnosis of the problem, and recommendations regarding medical treatment options.

Joe


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Oh no, poor baby! That looks really miserable  Is there any discharge?

Have you asked the breeder what s/he thought? Any siblings affected? I really wish I could help!


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Man--poor baby! I wish I knew. We do have a number of breeders on this forum that may have a clue. 

Keep us posted.


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## Princess Bella (Oct 17, 2006)

I spoke with the breeder and she has all the paperwork etc, for each puppy and only this one has the issue, she has a health guarantee for 1 year but I hate to go back to the breeder again... I met her parents and they are very healthy.

Joe thanks for the advice I will go out today and get a small bag of lamb and rice maybe she will like that, she starting to hate the duck and potato stuff she's on right now.

Any advice from breeders here? I would really appreciate it!!

Also found this:

EYE DISEASE
Hereditary cataracts are a common eye problem in Golden Retrievers. ( Cataract is defined as any opacity within the lens of the eye.) At least one type of hereditary cataract appears at an early age in affected Goldens, and while these may or may not interfere with the dog's vision, some do progress into severe or total loss of vision. There are also non-hereditary cataracts which sometimes occur, and examination by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist is necessary to determine if the cataract is or is not of concern from a genetic standpoint. If there is any question, the dog is certainly not to be recommended for breeding.
A few families of Goldens carry genes for Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy (CPRA) which is progressive deterioration of the light-receptive area (retina) of the eye, and may result in complete blindness at a fairly young age. There are also other eye defects, such as retinal dysplasia, that prevent consideration of a dog as a breeding animal.
Eyelid and eyelash problems also may occur in the breed; some have an hereditary basis, and some are due to other factors. Entropion and ectropion are the turning in or turning out of the eyelids. Trichiasis and distichiasis involve eyelashes or hairs rubbing on and irritating the eye. Surgery may be needed to correct these problems, and while it is a fairly simple procedure, such dogs should not be bred and are ineligible to be shown under AKC rules.
Examination of breeding stock should be done annually, until at least eight years of age and preferably longer, as hereditary eye problems can develop at varying ages. The examination should be made by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist who has the special equipment and training needed to properly examine the dog's eyes.
Dogs that have been examined by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist and found to be free of hereditary eye disease can be registered with the the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF). CERF assigns the dog a number which, when properly understood, helps to make eye clearances more meaningful. For example, CERF GR 1857/89-102 means that this dog was the 1,857th Golden Retriever to be registered with CERF; that the most recent examination indicating this dog free of hereditary eye disease was done in 1989; and that the dog was 102 months old at the time of the examination.
Dogs with hereditary eye disease should not be used for breeding.


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Princess Bella said:


> EYE DISEASE
> Hereditary cataracts are a common eye problem in Golden Retrievers. (
> 
> Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy (CPRA) which is progressive deterioration of the light-receptive area (retina) of the eye, and may result in complete blindness at a fairly young age.
> ...


In my opinion, cataracts and CPRA wouldn't show the symptoms that your dog is experiencing. Eyelid/eyelash problems would.. but gosh, one would hope a vet could diagnoses those. What about a veterinary ophthalmologist?


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## Princess Bella (Oct 17, 2006)

Yeah... I gotta wait til I get paid again to take her to the eye vet, we've spent 800 dollars in OCT. just on her... 

I hope it goes away...


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Did either of the vets say anything about demodectic mange?

Demodectic Mange

Red, Puppy, & Follicular Mange (Demodectic, Demodex)
(see picture in this one)

It sure resembles some of the demodectic mange I have seen.

Unlike Sarcoptic Mange, demodectic is not contagious and usually gets better with time. Generalized demodectic is bad but the localized kind is relatively easy to deal with.

Linda
Tahnee Golden Retriver


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Or maybe it's the eyelash/eyelid things noted above? Do any of these sound like your pup's symptoms?


*Distichiasis*


Distichiasis is a condition in which small eyelashes abnormally grow on the inner surface or very edge of the eyelids. Both upper and lower lids may be involved. Some breeds are affected more commonly than others, suggesting that it is an inherited trait. Cocker Spaniels, *Golden Retrievers,* Boxers, and Pekingese are among those most commonly affected. 

What are the symptoms of distichiasis?

*The abnormally-placed hairs growing from the lids irritate the cornea as they rub against it. The affected eye will become red, inflamed, and may develop a discharge. The dog will typically squint or blink often, much like a person with a hair or other foreign matter in the eye. The animal will often rub the eye against objects such as the furniture or the carpet. In severe cases, the cornea may become ulcerated and appear bluish in color from the aberrant hair or from self-mutilation by the pet.*
What are the risks?

Left untreated, severe corneal ulcerations and infections usually develop. The hairs can cause severe irritations and without treatment, the condition usually worsens. As stated, the animal may further irritate the eye through scratching or rubbing against it to the point of self-mutilation. Blindness can also result if infections develop.

What is the management?

The abnormal eyelashes are best removed through the use of surgery or electroepilation. With electroepilation, a fine needle is passed into the hair follicle and an electric current destroys the hair and its roots. This procedure may need to be repeated after several months. This is because all of the abnormal hairs may not have developed at the time of the first treatment. When these follicles do start to produce hairs, they will need to be treated.

If surgery is performed, the lid is actually split and the areas where the abnormal hairs grow are removed. Both procedures require anesthesia and a full recovery is expected. Antibiotic eye drops may be used following surgery to eliminate infections.


*Entropion*

This is a condition in which the lower lid margins roll inward to the extent that hair rubs on the surface of the eyeball. In rare cases, the upper lid can also be affected to some degree. One or both eyes may be involved. This condition can occur in all breeds, however, Spaniels, Great Danes, Shar-Peis, Poodles, and Saint Bernards seem to be the most frequently affected breeds, suggesting an inherited trait. 

What are the symptoms?

*Most dogs with entropion will squint and have a reddened, inflamed eye. Because of the pain involved, dogs will scratch at the eye with a paw, possibly doing further damage.* Examination of the lower eyelid will confirm the diagnosis.


*Ectropion*

Ectropion is used to describe a condition where the lower lids are loose, causing a drooping of the eyelid's margins. The lower lids actually turn outward. One or both eyes may be involved. It can occur in any breed, but it is inherited in American Cocker Spaniels, Saint Bernards, Mastiffs, and Bloodhounds. 

What are the symptoms?

*As the lower lid sags downward, the underlying conjunctiva is exposed. This forms a pouch or pocket, allowing pollens, grasses, dust, etc., to accumulate and rub against the sensitive conjunctiva. This is a consistent source of irritation in these dogs, leading to increased redness of the conjunctiva and occasional watering of the eye, which then spills out over the lower lid and face.*


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## Princess Bella (Oct 17, 2006)

I will research more into it and probably ask an eye vet (after payday!), I will start with lamb and rice tonight and just try to keep her eyes clean with a sterile solution. I pray its not something that may cause her to go blind, she is very healthy and has great personality, Hopefully she will get better soon..

So LaurJen I guess Bella and Augie getting together is a NO NO now lol


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## Princess Bella (Oct 17, 2006)

I wanted to show everyone her progress with the eyes, looks like it was realated to food allergy, I have her on Nutro Lamb and Rice and as you can see she's doing much better.

Her before pic above shows the difference!!


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## Joe (Apr 9, 2005)

That is so good to hear. I am glad it was just a food allergy...


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Oh yippeee!!! Her eyes look gorgeous! That must be such a relief


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## Buffy & Abby's Mom (Nov 27, 2005)

I'm glad she is so much better! She sure looked miserable before. I've had my 2 on Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice for a year now due to Buffy's allergy and am very pleased with it.


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## Baileysmom (Aug 5, 2006)

She looks beautiful! I am so glad it was only a food allergy and easily fixed!


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## MILLIESMOM (Aug 13, 2006)

Wow she looks great, right now Millie is on Hills Science Diet HA she has a bad ear infection and the vet thinks it is food related I am hope that if it is I can find a good food that she can eat with no problems. The HA is twentytwo dollars a eight pound bag OUCH


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## Princess Bella (Oct 17, 2006)

Yeah the vet started us out on prescrition science diet Duck and potato, the poor dog hated it, so I took Joe's advice and switched to lamb and rice, I use the can stuff also, Nutro is reasonably priced, compared to the 40.00 a bag from the vet.


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