A common ailment among the Golden Retriever breed of dogs, is eye disease. A great number of these dogs may be affected by cataracts, as a hereditary trait in their genes. You can tell at a very early stage, if your dog has been affected with hereditary cataracts. Although the presence of this disease does not have to necessarily affect the dog’s vision, it could have a negative impact, to the point where severe loss of sight is manifested.
Hereditary traits may or may not be the cause of cataracts in a Golden Retriever. A closer look by a certified veterinarian could better determine just how bad the ailment is. In the event that your veterinarian where to diagnose cataracts on your dog, he would probably suspend any kind of breeding from taking place, and even recommend that your dog be spayed. This is just a measure to stop the disease from spreading any further.
Quite a few specimens of the Golden Retriever breed have been noted to be carriers of CPRA (Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy). This is a disease that affects the retina of the eye, and could be the cause of loss of sight in a young puppy. Other eye conditions affecting this breed of dog exist, such as retinal dysplasia. This affliction hinders the dog’s ability to breed.
Some health conditions also occur on Golden Retriever dogs related to the eyelid and eyelashes. Some of these conditions are also blamed on hereditary traits. Rotation of the eyelid in or out of the eye, and the constant rubbing of the eyelashes against the eye are also common problems. These types of dog afflictions are usually corrected with minor surgery. However, dogs affected by these conditions are normally not allowed to breed or participate in competitions, or shows under AKC rules.
Eye disease can appear on your retriever at any given age. For this reason, it is important that you take your dog for a consultation with the veterinarian on an annual basis. When the time comes to examine your dog for abnormalities in the eye, perhaps it would be best to have a veterinary ophthalmologist do the exam. This type of veterinarian is specially trained and licensed for eye diseases, and will probably carry all the necessary equipment and experience necessary to better examine your pet.
Considering all the possibilities of eye infections and diseases that may affect your dog at any given time, it is probably a good idea for you as the pet owner to become acquainted with some of them more in depth. The value of knowing what the conditions are, and the symptoms they show, if any, may give you a comfortable edge in healing and prevention. As mentioned above, the primary cause for these eye diseases are hereditary traits, thus a little research on the dogs parents is in place. Depending on where you bought your puppy, medical records for the parents may also be available to you. Eye diseases are no dog games, and should be taken seriously and responsibly.
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