FWIW to anyone considering having their dog tested for PU, I emailed a local veterinary ophthalmologist that I have had contact with through our rescue (he adopted one of my fosters) and his response was.......

>>It is a problem and the best thing to do is diagnose it early. Whether treatment works is not known but I picked it up early in one of my Goldens and treated her for her whole life without it affecting her vision or her losing her eye.<<

So on that note, yes, I will have Merlin tested. Better safe than sorry!

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Excellent - good for Merlin! I know 2 people who have had dogs with PU, diagnosed early, and who were given eye drops for their entire life, and the disease did not progress.

While I am thrilled to see that so many will now be getting annual eye exams, I am disheartened to see that there are ANY who would only do it if it isn't "too expensive". What is your dog's eyesight worth? What is your dog's EYE worth? What is your dog not suffering pain worth?
$30-40 dollars for an annual exam done by a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist... Consider perhaps, a toy or two less, and maybe a couple less boxes of treats. Or, you "sacrifice" something - one dinner out would pay for it. I've read here how people will "spare no expense" and "put their Golden first" time and time again - here's a real good reason to do that.

I checked in that category. I've been able to have the boys CERFed for $30/each at a breeder clinic which is in the realm of "not too expensive," but I wasn't sure what people would have to pay ophthalmologists in different regions. Would people be incurring vet visit fees ($75) to get referrals, then office visit fees ($75 or more) at the specialist, and then a CERF fee? There's probably a point at which the cost/benefit gets out of whack for people. That was my only concern. If you're connected to a vibrant local GR community (which I'm lucky enough to be), then it's not too hard to get to a CERF clinic every year or so. In that situation, the cost is peanuts compared to the rest of the cost of owning a dog.

I'm in total agreement about the value of these exams (and already was before Sylvia e-mailed work_gold), and I think it's yet another reason for people to get and stay involved with their local GR club and other GR enthusiasts in their areas. You can bang out eye and heart clearances and meet like-minded folks all in one swoop.

Also, as a side note, is the CERF itself what people think is important, or is an eye exam by a specialist (not a GP vet) what's important? Of course, I'd love to see CERF clearances posted on as many pups as possible in litters so the PU in non breeding dogs can be part of breeders' information when they make matches. But when it comes to the dog's personal health, is there an advantage to getting a CERF clearance over a specialist checkup without filing a CERF form? I haven't filed my guys' clearances, because I went to the clinic really just for my peace of mind and to communicate the results to their breeders. Is there a compelling reason for me to complete the process and mail in the forms? Jax, by the way, failed for small distichias on both eyelids which we already knew about.

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Gunner is going in Monday to the opthamologist as he has had recent eye watering. My op thinks it was seasonal allergies (it has been better since it has cooled off the last week) but I want to make sure and not wait for his regular exam in Oct.

I hope you will be able to add Gunner to your list, Laura, of goldens whose PU was caught early, treated and didn't lose their eyes. Gunner has done well with the drops. He has had amazing reports.

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Sasha, Gunner,
& Angel Selka in Heaven

Love You Always
Max, Sophie and Shammy

My Baylee's PU was picked up earlier this year by an opthomologist exam, which cost more than $100. She is 9 years old so it wasn't really an early catch. All the regular vets thought her eyes were red from allergies. The opth did note the start of cataracts on the sides of both eyes. So far there is no clouding of her vision.
I was issued drops for her at $58 for a tiny bottle that lasts only a few months and she needs to return for a recheck every 6 months or sooner if necessary.
I only mention the cost because it could be prohibitive for those pet owners on a tight budget. For me it is just a part of pet ownership but I could see where this disease might easily go undetected in a lot of our Goldens due to the cost and the vets passing it off as allergies.

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"Beau" Mr. Beaujangles Dancin on a Wim CD, RN , ASCA CD (RIP my shining star 1-17-11)
"Baylee" UCD Baylee Golden Butterfly Wings CDX, RN , ASCA CD
"Baxter" Promise's Purpose Driven Vision (looking toward the future)

What are the drops? Many you can get through a regular pharmacy MUCH cheaper!
Our opthamologist was charging us an ungodly amount for Gunner's drops but Finn's Fan told me I could get them at Costco, walmart etc and we had the op call in a script to our pharmacy and now they are $10!

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Sasha, Gunner,
& Angel Selka in Heaven

Love You Always
Max, Sophie and Shammy

Oh wow...thanks for the suggestion. The drops are Diclofenac Solution 1%. I tried to get it through my regular vet, thinking it would be cheaper, but he did not carry them. Since the opth. is far from my home, on top of the cost of the drops I have to pay shipping and handling.
I'll check to see if I can get them from a regular pharmacy or Target since I don't belong to Costco.

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"Beau" Mr. Beaujangles Dancin on a Wim CD, RN , ASCA CD (RIP my shining star 1-17-11)
"Baylee" UCD Baylee Golden Butterfly Wings CDX, RN , ASCA CD
"Baxter" Promise's Purpose Driven Vision (looking toward the future)

Point being that if people did annual exams, starting young, they would catch this before it becomes an issue and could cost them even more. And because regular vet practitioners are diagnosing many PU dogs as having allergies, thereby initiating incorrect treatment, often for years, this underlines how important it is to have an ACVO specialist doing the exams.

I don't plan on my vet charging me for an office visit before we see the specialist. I think if I call him and tell him I want this exam he'll just refer me. I'm lucky I don't "need" to do this, but I will anyway since that's how the specialist practice does business. Yes, I can see how the cost could be prohibitive, but to me it's no different than buying HW and flea meds if you look at it as preventative care (though I don't know how much the exam will be). Can I afford it....not really, but that's what credit cards are for.

I think if you have a decent relationship with your vet an office visit prior to referral could be avoided. I looked to see if there were any CERF clinics near me but couldn't find anything.

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Intial CERF certification is $12. $7 for re-certs. It IS important to have all dogs checked on the database not only for breeder's to make breeding decisions, but for those doing important research - into PU and other ophthalmologic diseases and conditions.
Owning a dog means dealing with health issues. Period. And they are often not inexpensive. The ultimate goal here is to if not eradicate the disease altogether, to be able to find out how to avoid it when making breedings.

If you really care about the breed, let alone your own dog, how can you not do this?