Lushie's mom's post about one of her pups having Pigmentary Uveitis made me wonder if there are any certification type tests that pet owners can do? Not to certify health (because we're not going to be breeding), but if there are conditions that are more effectively treated earlier vs later? I'd much rather be proactive on health conditions than wait until symptoms indicate an advanced disease. Any recommendations, and if they can be done by regular vets? We have a good vet teaching hospital 4 hours away with lots of specialists, and also a "specialty" vet in town that does some more advanced diagnosis and treatments, although he's not a Board certified specialist. He's the vet that all the local vets send to for difficult diagnosis and procedures. I don't want to throw a bunch of money around if it is not going to be useful, but if an eye problem can be better treated if diagnosed early, I'd be all for a road trip to WSU!
lhowemt
Certifications for pet Goldens?
1 reading
Zoe's eyes were checked this year at a local Golden Retriever club health clinic. The cost was somewhere around $35 - $40. After reading here about PU and how serious it can be and that it should be treated early, I thought it was worth doing. We were given a scheduled time. Zoe was given eye drops and we had to wait a bit for her eyes to dilate. The exam itself was quick and easy. I'm sure the cost was much lower than what it would have been if I'd taken Zoe to a veterinary opthmologist. I think it's fairly typical for local Golden Retriever clubs to have an annual health clinic. At the one we went to they were conducting the various health checks typically recommended for dogs that are to be bred. Most of the people coming and going with their dogs seemed to be breeders.
I got the same clearances as breeding dogs for my boys, even though we have no plans to breed them. I wanted to know that their hips and elbows were free from the signs of dysplasia, and I wanted a heart clearance from a board-certified cardiologist.
And even though we don't go quite as often as a good breeder would, I like to get AVCO (CERF) exams on the eyes as close to yearly as is feasible. That's how LJilly caught her dog's pigmentary uveitis. She gets her dogs CERFed, even the dogs who aren't going to be bred.
From a financial standpoint, getting the dogs cleared made a lot of sense to us. We were able to get the joint x-rays done with mild anesthetic at a breed clinic for a relatively low cost. We also got the hearts and CERFs done the same way.
For a pet dog, I'm not sure you need to get the joint x-rays done unless you have signs of disease or can get it done really cheaply like we did. Same thing with the heart clearance, since your regular vet should be listening to the heart at nearly every checkup. The eye exams that detect PU, though, aren't part of a typical vet checkup, so I think CERFing your dog every year or so is something every GR owner should consider, especially if you have a GR club that runs clinics where you can get it done cheaply.
And even though we don't go quite as often as a good breeder would, I like to get AVCO (CERF) exams on the eyes as close to yearly as is feasible. That's how LJilly caught her dog's pigmentary uveitis. She gets her dogs CERFed, even the dogs who aren't going to be bred.
From a financial standpoint, getting the dogs cleared made a lot of sense to us. We were able to get the joint x-rays done with mild anesthetic at a breed clinic for a relatively low cost. We also got the hearts and CERFs done the same way.
For a pet dog, I'm not sure you need to get the joint x-rays done unless you have signs of disease or can get it done really cheaply like we did. Same thing with the heart clearance, since your regular vet should be listening to the heart at nearly every checkup. The eye exams that detect PU, though, aren't part of a typical vet checkup, so I think CERFing your dog every year or so is something every GR owner should consider, especially if you have a GR club that runs clinics where you can get it done cheaply.
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