[ArkansasGold]

You don’t need a referral to go to an ophthalmologist. You can just go to any eye clinic near you and get her checked out. Or you can even make an appointment at a specialty or university and just say you need to get her eye clearance done. The latter will be more expensive, but if you’re really worried, it will give you peace of mind.

To find shows near you, you can go to the AKC event search or Infodog.com

 

[ArkansasGold]

I tried to make an appt at the animal eye care vet near me and they say I needed blood work and a referral form filled out before I could make the appt. I do see there is an eye clinic on the OFA website in a few weeks, so we will likely go to that!

Did you tell them you think she has a problem? What if you called and said you just need to get an OFA eye exam?

Also, it matters if the vet is a board certified ophthalmologist or not.

 

[ArkansasGold]

Oh okay gotchya. What is the difference between the OFA eye exam and

yes I did. They are a board certified ophthalmologist. What is the difference between an OFA and going to an ophthalmologist? Can a regular vet perform OFA eye exam?

No, a regular vet can’t perform an OFA eye exam.

For some reason, it seems like clinics want a referral if you call thinking you have a problem. They want the documentation.

If you go for a routine OFA exam, you aren’t necessarily going because of a problem. You’re actually going hoping for clear/normal eyes. If they find a problem during an OFA exam, then you can book a separate appointment for a more in depth exam and you won’t need a referral because the condition was diagnosed during a routine exam. Make sense?

Some conditions, like certain types of cataracts for example, don’t need a separate follow-up exam. You would just continue doing OFA exams annually and check for progression. There are a lot conditions that Goldens can get that don’t actually affect their vision.

 

[ArkansasGold]

@Prism Goldens can you help with these photos at all?

 

[ArkansasGold]

Cataracts can come in many forms. Most don’t cause vision issues at all. If they do, it’s usually in old age and it’s a slow progression. The scenario described above is pretty rare. At least from breeders who get eyes checked every year according to the GRCA Code of Ethics.

My boy Rocket has cataracts. He was diagnosed with them at 4, but was probably born with them. He’s 7 now and is totally fine. His vision is unaffected, but we do an OFA check every year for progression.

I honestly don’t think there is any reason to panic. Get in to an ophthalmologist as soon as you can, but don’t spend the wait time worrying about her. It won’t change anything and it will only make things worse for you.