RE: Please read!

["Karin M. Krchnak" <kmk@carlthewebmaster.com>]

Gina,

Any advice for those of us not near the clinics?

Thanks, Karin

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-brierpups@fast.cs.utah.edu
[mailto:owner-brierpups@fast.cs.utah.edu]On Behalf Of Gina Heitz
Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 10:07 AM
To: brierpups@fast.cs.utah.edu
Subject: Please read!


Another note on eyes...

I do not want to scare anyone and we are not alarmed about this finding but
I do want to note this to you all...  Ginger who is from Kaycee age 7 now,
has some abnormalities of her lens that will require her to be re-checked
in 6 months.  Some time ago I alerted you all to a very terrible disease
that only the Golden gets, it's called Pigmentary Uveitis which left
untreated can lead to blindness and it very painful, generally it goes
misdiagnosed by your normal general practitioner.  Ginger is suspect of
this, however, there is also a question as to if she has this disease or if
in the past she had another condition called "iris cysts" which are
harmless but need to be identified.  The two are not related but past iris
cysts can leave a mark on the lens that can mimic uveitis.  For this reason
it is important that all Golden Retrievers be screened for eyes and not to
wait until they are getting older as was done with Ginger.

  As I said I don't want to alarm anyone but at the same point I do want to
impress on all of you that having a base line is in my opinion a good
thing, as well as the eye vet's opinion....  Baselines should be done
between age 1 and 2 and then a follow up should be done sometime after age
5 and possibly again about age 8.  Since we run these low cost clinics I
think everyone should try to take advantage as an in office visit can be
from $45.00 to $80.00.  If anyone is interested I do know that there are
going to be two more low cost clinics run in November one on the 10th down
in Albany at another breeders home and one out at Judy's on the 30th of
November, North Plains.  If you are interested in either clinic, pleas post
me privately for details.  If necessary and or possible I could collect
dogs and take them to these clinics for those that can't make it.  But I do
think that you all should consider going or planning to attend another one
I hear of soon.

Gina