Hereditary cataracts are a common eye problem in Golden Retrievers. ("Cataract" is defined as opacity within the lens of the eye.) At least one type of hereditary cataract appears at an early age in affected Golden's, and while theses may or may not interfere with the dog's vision, some do progress into severe or total loss of vision. There are also non-hereditary cataracts which sometimes occur, and examination by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist is necessary to determine if the cataract is or is not of concern from a genetic standpoint. If there is any question, the dog is certainly not to be recommended for breeding.
A few families of Golden's carry genes for Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy (CPRA) with is progressive deterioration of the light-receptive area(retina) of the eye, and my result in complete blindness at a fairly young age. There are also eye defects, such as retinal dysplaisa, that prevent consideration of a dog as a breeding animal.
Eyelid and eyelash problems also may occur in the breed; some have an hereditary basis, and some are due to other factors. Entropion and ectropion are the turning in or turning out of the eyelids. Trichiasis and distichiasis involve eyelashes or hairs rubbing on and irritating the eyes. Surgery may be needed to correct these problems, and while it is a fairly simple procedure, such dogs should not be bred and are ineligible to be shown under AKC rules.
Examination of breeding stock should be done annually, until at least eight years of age and preferably longer, as varying ages. The examination should be made by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, who has the special equipment and training needed to properly examine the dog's eyes.
Dogs that have been examined by board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist and found to be free of hereditary eye disease can be registered with the Canine Eye Registration Foundation ( CERF). CERF assigns the dog a number which, when properly understood, helps to make eye clearances more meaningful.
For Example:
CERF GR 1857/89-102 means that the dog was the 1,857th Golden Retriever registered with CERF; that the most recent examination indicating that the dog free of hereditary eye disease was done in 1989; and that the dog was 102 months old at the time of the examination.
Dogs with hereditary eye disease should not be used for breeding.
The certificates below are the only form you should excepted, for CERF. Click on certificate to view larger image.
