Veterinary ophthalmologist researches treatment for pigmentary uveitis

Townsend grew up owning golden retrievers and was completing her residency in veterinary ophthalmology when the disease was first recognized.

“It was bizarre because nobody could understand why it was happening in this specific breed,” Townsend says. “But since I loved golden retrievers and had a passion for ophthalmology, it seemed like a natural fit.”

And although the disease presents itself primarily in purebred golden retrievers, Townsend says, it can appear in some golden retriever crosses—especially Labrador and golden retriever crosses.

“That becomes a concern because Labrador and golden crosses are frequently used as seeing-eye dogs,” Townsend says. “And because the disease doesn’t show symptoms until these dogs are older, they could be struggling with their own vision and you might not even know.”

That’s why Townsend says having dogs screened—especially service dogs—is critical.

“The earlier you can catch something, the better,” Townsend says. “That goes for all vision problems with any animal.”

As a veterinary ophthalmologist, Townsend says, it’s not uncommon for her to see dogs from across the country affected by golden retriever pigmentary uveitis. In addition to those patients, she commonly sees animals with corneal ulcers (or scratches on the eye), cataracts and glaucoma. Her patients include mostly dogs, horses and cats—but she also has treated penguins, tigers and other exotic species.

Although she doesn’t fit animals with glasses, she has fitted a dog or two with contact lenses; they’re usually dogs that perform in agility and have trouble focusing or struggle with nearsightedness.

“Sometimes animals struggle with the same eye problems that people do. They’re just not as good at telling us when something is wrong,” Townsend says.

Townsend says she is always encouraging pet owners to be cognizant of their pets’ eye health for that very reason. Just because something isn’t blatantly obvious doesn’t mean their eyes are always in perfect health.

“Animals are good at compensating when something isn’t working right. So if one eye is bothering them, they’ll just rely more heavily on the other eye,” Townsend says. “And most of our pets don’t need to have super-sharp vision to lead normal everyday lives. But in some cases—like with dogs that participate in agility—being able to focus both near and far is important.”

As Townsend continues her mission to solve the mystery behind golden retriever pigmentary uveitis—in addition to seeing her patients—she hopes she can build some awareness around the field of ophthalmology.

“The eye might be small, but it’s a powerful organ that we all use and it allows me to work across a wide variety of species,” Townsend says. “I frequently have clients tell me, “I had no idea this was an option,” or, “I didn’t know there were eye doctors for dogs.” The impact this field can have on our patients and their quality of life can be significant.”