Well yesterday we went back to the eye surgeon and he gave his blessing for her to return to normal activity. Her tear production is good as well as her eye pressures were also good. She loved that as when she got home I let her run and run she did. After about an hour of running around dodging trees and splashing in the pond I had to hose all of the mud and dirt off of her. She willingly walked into her kennel and plopped down for bedtime.

We'll get back into training shortly. I'm a little concerned on her ability to mark birds but we'll deal with that as a team when the time comes.

For future reference. The doctor said that this condition can be seen as soon as the pups eyes open after birth. I'll be sure in the future to have any perspective pup looked at prior to purchase. I'd also recommend to any breeders that when they have their pups vet checked that they specifically ask them to check the eyes. Niki's breeder said that she was going to implement a eye certification into ther program for all future pups. It's a good thing to do as a responsible breeder and it protects her reputation as somewhere in the line be it on her side or the stud dog's side is a gene that caused this. By doing this it should hopefully prevent the new puppy owner from going through a lot of heart ache and expense..

So all in all Niki had the best possible outcome from her ordeal. It put us both threw a lot of emotional stress. It'll just make our bond all that much closer. Thus fall we'll sit together around a campfire thinkling about the day gone by and the flushing of a grouse in  he fall woods...

I am so glad you had a happy ending to this story.  In the end it will be worth all the time and money, and Nikki will pay you back over and over (that unconditional love thing that our four legged friends seem to have mastered).

Also, post a picture as we would love to see your beautiful girl.

http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll215/dgrracing/Niki/

Photo's as requested per the link..

She's doing very well and to most people they wouldn't even know she had any issues.. We had a good first hunting season and I look forward to many more.

She's almost 14 months old now and hasn't gone into heat which seems "odd" to me.. My plan was to have her spayed after her first "season"..

Hopefully we'll get a break with this frigid Michigan weather and we can go pheasant hunting a few more times...

Niki is beautiful. Thanks for posting pictures.  My middle girl, Halo, didn't come into season for the first time until she was 21 months old.  Now she comes in every 9 months.  Much better than every 6 months. 

Hello Everyone,

I am Niki's Breeder and want to let everyone know that Niki's Owner is just wonderful.. the pair has been through a lot.. Niki is my 1st to date juvenile cataract puppy.  I have from the begining always Eye Certified all my breeding stock and have always bred outside my lines to only eye certified dogs.  With dogs being certified doesn't guarantee the 2 clear dogs can't produce it as they can if they are carriers.  I as a breeder am doing Eye cerfs , cardiac, Hips and elbow certification.  I do guarantee a replacement dog it doesn't make Niki better and no breeder whats to see there puppies or owners have to go through anytype of illness or health problem.  I have eye certifed 2 complete litters born with no eye cataracts in either one of the litters checked.  Niki's litter was check by my regular vet and he cleared her as normal or clear.. I am not the vet..and he must have missed it.. as it had to be there on her health check up.  All I can do for the future of my breeding is to Eye certify litters with only a Veterinary Ophthalmologist.  As paying $25 per puppy is a very small price to pay to make sure this doesn't happen again.. but all I can do is my very best in my breeding as I am not God and can guarantee a replacement.  If I was God everything would be Perfect.. but even with lifes imperfections and looking at even Niki with her eye imperfection in every other way she is perfect..where she falls short will make up in other ways in her LOVE to her owner who is very amazing too. 

Niki's Sire and Dam were spayed and Neutered in hopes that wont happen again.  Best any breeder can do is not breed dogs or offspring that have it.  I took the next step the pair that produced it and ended the lines that produced it.  Its the only good thing to do as im a responsible breeder and it protects my reputation as it either came from the dam or the sire a gene that caused it.   

But any Breeder out there saying they have NOTHING in there lines and there Lines are Perfect.. be very careful with that statement it only takes 1.. Since none of us are GOD all we can do is the Best we can for our Breed.. 

Sincerely,

CathyDogLady

THANKS  FOR BEING HONEST, THAT IS WHAT THIS BREED NEEDS  TO MAKE IT BETTER. A pat on the back for you,if more breeders of dogs thought like you we would be not have puppy mills 10 litters or 1 litter.Testing is the best you can do ,even if all is good you never know when something comes up .To breed or not to  breed ,champion or not, just try for the best  Most of the raisers -not breeders are the buyers, just food for thought .We might keep 1special one but the rest are the advertisers.(been far east)LOVE THE GSP.