Golden Retriever health
Golden Retriever health: a guide for new owners
Golden Retrievers typically live 10–13 years. Most Goldens whose hearts are checked get normal results. Many of the breed's health problems can be screened for, and early treatment makes a difference for several of them.
Golden Retriever health overview
The big picture
Golden Retrievers typically live 10–13 years. Most Goldens whose hearts are checked get normal results. Many of the breed's health problems can be screened for, and early treatment makes a difference for several of them.
A few everyday habits do a lot of the work. Keep your Golden lean for life, since extra weight worsens joint disease and shortens life. Feed a large-breed puppy food, so growth stays slow and steady. Book a yearly eye exam once your dog is grown, and have any new lump checked.
This page brings together what the research shows about Golden Retriever health. It covers the conditions the breed is known to be prone to, screening and DNA results, what to watch for, typical treatment costs and a care plan for each life stage.
Golden Retriever screening trends
Where the numbers are improving
Heart defects present from birth are uncommon in Goldens checked by OFA. The share rated normal has crept up, from about 98% of dogs born in 1990 or earlier to every dog born in 2021 or later.
The one to watch for is a narrowing below a heart valve, called subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS). Any murmur is followed up with a heart scan.
Common Golden Retriever health conditions
Worth knowing
Each entry below is a condition Goldens are known to be prone to, with what you might notice and what helps.
In hip and elbow dysplasia, the joints form poorly as a puppy grows, and both run in the breed.
What you might noticeWatch for limping or stiffness in a growing puppy.
What you can doFeed a large-breed puppy food, keep your Golden lean, and skip jogging until its first birthday. Limping in a growing puppy is worth a vet visit, and X-rays confirm the cause.
Goldens are prone to clouding of the lens (hereditary cataract) and to an inflammation inside the eye called pigmentary uveitis.
What you might noticeUveitis usually develops in middle-aged or senior Goldens.
What you can doBook a yearly exam with a veterinary eye specialist from young adulthood, and keep it up for life. Early treatment can delay uveitis, which is why the yearly exam matters.
Some Goldens inherit a narrowing below a heart valve, called subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS).
What you might noticeIt is usually first noticed as a heart murmur at a checkup.
What you can doYour vet listens for a murmur at puppy visits and through the first year. Any murmur is followed up with a heart scan (echocardiogram).
An underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) runs in the breed, usually because the immune system attacks the gland.
What you might noticeSigns include weight gain, a thinning coat or low energy, usually from 2 to 5 years of age.
What you can doIf you see these signs, ask your vet for a full thyroid blood panel.
Cancer causes a large share of deaths in Goldens, especially a blood-vessel cancer (hemangiosarcoma) and lymphoma.
What you might noticeWatch for new lumps, pale gums, weakness or a swollen belly.
What you can doNo DNA test exists for cancer, so book vet checks twice a year for your senior Golden and have any change seen promptly.
Less common conditions in the Golden Retriever
Less common
- Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) slowly takes away sight in adult dogs, and DNA tests find its known forms.
- Some Goldens have extra lashes on the edge of the lid (distichiasis), and most never bother the dog.
- Ichthyosis is a skin problem that looks like fine white flakes, like puppy dandruff, and a DNA test can confirm it.
- Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) is a nerve disease of grown dogs that runs in families, and a DNA test finds it.
- A heart muscle disease tied to diet shows up mostly in Goldens fed grain-free or legume-rich foods, and a new food often helps.
Golden Retriever DNA tests
DNA tests
A cheek swab can test for the Golden's known inherited conditions, such as NCL, ichthyosis and PRA. Each result comes back as clear, carrier or at risk. Clear means no copies of the gene change, and a carrier has one copy and is healthy. At risk means two copies and a higher chance of the condition, not a diagnosis, and some at-risk dogs never show signs. No DNA test exists for hip or elbow dysplasia, the heart narrowing called SAS, pigmentary uveitis or cancer.
Golden Retriever vet checkups
Checkups your dog will get
- At the first visit, your vet listens for a heart murmur, checks the eyelids and skin, and confirms the diet.
- A mild heart murmur may not be heard this early, so your vet listens again during the first year.
- Your own vet completes the vaccine series that the breeder started.
- Your vet keeps an eye on growth, weight and how your dog moves.
- This is a good time to talk about spaying or neutering.
- Book a yearly exam with a veterinary eye specialist, or twice a year if your dog has several cysts in the eye.
- At each visit, your vet checks the weight, teeth and ears.
- Ask for a thyroid check if you see weight gain or coat loss.
- Older Goldens do best with a checkup twice a year.
- Your vet checks for new lumps, pale gums and a swollen belly, and the eye exams continue.
Golden Retriever life stages
Care plan by life stage
- Feed a large-breed puppy food and keep growth lean and steady.
- Socialize daily during the critical window, and join a puppy class.
- Keep play gentle.
- Check the skin for the fine white scale of ichthyosis.
- A PennHIP hip evaluation, an X-ray check of the hips, is an option for a young puppy.
- Talk with your vet about spaying or neutering, because in Goldens the timing is linked to joint health.
- Watch for limping from hip or elbow dysplasia.
- Keep training through adolescence.
- Hold off jogging for the first year.
- Early hip and elbow X-rays are possible.
- Book a yearly eye exam with a veterinary ophthalmologist.
- Keep your Golden lean.
- Ask for a thyroid check if you see weight gain or coat loss.
- Avoid unproven grain-free or legume-rich diets, or have taurine checked if you feed one.
- Keep up with ears and teeth.
- Book vet checks twice a year.
- Watch for lumps, pale gums, weakness or a swollen belly, which can be signs of cancer such as hemangiosarcoma.
- Continue the eye exams.
- Manage arthritis with weight control and exercise.
Golden Retriever vet costs
Planning for Golden Retriever vet costs
These are typical published costs for treating what a Golden Retriever vet exam looks at and the conditions the breed is known to be prone to. Each range shows where it comes from and when, and your own vet's estimate will differ.
| Item | Typical cost | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eyes Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | at US veterinary teaching hospitals | 2023–2026 |
| Eye tests before cataract surgery (ERG and eye ultrasound) | $500–$1,300 | at US veterinary teaching hospitals | 2025–2026 |
| Cataract surgery, one eye | $3,800–$5,500 | at one US veterinary teaching hospital | 2023–2025 |
| Cataract surgery, both eyes under one anesthetic | $5,600–$6,700 | at one US veterinary teaching hospital | 2025 |
| Skin and coat Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | at US veterinary teaching hospitals | 2023–2026 |
| Allergy skin test (intradermal) | $350–$550 | at one US veterinary teaching hospital | 2024 |
| Allergy blood test (serology) | $340–$350 | at one US veterinary teaching hospital | 2024 |
Costs vary by state and clinic; the vet costs page shows state figures where a source publishes them. Vet costs by state →
First-year routine care costs (exams, vaccines, spay or neuter) are on the vet costs page. First-year care →
Golden Retriever pet insurance
Pet insurance is highly recommended.
Golden Retriever Veterinary Health Report
What the Veterinary Health Report checks
The breeder's licensed vet checks your puppy before it goes home. The vet follows PetPay's exam standards, and the results go in your puppy's Veterinary Health Report.
- Puppies must be at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2 lb before they travel.
- If the vet finds something that could put your puppy at risk during travel, your puppy stays with the breeder until it's resolved.
- Problems that can be treated before travel are treated by the breeder's licensed vet first.
- Anything else the vet notes is shared with you.
Golden Retriever puppy health guarantee
Health guarantee
Every Pawrade puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.
Frequently asked questions about Golden Retriever health
Frequently asked questions
The conditions the breed is known to be prone to are hip and elbow dysplasia and four eye conditions: hereditary cataract, pigmentary uveitis, progressive retinal atrophy and distichiasis. The list also includes ichthyosis, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, hypothyroidism, two heart conditions (subvalvular aortic stenosis and diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy) and cancer, including hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma. Yearly eye exams, a lean weight, a sound diet and prompt vet visits for anything new help you stay ahead of them.
Cancer causes a large share of Golden deaths in studies from the UK and Sweden, and the cancers include hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma. No DNA test exists for cancer, so regular checks and prompt attention to lumps, pale gums, weakness or a swollen belly matter most. Spay and neuter timing is linked to some cancers in Goldens, so plan it with your vet.
Hip and elbow dysplasia are among the conditions the breed is known to be prone to, and no DNA test exists for them. Slow, steady growth on a large-breed puppy food and a lean weight help, and hip X-rays can be taken from puppyhood.
Yearly exams matter because pigmentary uveitis, also called Golden Retriever uveitis, can appear through adult life, and early treatment can delay it. The same exam by a vet eye specialist also tracks cataracts and eyelash problems.
A cheek swab can test for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, two types of ichthyosis, three forms of progressive retinal atrophy and several other conditions. No DNA test exists for hip or elbow dysplasia, the heart narrowing called subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS), pigmentary uveitis or cancer.
A carrier has one copy of the gene change and is healthy, and carrier status matters only for breeding. An at-risk result means a higher chance, not a diagnosis, and an at-risk dog may never develop the condition, or develop it late.
Golden Retrievers typically live 10–13 years. Keeping a Golden lean helps, because excess weight shortens life.
Older Goldens do best with a vet check twice a year, with attention to lumps, pale gums, weakness or a swollen belly. The yearly eye exams continue, and weight control and exercise help with arthritis.
In Goldens, the timing of spaying or neutering is linked to joint disorders and some cancers. It is a conversation to have with your vet, who can help you decide what makes sense for your dog.
Measure meals, limit treats and keep your Golden lean for life, because extra weight worsens joint disease and shortens life. Goldens tend to put on weight, so check that you can easily feel the ribs.
Puppy first, every step of the way.
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