Just today my three year old Welsh Springer was found to be severely affected in both eyes by goniodysgenesis. To say I am heartbroken is an understatement. Just four years ago I lost my last girl to Glaucoma after a double enucleation, I can't believe it is happening again. I guess I am trying to understand how long it may till she may become affected by increases in pressure based on your experience. Please help me be more grounded on this.

My own breed has Open Angle Glaucoma so until the DNA test finally became available may 2015, and the gene and mode of inheritance became known in 2014, the first you'd know with our breed was end stage and loss of eyes after futile attempts at drains.

We have been advised that any dog found to be genetically affected (not al go clinical) that their pressures should be measured regularly and medication given to keep them low if they start to go up, and that should preserve the sight as it does with humans.

I well remember when the Welsh Glaucoma first became evident  and a friends bitch competing in Obedience at exemption shows with no eyes, including retrieves.

Do you know if they are anywhere near finding the gene in Welsh Springers, as in the last year or two several different genes for Glaucoma have been identified.

Just checked the MyDogDNA panel of tests and for Welsh springers they only have a test for Facto0re VII deficiency https://www.mydogdna.com/crm/index.html#en/breeds/519248a83cd390a052000176/welsh_springerspaniel

On Glaucoma in the breed, seems it may be dominant, but that doesn't help if dogs don't show symptoms until later, with an Open angle http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-5827.1988.tb02276.x/abstract

This seems the most informative re progress : http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0ahUKEwjhtfWxvsPKAhWFBBoKHb8_CaUQFggvMAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.welshspringerspaniel.club%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F12%2Fjhg-report-nov-2014.doc&usg=AFQjCNEbdjJoPSXT_rAzW2dyRHD7-r5lqQ

The thing about the condition, which COULD lead to glaucoma, is in my own breed (may be different in other breeds, idk) is that's not necessarily the case by a long way.    Yes it's perhaps a good idea to do the gonio test, but as said elsewhere, so often this rules out an otherwise exceptional dog being used in a gene pool when glaucoma developing isn't a certainty, just a possibility.  I'm not sure why the OP says 'severely affected because with the goniodysgenesis test, you either get a pass or a fail - don't you?   The only certainty with getting this done, under the KC/BVA Scheme is the result is published in the KCSB Records and goes on the registration paperwork of any offspring.

A lot of breeders in my main breed are having this done these days which I suppose as glaucoma is around now, more than in it was years ago in the breed, can only be good really.    Just to add,  I was phoned by a leading Eye Specialist at the time, when others with puppies from a sire I'd used, were in trouble.   The man came at me saying 'we'd better test your puppies'.   I said hang on, I have NO reason to suspect the puppies I have from this male, are likely to be affected.   He backed off totally, leaving me thinking kerching.  It was later discovered by checking the lines on both sides, that this came from the dam's side in the case of those other puppies from this sire.   And those puppies we had from him, went through life fully sighted.

If the option to test for the pre-disposition to a condition, is there, I suppose it makes sense to have it done.   I tended not to rush into testing, unless I started to get a problem in our limited number of litters.

Thanks for your thoughts.
Both the parents were tested and both were deemed unaffected. That I what is making this so hard to accept. I fully trust the vet who did the test, he also took swabs for this DNA research that he is doing for the Animal Health Trust. I know that pre disposition does not always mean it will happen, but having been told it is severely affected, in excess of 95%, I am feeling despondent. I am hoping to hear from someone on this site who may of had a similar experience with likely time frames, but I know it is different for everyone.

So far where DNA tests have been developed for Glaucoma (PBGV, BFDB, and Basset hound at the Animal Health Trust, Norwegian Elkhound and Beagle at Genescoper MyDogDNA, and other labs) the mode of inheritance in the different types has been found to be autosomal recessive, with not all affected developing symptoms.

So BOTH parents of any affected dog are at least carriers and should not really be bred from until a DNA test is developed.  Other offspring should only be used with care and avoid doubling up on the common ancestors that produce the affected.