this is a question for a veterinarian...
my 8 year old gplden retriever has gone blind in a matter of days...we
have had her seen by the opthamoligists at the university of tennessee
knoxville...they are calling it SARDS (sudden acute retinal
deteriation syndrom)...the syndrom part means they don't know why
she's gone suddenly blind... my question is this: she had her yearly
check-up on june 13, 2002...she had heartworm test and then received
the 6-month heartworm preventative injection, a rabbies vaccine and
Dhlppc yearly vax all at that visit...is it possible that one or more
of these injections could be the cause of her blindness? a gamit of
test were performed and all her bloodwork came out fine except she is
overweight and she tested possitive for hypothyroid...i'm just curios
as to whether or not anyone is tracking these drugs or the individual
batches of them.

Golden retrievers have a hereditary and congenital predilection toward
progressive retinal atrophy, or night blindness.  Although not the
identical disorder to what you have described, this may give some hint
to what you are searching for, since degenerative eye problems in dogs
are only now becoming more and more understood, and it is sometimes
the case that these traits were inherited through long breeding. 
Retinal degeneration is common in purebred dogs.  Given the abruptness
of your dog’s blindness, I would like to recommend that you inqure if
retinal detachment was entertained, since this an often misdiagnosed
problem that occurs in purebred animals. On to SARDS….
SARDS usually occurs in dogs over 6 years of age and of any breed. 
Blindness occurs almost overnight.  Optic neuritis and brain tumors
often mimic the signs of SARDS and should be ruled out.  Presently
there are only theories as to its cause.  Whereas disease-caused eye
degeneration can be cured, SARDS presently cannot, as far as I know. 
However, it is rarely painful and, providing that you maintain a
constant environment the dog can become accustomed to, your dog may
lead a long and happy life.  There is little known about SARDS and
veterinary ophthalmologists I referenced do not know what causes it. 
It very well could have been any of the conditions you listed, or none
of them, if the condition really is SARDS.  Proving one of the
conditions you listed caused it would be difficult and there are
presently research facilities everywhere working to study SARDS and
what could cause it.  If you feel that one of the conditions you
listed may be the cause, I suggest that you have the dog re-examined
by someone else to make sure that it your retriever was not
misdiagnosed.  Good luck and I wish you and your dog the best.
http://www.mysticpup.net/DogVision/index.html  and
http://www.blinddogs.com/  provide information and support to owners
of dogs that have gone suddenly blind.  Although I have not referenced
them myself, they may be worth examining.

Hopefully research will one day uncover the cause of SARDS…

It has been a little while (nearly half a month) since I last posted
and was curious about how your retriever is doing....

I hope that things are going the best that they can in such a
situation.

You have my best wishes,
dexterpexter