Treatment methods for cataracts in dogs

1. Treat the cause of the disease early.
2. Once the dog’s eyeball becomes cloudy, surgical treatment is currently the only effective method. Including lens aspiration, intracapsular or extracapsular removal, but surgery is dangerous when glaucoma occurs later.

The causes of cataracts in dogs

1. Congenital cataracts in dogs: It begins in the embryonic period. Due to abnormal development of the lens and its capsule in the mother's body, cataracts appear after birth.
2. Traumatic cataract in dogs: Due to various mechanical injuries (such as corneal penetration), the nutrition of the lens and its lens capsule is impaired.
3. Secondary cataract in dogs: secondary to other eye diseases and systemic diseases, such as iritis, uveitis, diabetes, etc.
4. Canine senile cataract: It is a degenerative change of the lens, mainly seen in older dogs aged 8-12 years.

Symptoms of cataracts in dogs

1. Vision is normal at the beginning of the disease;
2. When the lens in the dog’s eyes loses transparency and further develops into lens opacity, the pupil turns blue-white Or gray, with a pearl-like luster, vision disappears or decreases, and when the turbidity is obvious, the diagnosis can be confirmed by naked eye examination;
3. In the later stage of the disease, the lens becomes hard and loses excess water, and the fundus cannot be seen by ophthalmoscopy. As water is further lost, the lens becomes uneven, shrinks, and can naturally dislocate;
4. It is seen in miniature schnauzers, miniature poodles, and American cocker spaniels, and often causes bilateral lesions. Blindness is also common in other breeds such as Golden Retrievers, Siberian Huskies and Boston Terriers.