Content
- What is a cataract?
- Which dogs suffer from cataracts?
- Dog cataract surgery
- Home Remedy for Cataracts in Dogs - Alternative Treatments
They exist eye problems very diverse in dogs. However, cataracts are perhaps one of the most striking ones, as we observe that the dog's eye becomes whitish with a bluish tint and that the dog, when he loses his sight, suffers from some insecurities. In addition, cataracts are the most common cause of blindness in dogs.
If you think or know that your dog has cataracts, don't be discouraged. There are several ways to improve it and even surgery to eliminate it. We recommend that you read this new PeritoAnimal article where you will find information about the cataracts in dogs and their treatment.
What is a cataract?
A cataract can be defined as a lens opacification, which is a small structure found in the eye that acts as an intraocular lens. These opacities are formed due to a break in the lens tissue: its fibers become misaligned and this causes the opacity. We will observe that the dog's eye has spots or a large white and bluish spot. In addition, we will see that the dog becomes more sensitive to light, which will bother him in the eyes more than before he had cataracts.
The causes of cataracts in dogs, that is, the causes of a break in the eye's lens fibers, can be varied in nature. When cataracts turn out to be secondary, produced by another problem, we find that they can be caused by trauma, inflammation that has not been properly treated, or systemic illnesses such as diabetes. But, most of the time, cataracts are hereditary, appearing in young dogs and not in older or older ones as we might think. What we often see in older dogs is called nuclear lens sclerosis. As they age, the lens of a dog's eyes hardens, which is natural but gives the eyes a grayish tint that reminds us of cataracts. However, it doesn't affect your vision like cataracts do.
It is important to think that vision is not a primary sense for canids, it is not as developed as in other animals. Dogs use other senses a lot more, such as hearing and smell, so as they lose their sight, it's possible they don't show it right away and it's hard for us to realize that the cataract process has started. Normally, cataract formation is slow, starting with small whitish spots until it progresses to a spot the size of the eye, which will eventually produce blindness in the dog.
Nowadays, the treatment to eliminate them is surgery. However, there are also non-surgical treatments that, while not definitively curing them, can help to improve them. Surgery and alternative treatments will be discussed later in this article.
Which dogs suffer from cataracts?
When cataracts are produced secondarily as a result of other central problems, such as accidents with lesions in the area, diabetes, etc., they can occur at any age in dogs. In the case of Hereditary cataract, can occur from the moment of birth, when it is known as a congenital cataract, and approximately until about 5 or 7 years old, when it is known as a juvenile cataract. The latter are the most frequent.
Leaving aside the age of the dog, it turns out that there are more prone races than others to suffer from this eye problem. Some of the breeds that are more likely to present this eye disease, especially in hereditary cases, are the following:
- cocker spaniel
- Poodle
- Schnauzer
- smooth-haired fox terrier
- hard-haired fox terrier
- bichon frise
- Siberian Husky
- Golden retriever
- labrador retriever
- Pekingese
- Shih Tzu
- Lhasa Apso
- english shepherd or bobtail
Dog cataract surgery
Veterinary ophthalmology has evolved a lot in recent years and it is precisely the field of cataract surgery that has improved the most. This surgery is the only treatment used to eliminate cataracts. And the lens extraction of the eye, therefore, once the cataract is operated on, it cannot develop again. In the place that was previously occupied by the lens, an intraocular lens is placed. The intervention is performed with an ultrasound technique. This surgery is the best option to solve our dog's problem, with 90-95% of successful cases. A high degree of vision is returned to the dog, but it will never be the full vision he had before the cataract appeared, although it is necessary to remember that vision in dogs is not one of their primary senses. Thus, we can make our faithful friend recover the quality of life and return to a completely normal life.
This surgical procedure takes approximately one hour for each eye. Although, in principle, hospitalization of the dog is not necessary, it is vital that the first post-operative review is carried out the following morning. In the first weeks after the operation, we need to make sure our furry friend has a very peaceful life. He will need to wear an Elizabethan collar for at least the first two or three weeks and will need to be taken for walks with a pectoral collar rather than a regular collar, and keep an eye out for him to not exercise excessively as he needs to rest . You must not bathe and we need to make sure that other animals do not get close to your face to avoid possible problems with your newly operated eyes.
After surgery, it is necessary to continue having periodic exams to make sure that there are no complications that prevent the dog's eyes from fully recovering. it is essential follow all the post-operative treatment, which will likely involve antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops recommended by the veterinarian, in addition to making regular visits to the veterinarian to detect irregularities in recovery early and resolve them. Even so, the truth is that most operated dogs will begin to notice a improvement in vision within a few days after the intervention and a recovery with little pain.
We must keep in mind that not all dogs can have cataract surgery. A check-up and general analysis should be performed to verify the patient's health, as with any other intervention that requires general anesthesia. In addition, a complete eye exam will be necessary for the veterinarian to decide and check if they can be operated on. You will also need to perform some specific tests, such as an electroretinogram and an ocular ultrasound.
Although it may seem like a rather lengthy process, it is highly recommended that if our cataract-affected dog proves to be an operable candidate, surgical intervention be performed. This way we will be giving back a lot of quality of life and we will prevent cataracts from evolving for minor problems, which can range from simple permanent inflammation, which is obviously very irritating and painful for the dog, to loss of the affected eye.
Home Remedy for Cataracts in Dogs - Alternative Treatments
Although we have already clarified that the only effective treatment for cataract elimination is surgery., we should also comment on alternative treatments, always remembering that none of them definitively cure cataracts. Surgical intervention is always more recommended, but if our furry partner is not an operable candidate, these treatments and home remedies will relieve him and help slow down the cataract process. With these non-surgical treatments we can avoid glaucoma, infection risks, retinal detachment, among other conditions.
For example, among the most recognized non-surgical treatments, there is a treatment with 2% antioxidant carnosine drops, which must be prescribed by a veterinarian and applied for at least 8 weeks, causing significant improvement in cataracts that are still immature.
Other treatments are based on the addition of vitamins A, C and E to dog food to slow the progress of cataracts, because these vitamins contain antioxidant properties. It's also vital to have a balanced diet with natural ingredients and, furthermore, reduce the hours our partner spends in the sun. Some vegetables that should be added to our dog's diet to slow the progression of cataracts are carrots, kale, broccoli, cranberry extract and other green leafy vegetables. In addition, powdered wheat sprouts are also recommended, as is the methylsulfonylmethane dietary supplement.
Finally, we can also use herbs such as burdock, rosemary and the queen of the meadows and, in addition, celandine and euphrasia teas are highly recommended for washing our dog's eyes to slow the progression of cataracts.
If you found this article interesting and are concerned about your faithful friend's eye health, you might also be interested in reading about canine conjunctivitis - causes and symptoms or why my dog has red eyes.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.