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This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
This article has been viewed 4,727 times.
Cataracts are not an uncommon condition, especially when your dog gets older. Your dog's breed may be more susceptible to cataracts than others, which may also factor into the possibility of your dog's condition. If you know what to look for, your can look out for cataracts and then take your dog to a veterinary ophthalmologist to get diagnosed.[1]
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:
Noticing Issues with Your Dog's Eyes
Look for eye cloudiness. If you are worried about your dog's eye health, you need to look for cloudiness. This is the first sign of cataracts. In a well lit room, look into your dog's eyes and take note of the appearance of the pupil. Look for any cloudiness over her eye.- This can range from a light mistiness to a dense blue or whiteness over her eye. This can be in one eye or both eyes. It may also cover the whole eye or appear as spots.
- Also see if her pupil changes sizes when you change the level of light in the room.
Notice changes in behavior. If your dog's cataracts are bad enough that her vision is impaired, you will likely notice a change in her behavior. She may bump into furniture, other objects, doors, or the wall. If you are playing with her, she may not be able to find the ball when she goes to fetch it or see where you threw a treat.- She may also be less likely to go to places she doesn't know or walk slower in unknown places.
- To check how bad it is, wave your hand in front of her face at varying distances. See how long it takes her to follow your hand. If she stares ahead, her vision is likely impaired.
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Check for discharge in her eye. If your dog has eye discharge, she is not suffering from cataracts but another condition. If you notice this, take her to the vet immediately to figure out what is wrong with her eyes.- Cataracts also do not cause squinting, so if she is doing this, she also is suffering from another condition.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:
Having Your Vet Diagnose Cataracts
Have the vet check her eyes. In a similar fashion to how you checked her eyes, you vet will look directly into your dog's eyes to look for signs of cataracts. He will determine if the problem in is one eye, both eyes, and the kind of coverage they have.
Let your vet perform a light test. After your vet does his precursory exam, he will give your dog a more detailed eye exam. He will turn out the lights and use an ophthalmoscope, which is a tool that combines light with a magnifying class. As he holds the ophthalmoscope up to your dog's eye at arm's length, he will shine the light directly into her eye to check if a shadow is cast on the retina.- This is to test the health of the lens. If no shadow is cast, the lens is healthy. If a shadow is cast, it means the light is passing through a cataract light sun through a cloud.
- He will also check the pupil response.[2]
Have your vet check the structures of her eye. Using the ophthalmoscope, your vet will check the overall structures in your dog's eye. This will show any inflammation in her eye or show if she is having difficulty seeing from any other obstruction.- He may also use a tonometer to measure the pressure in her eye, which will tell him if she has glaucoma.[3]
Suggest a blood test. If the vet tests are inconclusive or if you suspect there is an underlying cause for your dog's cataracts, suggest a blood test. This will rule out problems with diabetes or any other underlying conditions.Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 3:
Understanding Canine Cataracts
Recognize the causes of cataracts. The main cause for cataracts is age and breed predisposition to the condition. The dog breeds that are more at risk for cataracts are Poodles, Boston terriers, Havanese, Bichon Frise, Miniature Schnauzers, American Cocker spaniels, and Smooth coated fox terriers.[4] These breeds inherit genes from their parents that make them more likely to develop cataracts at a young age.- Eye trauma can also cause cataracts.
- Another possible cause of cataracts is complication from diabetes mellitus, which is a condition that causes a rapid onset of dense cataracts and can cause blindness.[5]
Notice the affects of cataracts. Early stage cataracts are restricted to the center of the eye or show up as a slight mistiness. These will have a minimal affect on your dog's vision. As the cataracts becomes denser, her vision will deteriorate.- Eventually she will develop a mature cataract that prevents light getting to the back of her eye, which makes her effectively blind.[6]
- This may be gradual, since cataracts generally develop over months to years.
Treat cataracts with surgical removal. It is possible to have surgery to remove the cataracts from your dog's eye. However, not all dogs are candidates for this surgery. When she is being considered for the surgery, the veterinary ophthalmologist will shine a bright light into her eye to check if her pupil gets smaller.- If it does, her retina is working and her eye will work again after the cataract is removed.
- If it doesn't, the surgery will not restore her vision.[7]
Remove the cataract with laser treatments. Your vet may suggest a process called phacoemulsion, which is a surgical method where a laser is used to attack and destroy the tissue of the lens. This is only a possibility if your dog can have her vision restored if the cataract is removed. If she is, this procedure can give her back her sight.- Either removal procedure is expensive and not all pet insurance companies will help cover the cost.[8]
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Expert Q&A
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- QuestionHow do you tell if your dog has cataracts or glaucoma?
Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianThe two conditions are very different. Cataracts affect the lens inside the eye, so look to see if there is a milky object internally. Glaucoma causes increased pressure within the eye causing it to swell and become larger than the other eye. - QuestionHow are cataracts treated in dogs?Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianThe most successful treatment is called phaecoemulsion. The dog will be given a general anesthetic so a small incision can be made in the eye. A powerful ultrasound probe is passed into the lens so the cataract can be broken down and sucked out. - QuestionCan dogs still see with cataracts?Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianThink of cataracts like dirty contacts or spectacles. A young, immature cataract makes the vision smudged and blurry, but the dog will still see light and dark, plus movement. However, a mature or dense cataract will block the light completely, a bit like wearing sunglasses indoors at night with the lights off.
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References
- ↑ https://www.vetinfo.com/diagnosing-cataracts-dogs.html
- ↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/cataracts-dogs
- ↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/cataracts-dogs
- ↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/cataracts-dogs
- ↑ http://animaleyecare.net/diseases/cataract/
- ↑ http://animaleyecare.net/diseases/cataract/
- ↑ http://animaleyecare.net/diseases/cataract/
- ↑ http://animaleyecare.net/diseases/cataract/
About this article
Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. This article has been viewed 4,727 times.
Co-authors: 3
Updated: March 5, 2020
Views: 4,727
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 4,727 times.
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