Cataracts in Dogs: How It Affects Your Pet’s Vision

Cataracts in dogs can occur when the lens of the eye becomes clouded. That may result from changes in the lens’s water balance. Modifications in the proteins inside the lens can also be an explanation.

Light cannot reach the retina when the lens gets clouded, which leads to blindness. A developed cataract appears as a white disk behind the iris of your dog. The area of the eye that is usually black will now seem white.

Cataracts should not be confused with nuclear sclerosis, which is haziness induced by lens hardening as dog ages. This shift occurs in all animals as they mature.

The good news is that light may still travel through and hit the retina, allowing your dog to see even if she has nuclear sclerosis.

It is critical to understand what cataracts are, how they are caused in dogs, and what vets may do to cure them. This way, you can lower your dog’s chances of acquiring cataracts and get them the necessary therapy. So, let’s go through what you should be aware of.

Table of Contents

• What Are Cataracts in Dogs?
• Symptoms of Cataracts in Dogs
• Causes of Cataracts in Dogs
• How Veterinarians Diagnose Cataracts in Dogs
• Treatment of Cataracts in Dogs
• Recovery and Management of Cataracts in Dogs
• Prevention of Cataracts in Dogs
• The Takeaway
• Nutrition Strength Eye Care for Dogs

Check out our Nutrition Strength Eye Care for Dogs here.

What Are Cataracts in Dogs?

A cataract is a defect, opacity, or “clouding” of the eye’s lens. The lens’s job is to let light and pictures flow straight to the retina, where vision occurs. The lens should be apparent. However, disorders like cataracts might alter their transparency or clarity.

Cataracts may be so small that they do not interfere with vision, so big that they severely impair vision or anything in between. Simply check for whiteness on the pupils of one or both eyes to diagnose canine cataracts.

Cataracts are categorized as follows:

• The dog’s age at onset:
  • Congenital cataracts in dogs — present at birth.
  • Juvenile cataracts in dogs — young animals.
  • Senile cataracts in dogs — older individuals.
• Anatomic location.
• Cause.
• Shape.

The degree of opacity may be further subdivided into the following:

• Incipient: cataracts are so miniature that they often need magnification to identify. These involve less than 15 percent of the lens and result in no visual loss. Many dogs will not notice them and cataract surgery is seldom indicated.
• Immature: cataracts include more than 15 percent and up to 95 percent of the lens and sometimes many layers or locations. The retina may still be visible during an examination and vision impairments are often minor. Cataracts covering 75 percent of the lens cause commonly significant vision loss, although the extent to which it affects the dog varies.
• Mature: cataracts affect the whole lens and cannot be noticed during an examination. Visual impairments are sometimes severe, with blindness or near-blindness frequently reported. Dogs with developed cataracts may only sense light changes. If all other systemic disorders are under control, they should have cataracts removed.
• Hyper-mature cataracts: the lens starts to shrink, and the lens capsule wrinkles. At this point, lens-induced uveitis (inflammation inside the eye) is expected.

Cataracts seldom cause vision loss if they occupy less than 30 percent of the lens or affect just one eye. Visual loss is generally noticeable when the opacity covers around 60 percent of the whole lens surface.

If the opacity of the lens reaches 100 percent, the dog will be blind in the afflicted eye. The kind of cataract, the breed of dog and other risk factors influence whether the cataract stays stable or advances.

Hereditary cataracts are frequent in young dogs aged 1 to 5 years. American Staffordshire Terrier, American Cocker Spaniel, French Bulldog, Labrador Retriever, Miniature Poodle, Miniature Schnauzer, Boston Terrier, Siberian Husky, Yorkshire Terrier and Welsh Springer Spaniel are the breeds most prone to genetic cataracts.

Cataract dissolving occurs when a cataract dissolves on its own without therapy and may cause severe irritation inside the eye. The cataract prevents light from entering the eye through the lens, preventing your dog from seeing well. The issue is manageable with surgery but may progress to glaucoma if not treated.

Glaucoma occurs when fluid in your dog’s eye does not drain correctly, resulting in a painful rise in ocular pressure. Although not all untreated cataracts progress to glaucoma, dogs with glaucoma are often ineligible for cataract-removal surgery.

Glaucoma can be treated medically and surgically, but it has a dismal prognosis for long-term vision preservation.

Symptoms of Cataracts in Dogs

Puppies with complete juvenile cataracts cannot see correctly and may begin colliding with objects. There is also a white speck in the center of the pupil.

Take your dog to the vet if you notice any changes in the color or clarity of his eyes. Also, if pups are squinting or clawing at their eyes or exhibit any disease indications, take them to the veterinarian immediately.

Cataracts cause eyesight distortion in dogs. As a result, symptoms are generally proportional to visual loss. A cataract may develop from the size of a pinpoint to the length of the whole lens, causing blindness. Even if there is a visible lesion on the eye, dogs with less than 30 percent lens opacity will show few symptoms.

Cataracts induce disorientation or confusion in dogs, especially if they grow fast, as in diabetes mellitus. Cataract inflammation may be uncomfortable, and it can develop into glaucoma, which is considerably more severe. The discomfort is caused by the body’s reaction to what it perceives as foreign material on the lens.

Causes of Cataracts in Dogs

Hereditary / genetic illness is the most prevalent cause of cataracts in dogs’ eyes. Cataracts are also a frequent consequence of diabetes mellitus in dogs. Other reasons that are far less prevalent include:

• Old age;
• Trauma, such as electric shock;
• Inflammation of the eye’s uvea (uveitis);
• Low blood calcium levels (hypocalcemia or hypoparathyroidism);
• Nutritional deficiencies;
• Exposure to UV light, radiation or toxic substances.

Cataracts caused by diabetes mellitus are becoming more prevalent in dogs. Sugars collect inside the lens of the eye when blood glucose levels rise. These cataracts often grow fast and may rupture the lens capsule.

If your dog’s cataract is caused by diabetes, you may halt its progression by adjusting his food and insulin dosage. If the cataract has developed enough, surgery may be an option.

How Veterinarians Diagnose Cataracts in Dogs

If you observe cloudiness in your dog’s eyes, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian soon. The vet will inquire about your dog’s medical history and past health issues.

He will also want to know when you first noticed the symptoms and do a thorough physical examination focusing on the eyes and structures surrounding the eye.

Unless there is a co-existing condition, initial diagnostic tests (such as a complete blood count, serum biochemistry profile and urinalysis) typically indicate no abnormalities.

Several tests will be performed during the first eye exam to diagnose cataracts. These first test findings will also serve as a benchmark against your dog’s improvement over time.

To look closer at the cataract’s outer edge and the rear of the eye, you will need to dilate your dog’s eyes (if possible). Cataracts should be distinguished from other lens flaws in young dogs and the natural rise in nuclear density (also known as nuclear sclerosis) in older animals. Among the tests are the following:

• Slit-lamp biomicroscopy involves shining a specific light into the dog’s eye, allowing for direct study of the lens.
• Schirmer tear test: a little piece of filter paper is inserted into the dog’s lower eyelid. The moisture content is analyzed when the paper is removed to determine tear production.
• Fluorescein stains, often neon orange or yellow in color, are used to assess the integrity of the eye’s surface. We can use them to check for defects to the cornea, such as scratches or the presence of foreign objects.
• Tonometry: after numbing the eye’s surface with an eye drop, the vet taps the surface of the look with a tiny “pen” to measure intraocular pressure.

Suppose your veterinarian cannot perform these tests, or the findings show an anomaly. In that case, you will be directed to a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist in your region.

It can also be determined that cataract surgery is necessary based on the condition of the eyes and the look of cataracts. In that case, further testing will be performed to confirm that the retina (the structure in the back of the eye that interprets light information and delivers it to the brain) is healthy. Some cataracts develop as a result of or are related to loss of retinal function or retinal detachment.

An electroretinogram (ERG) and an ocular ultrasound are pre-operative procedures that detect the electrical reactions of cells in the retina. These tests frequently need seizing your dog and may last many hours.

Even after cataract removal, your dog’s vision will be impaired if the retinal function is disturbed. Cataract surgery is not advised in these instances.

Treatment of Cataracts in Dogs

There are no medical treatments available to lessen or “cure” cataracts. Surgery is now the only option.

A few topical eye medicines, particularly topical aldose reductase inhibitors (ARI eye drops), are being studied for their efficacy in cataracts induced by diabetes mellitus.

The health of the eyes and the dog is checked to provide the highest likelihood of regained eyesight after cataract surgery. This phase is crucial because any underlying disorders, such as skin or dental disease must be controlled before cataract surgery.

Cataracts are a degenerative condition, and if surgery is needed, it should be performed as soon as possible. Pre-operative medication must be started and continued for several days to a few weeks before surgery to ensure that any eye irritation caused by cataracts is managed. Long-term success rates in dogs after simple cataract surgery are between 85 and 90 percent.

The only definitive treatment for cataracts is removing the damaged lens using phacoemulsification, a modern cataract surgical technique. During this surgical operation, the eye’s lens is emulsified or liquefied with an ultrasonic probe.

Fluids are replaced with a balanced salt solution once the lens has been liquified and removed. During surgery, a corrective or artificial lens, comparable to a contact lens, may be installed on the eye. This new lens will be affixed to the eye.

Recovery and Management of Cataracts in Dogs

Dogs are frequently kept in the hospital overnight after the operation. To protect them from scratching their eyes, they must wear an Elizabethan collar or an inflatable cone. Owners will be given eye drops to give to their dogs at least twice daily at home.

The owner must make a lifetime commitment to rectify a dog’s cataract. Dog owners who want to cure immature cataracts in their dogs must put them on a regimen of anti-inflammatory eye drops as soon as they are diagnosed. These drops will very certainly be required throughout the dog’s life.

The pace at which this condition progresses is determined by the underlying cause of the cataract. The cataract’s location and the dog’s age might also impact.

Cataract surgery seems to have the same success rate in dogs with diabetes mellitus as in dogs with hereditary cataracts.

Prevention of Cataracts in Dogs

Because most cataracts are inherited, there isn’t much a pet parent can do to avoid the affliction. That is especially true when we discuss the connection “dog cataracts / natural treatment.”

Feeding your dog a high-quality meal rich in omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, may assist enhance eye health. Discuss supplement alternatives with your veterinarian to identify the most effective product.

You should also consider how much UV light exposure your dog receives. You can help prevent cataracts in dogs by preventing damaging UV rays. That way, you ensure your dog has adequate shade outside and have them wear protective goggles if you live in a high-exposure region.

The Takeaway

Cataracts in dogs are cloudings of the eye that are greyish blue or white and cause visual loss. The severity of the cataract determines the prognosis. Some dogs are ideal candidates for surgery and may restore full vision.

In contrast, others will eventually lead to blindness in the afflicted eye. Because there may be few symptoms at first, other than a change in the look of the eye, owners should get their dog’s eyes examined by a veterinarian frequently. This will provide a clear vision for your four-legged furry friend.

Nutrition Strength Eye Care for Dogs

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• Providing premium-quality ingredients, including lutein and zeaxanthin, to promote healthy dog eyes.
• Featuring vitamin C, vitamin E and bilberry which support the eye tissue.
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Image source: Wikimedia / DodosD.