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What eye drops can treat my dog's cataracts without risky surgery?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 7 months old | 44 lbs

My dog has developed cataracts and she is unable to see things. But her optic nerve is still working but her eyes have became cloudy. Please recommend eye drops for dog's cataracts. I do not want to take the risk for cataract surgery as I lost one of my dogs due to surgery.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on August 8th, 2019

Unfortunately there are no such drops effective for treating cataracts. Surgery is the only option to remove those cloudy spots. Differentials for cataracts are nuclear sclerosis and vitreal degeneration as well.
A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and discuss appropriate treatment.
Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
There are no drops for cataracts. In dogs with cataracts, the only treatment is nothing or surgery. I would recommend having her checked out by a vet since not all of the cloudy lenses we see are caused by cataracts. You need an opthalmoscope to tell the difference between a cataract and nuclear sclerosis (which looks similar but does not affect vision). Some diseases, such as diabetes, can cause cataracts to form, so proper management of the disease will help prevent the cataract to some degree.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/lenticular-sclerosis-in-dogs
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Published on September 9th, 2018
Hi there. No, I'm afraid that cataracts cannot be treated with eye drops - there is no scientific evidence whatsoever to support the claims this product is making, so I would not recommend wasting your money on it. The only effective treatment for cataracts is surgery to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a new, artificial one - just like in humans.

If you do adopt this dog and you're interested in meeting with an ophthalmologist to see if he is a candidate for surgery, your regular veterinarian should be able to refer you.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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