My dog has cataracts. What are the causes, treatments, and outlook?

It is hard to evaluate eyes based on a photo. If your vet has told you your dog has cataracts, whether or not surgery is an option depends on a few factors. These include your pets overall health (a physical exam and bloodwork can help determine this), whether or not your pet will tolerate the aftercare (including frequent eye drops at first), and if your dog can still be visual once the cataract is removed (you may need to see an ophthalmologist for special testing to determine this). I would start with a general wellness exam and blood screening at your vet. If all looks good the next step would be a consultation with an ophthalmologist. More info can be found at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=659

It sounds like your dog may have cataracts, which can occur as dog’s age or with diseases like Diabetes. If this change has occurred suddenly I would recommend having Coco checked out as soon as possible. If it has been a gradual change it is probably less concerning. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Quintino! I have had patients have successful cataract surgery after being diagnosed with diabetes. The owners have been very happy and feel that their dog's quality of life was improved. Success rates are about 90-95% per eye 6 months after surgery. Complications (the 5-10%) can be imperfect but improved vision, or inflammation that requires long-term medication, glaucoma and/or retinal detachment. Complications can lead to loss of the eye in about 1% of cases. I hope this helps. Good luck!

Hello and thank you very much for your question. Unfortunately, there are no products over the counter that can treat cataracts. But, before you decide to do anything or put anything in the eyes, it is imperative that a veterinarian perform a complete ophthalmic examination on your dog. There are so many different conditions that can look like cataracts or cause blindness that are not cataracts. And the good news is that a lot of our diseases in a dog are completely treatable; even sometimes with over-the-counter drugs. So my first piece of advice is to go to a veterinarian and find out exactly what is causing your pets blindness. Thanks a lot for your question. I hope I have helped.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Unfortunately there is no treatment for cataracts other than cataract surgery to remove the diseased lens, and this costs thousands of dollars (around $7000 for both eyes). There are eye drops that you can try called Ocluvet, but there has been little research on these drops to suggest they actually "dissolve" the cataracts. For the hip arthritis, I would recommend the following below. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Dasuquin joint supplement for dogs 2. Adequan injections from your veterinarian 3. Anti-inflammatory medication such as Rimadyl or Galliprant 4. Cold laser therapy 5. Welactin omega 3 fish oil

Cataracts are fairly common in dogs. There are some potential complications of cataracts, but if it is only in one eye, it may just be something that needs to be monitored. I have attached a handout below with a lot of information on cataracts including treatment and potential complications. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=659 I hope that was helpful and answered your questions. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Pictures can be deceiving but it looks like she may have developed cataracts and i recommend a full vet check as soon as possible to rule out medical causes such as diabetes and other hormonal conditions. Surgical removal is often possible to restore vision