Cataracts in dog guide
There are many different forms and causes of cataract in dogs. They affect all breeds and ages of dogs, but certain types show up more commonly in certain breeds. Despite the fact that they are very common, there is still a lot that we do not know about dog’s cataract.
Dog Cataracts - An Owner’s Guide to Cataracts in Dogs
By D Swain
Cataracts in dogs is one of the most common eye conditions. Cataracts form when the lens in the eye becomes cloudy. This will lead to reduced vision. As the condition worsens, vision loss can become significant.
Causes
Dog cataracts can occur for any number of reasons. Genes play a major role as most dogs who develop this condition did so because they inherited it. Some puppies are even born with them.
Other common causes include diabetes mellitus, trauma, infection, and normal aging. In most situations, cataracts form in both eyes. However, if the condition is caused by an infection or trauma, there may be only one eye affected.
Treatment
The preferred method of treatment for cataracts in dogs is surgery. Surgery involves removing the entire lens in your dog’s eye. It will then be replaced with an artificial lens.
Surgery is only a viable option if the condition is still in an early stage. If it is advanced, your dog won’t likely be a good candidate to have the surgery done.
Untreated
Dog cataracts should always be treated as early as possible. If the condition is left untreated, it will cause severe inflammation to develop inside your dog’s eye. As long as the cataracts are there, this inflammation will continue. This requires that your dog take anti-inflammatory eye drops as long as they are present.
In addition to the medicated eye drops, you will need to take your dog to have an eye exam on a regular basis. The disease can sometimes lead to glaucoma or a detached retina.
In addition to valley fever, there are many other diseases that can affect your dog such as canine bordetella. Any responsible owner should want to know the causes and symptoms of some of these conditions in case they affect your dog. Dog-illnesses.com provides all of the information you need about a wide range of diseases. So, stop by right now to learn about some of these conditions like canine lymphosarcoma.
