cattarack

[dollar]

Hi
my friend has recently bred a litter of Pedigree c/spaniels
unfortunatlely one of the buyers took the puppy to the vet for its first injection and during examination the vet revealed that it has a cattarach in its left eye.
The litter was of seven puppies and all appear very healthy and normal.
Has anyone out there had a simular problem with a puupy so young and could this be a problem with all of the litter.
Any advice would be appreciated as I  he has been told the treatment is very expensive.
Dollar                    

[Jane S]

I have certainly heard of a small number of Cocker litters where all the pups were affected with cataracts but in these cases the breeders were experienced & noticed the problem when the pups were very young. Congenital cataracts (present at birth) are under investigation in Cockers - this means that there's a possibility they are inherited in some cases but at the moment not enough is known to say one way or the other. Some breeders (not many at the moment) have their litters eye-tested at about 6-7 weeks old just to check that there are no cataracts or other abnormalities present. Cataracts can have other causes such as infection or perhaps trauma suffered when the dam was carrying the pups so they are not necessarily inherited. You are right that cataract surgery is expensive but is not always necessary or advisable - your friend's buyer should seek the advice of a veterinary eye specialist who will be able to provide more info.