cataracts

[rouge coco]

Hi there...wondered if anyone has had experience of cataract surgery in their dogs? Rouge is nearly 8 and has developed them. Not sure if surgery is a good or bad decision.

[elaine.e]

13 year old William has cataracts, diagnosed when he was about 8. Following the diagnosis the cataracts worsened slightly over the next year but have remained unchanged since then. His ophthalmologist describes William's vision as being similar to that of a person wearing scratched sunglasses all the time but it doesn't seem to bother him. Initially the ophthalmologist thought that surgery would be the way forward if the cataracts continued to worsen. But once they stabilised she said it wasn't needed.

If they had got worse I'm fairly sure I would have opted for him to have surgery. I know of a few dogs that have had it and after the surgery and initial recovery period it has transformed their lives.

Is your vet recommending surgery now?

[aljeana]

Hi Yes my now 13.5 year old had catarate surgery when she was 11yrs old she had sudden on set of them in both eyes but wors3 in her right we were told by eye specislist she would loose all sight in the right eye within 6 months.

We decided to have the right eye operated on  the operation was a success but the after care is intense with the various eye drops that are required 4/6 times a day but also the need to keep them quite & not jumping about is really difficult, they decide on one her follow up visits that she was doing to much mostly the barking which was effecting the eye so she had to be sedated.

Its a long recovery from the eye drop situation the dog feels fine & Amy gained new sight straight away but that componded the problem in kerping her quite.

2 years on Amy still requires 2 types of drops 3 times a day but the result for her was amazing as she was stressing with loosing her sight she has been left with enough sight to see her well into old age.

[rouge coco]

Thank you for your replies. My vet has referred her to an eye hospital for assessment but I have been reading about the surgery and after care and trying to weigh up the advantages. Think she will be a nightmare to keep quiet but will see what they recommend.

[PennyB]

Bosley had one eye with a cataract when he was only 2 years old - we had surgery (I felt as he had little confidence it was also affecting his behaviour too - he would freak if something appeared on that side) and even though fibrin has developed in part of it he can still see at least even though its not 100% sight. I found it quite easy to keep him calm and he was fine with the bucket on his head for weeks. John Mould his eye vet is still happy with the result