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What does a cataract look like?The lens is normally completely transparent. The cells that make up the lens, are organised in a very specific manner, to allow light to pass through the lens. When these cells stop being transparent, we refer to it as a cataract.
A cataract is any opacity that occurs in the lens of the eye. It may involve part or whole of the lens.
Cataracts usually have a whitish appearance when viewed in normal light. This is because light is reflected back, rather than passing through the lens.
Normal Eye
Immature Cataract
Small Cataract
Mature Cataract
How is a cataract caused?
There are many different causes for cataracts:
- Genetically inherited
- Old age
- Other eye disease
- Eye infection
- Diabetes
Regardless of what the specific cause is, the end result is always the same: The structure of the cells in the lens is changed and they become opaque rather than transparent. Some cataracts take a long time to develop, while others, like those caused by diabetes, can develop over night:
How can we treat cataracts?
As in humans, cataracts in animals can be surgically removed.
However, please be aware:
- Not as straight forward in animals as it is in people
- Complications are more common
- Not all animals with cataracts are suitable for surgery
There are many reasons for this, and it is very important that your pet is assessed by a veterinary ophthalmologist to determine whether or not cataract removal is suitable for your pet. Either way, they will be able to advise you on the best treatment options for your pet.
It is imperative to identify the cause of the cataract, and you should therefore take your pet to your vet for examination if you notice any changes in the eyes. Your vet will decide whether treatment is necessary for the cataract and its underlying condition.
Dear Alexfaith, Thank you for your comment concerning medical treatment for cataract. We decided not to talk about those because we cannot advice any treatment for which EFFICACY HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN: 1. Homeopathic treatment such as "eye see clearly" from allergicpet.com do not seem to work. Despite anecdotal testimonials, no scientific study ever showed any efficacy of such products. 2. Other treatments such as "N-Acetyl-Carnosine Eye Drops" are more promising but results from double-blinded scientific trials concerning that molecule are still awaiting. I recommend to read the result of an excellent study from Dr. David Williams: http://davidlwilliams.org.uk/resources/file0256.pdf Therefore, we stand by the fact that the only proven treatment available is surgical ... but keep our eyes open. Thanks again, Julien Poublon
well nice video but you say that there is no known non surgical treatment available well i disagree go to allergicpet.com and it has eye drops that treat cataract on dogs. so you tell me r u sure that there is no non-surgical way to treat cataract on dogs??? you can also search on google.com i'm sure you'll fine alot more medicine there too...
This is a very informative and excellent podcast. I am a veterinarian specialising in ophthalmology for the past 7 years (www.eastendeye.com) and I want to comment that in most patients the surgery for cataract with lens implantation (IOL) is straight forward. The most important factor in cataract surgery is the surgeon (the surgeon factor) and if the surgeon is good the successrate is excellent. Failure after cataract surgery is typically due to retinal detachment, which may occur in up to 5% of cases.
Very interesting podcast ! And beautiful pictures too. Well done. vanessa