Diabetes & Cataracts in Dogs
Dogs with diabetes are more susceptible to cataracts. According to Animal Eye Care, three out of four dogs with diabetes develop cataracts resulting in blindness.
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Cataracts
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Cataracts are cloudy lenses in your dog's eyes. They develop quickly and left untreated they cause intraocular inflammation, which in turn results in glaucoma. Your dog can become blind in weeks.
Diagnosis
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Once your dog has been diagnosed cataracts, it must be determined whether surgical removal is an option. Your veterinarian can perform a test to see if there is electrical activity in the retina, which means that your dog's vision would be restored following surgery, according to Mar Vista Animal Medical Center.
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Surgery
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Your dog's diabetes must be well controlled before surgery. Cataract surgery is performed on both eyes at the same time and your dog does not need to stay overnight. Animal Eye Care indicates that cataract surgery on diabetic dogs is more successful than on other dogs.
Complications
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Complications of cataract surgery can include corneal clouding, long term uveitis (painful inflammation), which occurs most frequently in diabetic dogs, retinal detachment, opacification of the lens (it becomes opaque), glaucoma and bleeding into your dog's eye.
Follow-up
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Following your dog's surgery, he must wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent him from scratching or rubbing his eyes. You will also need to give him cortisone eye drops for several weeks as well as eye drops that will keep his pupil dilated. He will also be on an oral anti-inflammatory medication for as long as months after the surgery, according to Mar Vista Animal Medical Center.
Considerations
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Prompt treatment is important as soon as you believe cataracts are forming. If your dog is not a good candidate for cataract surgery, she can still lead a normal life as long as the condition is not painful. Dogs who become blind can manage very well provided you do not move furniture and you provide supervision.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Brian Snelson
