For many people, dogs are more than just their best friends. They can be their partners, their children, even their confidants. So it’s hard for many when their beloved pups are diagnosed with ailments of any kind. After all, you usually only have roughly ten years to spend with them and you want to make that time count. Cataracts are a condition that causes vision problems in both humans and canines and is common in dogs. But why do dogs with diabetes get cataracts at such a high rate compared to dogs without? There may be many factors that lead to the development of cataracts in canines but as always, there are also solutions.
Why do dogs with diabetes get cataracts?
The first step is to understand what a cataract is. A cataract is a film that develops on the lens of an eye. The lens moves to adjust eyesight and because the lens isn’t connected to any blood vessels, it receives its nutrients through the fluids in the eye. When the film begins to develop on the lens of the eye, it creates an opaque quality for the dog’s vision and the more pronounced it becomes, the less the dog is able to see.
So why do dogs with diabetes get cataracts so much more often than dogs that are otherwise healthy? This is mostly because of the fluid in the eye where the lens gets its nutrients. The lens uses glucose from the fluid to provide energy for the eye. When there is extra glucose, a chemical is produced that drives water towards the lens of the eye and the cataract develops. Because dogs with diabetes have different levels of glucose than other dogs, this can become a very common problem with them.
What are treatments for cataracts?
There are treatments for cataracts in dogs, but they do require surgery. When performing the surgery, the veterinarian will peel back the outermost layer of the eye, remove the lens and replace it with a plastic artificial lens. Surgery has a generally high success rate; however, dogs that undergo this surgery require a lot of care afterwards to prevent infection or injury. Because of this, and the fact that the animal must be sedated, the surgery is often very expensive. The cost depends upon the clinic, but many don’t feel the need to subject their dogs to surgery when they have already reached a mature age.
How do you prevent cataracts?
There isn’t a whole lot that can be done once your dog starts to develop cataracts besides surgery, but there are steps that can be taken to catch them at an early stage. By checking your dog’s eyes on a regular basis and watching for any discoloration, you may be able to spot the cataracts before they are inoperable.
While dedicated dog lovers may be willing to foot whatever bill is necessary for their animal to see again, it may be worth considering the effects of surgery on an older animal. Sometimes it may be better to help them live the rest of their life out in comfort.