Having a senior dog in your family can be a strain due to diseases and health issues becoming more prevalent.
It’s always difficult to see your dog in pain or struggling to perform normal activities that they used to do with ease.
Senior dogs will require additional help and care, which is both time-consuming and costly. But you know that no matter what treatments your pet needs, you’ll always do it for them because they’re family.
One common disease you may encounter is cataracts in dogs that are aging. In this blog, we’ll discuss how you can prevent cataracts, and how to treat the disease.
Cataracts in Dogs
Cataracts occur when a dog’s eyes lose transparency in the lens and develop an opaque layer.
This loss of transparency leads to your dog’s vision being blurry, potentially causing partial or complete blindness. It is generally caused by old age and trauma to the dog’s eyes.
Genetics play a big role in the development of cataracts. If you know your pet’s parents also had cataracts, then your dog will have an increased risk of developing the disease.
Symptoms of cataracts include cloudy or grey-ish eyes, clumsiness, unwillingness to jump or take stairs, running into furniture, or uneven walking patterns.
Preventing Cataracts
The best treatment for any pet is preventative care. It’s always better to take precautionary measures against diseases than to wait until it’s too late.
You can start giving your pet supplements that strengthen vision and eyes, even before they start showing signs of cataracts.
While cataracts can’t be completely prevented, you can still preserve your dog’s vision. Take him to the vet if his eyes start looking cloudy or he starts acting clumsy.
Be sure to examine your pet’s eyes regularly as they grow older, so you can keep track of any changes in appearance.
The best thing you can do for your dog is to not wait long to see a vet once you suspect he may be developing cataracts.
Treating Cataracts
If your vet has confirmed your dog has developed cataracts, you’ll need to start treatment to slow the progression of the disease.
If there is an underlying cause to the cataracts, your vet will want to treat that cause and which will hopefully stop your dog’s vision from getting worse.
There are also eye drops your dog can take that will decrease inflammation of the of the lens, reducing the loss of vision.
If your dog is healthy other than the presence of cataracts in the eye, he may be a good candidate for surgery. In surgery, the vet will remove the cataract lens from the dog’s eyes.
For Additional Help
No one enjoys seeing their dog age and develop health issues, which is why it’s so important to take preventative measures and treat conditions right away.
Waiting to treat cataracts can lead to your dog’s vision deteriorating quicker, and potentially cause blindness.
If you have any more question about what causes cataracts in dogs or how to treat it, please contact us today.