About Us        Adopt       Donate       Volunteer       Events       Education       Links      

Cataract Surgery Improves Pets’ Vision

Your dog has begun to bump into objects more frequently. The lens of his eyes has turned white or opaque; it's almost as if he can't see where he's going. Chances are he has a cataract, but only your vet can tell for sure.

Once a diagnosis has been made, deciding whether to have the procedure done or not is the question owners must address. According to Dr. Harriett Davidson, an Associate Professor of Veterinary Ophthalmology at Kansas State University's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, pet owners can choose to have this elective surgery performed. Opting not to do so is not cruel, but choosing to go ahead with the surgery can be a drain on financial resources.

"If the owners don't have the financial resources to have cataract surgery, it is not unkind to leave the animal with cataracts," Davidson said. "It is not painful and most of our pets can learn to adapt so they get along fine even though they've lost their vision."

The surgery, which is available to both dogs and cats but is performed more often in dogs, requires a hospital stay of a minimum of three days.

Before the surgery, an initial examination is done to ensure that the rest of the eye is normal. Included in that ophthalmic examination is an electroretinogram which measures the electrical function of the retina and an ocular ultrasound to ensure the retina is attached properly. If the retina has been damaged, cataract surgery is not done. "It's sort of like buying a new lens for your camera," Davidson said. "No sense in buying an expensive lens if you don't put film in the camera."

If those examinations are normal, the animal is placed on pre-operative medications and admitted to the hospital two weeks later. Surgeons implant an artificial lens into the eye, restoring the dog's vision to a "functionally normal" level.

Davidson said the difference between the procedure done in dogs and the one done in humans is that dogs must be under general anesthesia because they will not hold still. In humans, the surgery is performed while the patient is awake. Dogs' eyes also experience more inflammation in the eye than humans following cataract surgery so they are kept on eye drops anywhere from one month to one year following the procedure.

The biggest difference is the size of the lens. The human lens is much smaller. Both procedures use the same operating microscope and the same instrumentation that would be in a human ophthalmology practice. Davidson said the procedure is commonly done at the teaching hospital; the facility averages about two surgeries a week. It can also be performed at most other veterinary ophthalmic practices. Surgery costs vary, depending on where you live in the country, typically from $1,500 to $3,000 per eye.

"Cataract surgery is something I would encourage owners to consider if they have the financial resources and the time to dedicate to taking care of their pet," Davidson said. "It's something that I think a lot of veterinarians don't consider and hence don't recommend to their clients. And it is something people might miss out on."

Davidson said cataracts are often a genetic condition. Certain breeds of dogs such as the schnauzer, poodle, cocker spaniel -- just to name a few, are predisposed to the condition. She recommends that an eye examination be a part of a pet's annual physical examination -- regardless of a dog's breed.

In addition to dogs and cats, the procedure can also be done in horses and exotic animals. The procedure for cats is very similar to that done on dogs. For horses, Davidson said the procedure is different because of the size of the lens.

For more information, visit the Pet Health News link of Kansas State University:
www.mediarelations.ksu.edu/WEB/News/NewsReleases/pethealth.html