This makes successful cataract surgery difficult. There are there are dozens of possible causes of cataracts. The causes can be related to illness or be genetic. There are many systemic causes for cataracts with diabetes being the best-known. With diabetes, as blood sugar levels rise, water is drawn into the lens and causes clouding. Other associated disorders include trauma, exposure to radiation, nutritional disorders, toxins, and inflammation within the eye.
Cataracts can be treated. During surgery for cataracts, the damaged lens is removed from the eye and replaced with an artificial lens. In cases of diabetic cataracts or other inflammatory cataracts, the prognosis decreases.
It is highly dependent on the ability to manage the conditions that cause the inflammation. Controlling blood sugar levels in diabetic dogs will help to lessen the severity of cataracts early in development.
In the later stages, the changes become permanent and require surgical correction. These products usually contain n-acetyl carnosine as the active ingredient. In multiple studies, these drops have failed to improve cataracts. Due to this, marketing of this product has not been pursued. At this time, no topical medication on the market will prevent or delay cataract formation.
The only definitive treatment for cataracts is surgery. This is a benign, extremely common age-related change to the lens. It occurs in all breeds of dogs, and it does not inhibit vision. The cause is increased density of the fibers within the lens itself. Nuclear sclerosis generally occurs in both eyes at the same rate, whereas cataracts are frequently asymmetrical.
There is no need to treat nuclear sclerosis, as it does not interfere with vision. Further, there is no known treatment for this condition. In this condition, the layer of cells at the back of the cornea begin to degenerate. It can be inherited as in the Chihuahua, Boston Terrier, and Dachshund , or it can be an age-related change.
Initially, the change is often noted as a grayish spot in the middle of the eye that begins to extend to the outer edges. It will cause blindness as it progresses. Nuclear sclerosis sounds scary , but this is just the medical term for a blue haze that appears in the lens of older dogs. Really, this is just the natural ageing of your dog's eyes. Nuclear sclerosis doesn't significantly change your dog's vision, and most dogs are able to see just fine.
This is a common condition and differs from cataracts. The condition makes eyes appear blue, rather than white, and usually affects both eyes symmetrically. Nuclear sclerosis happens as the lens of the eye becomes harder with time. It is possible for cataracts to develop secondary to nuclear sclerosis. But the good news is that this won't happen to all dogs.
If cataracts begin to form, vision will be affected. Treatment isn't necessary for nuclear sclerosis alone, but regular assessment with a vet will help to check for any cataract formation. Dry eye, or keratoconjunctivitis sicca KCS , is appropriately named. This condition is a lack of lubrication in your dog's eye s. This is a common condition and is caused by a reduced production of aqueous tear film from the lacrimal gland.
Once the cornea and surrounding tissues begin to get too dry, inflammation occurs. Tears are made from a mix of mucous, fatty liquids and water. If there isn't enough 'water' produced, you may notice that the discharge in your dog's eyes is stickier or more mucoid than normal.
Certain breeds of dogs are more prone to developing KCS including; cavalier King Charles spaniel, west highland white terrier, cocker and springer spaniels, pugs, lhasa apsos, shih tszus and Yorkshire terriers. Most dogs with KCS have red, irritated, dry and painful eyes. Your dog might wink, blink more often or squint. A thick yellow or green mucoid discharge is often present and eyes look dry or not as shiny as before.
The condition usually affects both eyes , and is most commonly seen in older animals. If eyes aren't well lubricated, they're more prone to developing corneal ulcers, or damage to the surface of the eye, so it's important to get this diagnosed and checked by a vet as soon as you can. Dry eye is diagnosed through simple tests. If this is low , and the rest of your dog's clinical exam and history match up, then it's likely the vet will diagnose your dog with dry eye.
Other tests like a fluorescein drop may be applied to check for ulcers, and a vet may want to check your dog's ocular pressures in case glaucoma is present, too. Treatment aims to stimulate tear production and replace the tear film. This usually requires a combination of treatments; tacrolimus or cyclosporine are used to stimulate tears, and a tear film replacement to lubricate the eyes.
Sometimes antibiotics or anti-inflammatories are required to treat secondary infection or inflammation. If you aren't able to medicate your dog, surgery with a specialist opthalmologist is an option.
Most dogs with dry eye live a happy and pain-free life, provided that the condition is managed effectively. Eye ulcers are as much fun as they sound, which is not fun at all. Ulcers can be secondary to underlying pathology within the eye such as dry eye , or can be caused by trauma to the eye — like a scratch or something piercing the cornea. Physical issues, like ingrowing eyelashes or eyelid abnormalities, are another common cause of ulcers.
Ulcers can present in lots of different ways. Some dogs don't show any changes on the surface of their eye, and may just be winking or holding their eye shut. Some eyes may weep or the conjunctiva may appear red. Ulcers that have been present for longer may show as white spots on the surface of the eye, there might be some blood vessels over the surface of the eye, or you may be able to see a dent on the cornea.
There might be larger areas of white, and the eye might be weeping or have a mucoid discharge. Ulcers are very painful. This condition rarely causes vision damage, though it can affect the focusing ability. Nuclear sclerosis is sometimes confused with cataracts.
However, there are a few differences. Moreover, this condition tends to affect both eyes at the same time. Dogs with cataracts often have white milky eyes. The lens acts like a camera lens, focusing light on the film at the back of the eye, called the retina, where the brain then processes the information to form a picture of the world around it.
The lens is made up of water and protein, where they are organized in a very specific way. When the proteins start to cluster together, they can form cataracts. These protein strands gradually vague the lens, making it harder for the dog to see clearly, and in some cases causes blindness. Causes of cataracts include age, trauma, diabetes, and genetics. In addition, some breeds are more vulnerable to genetic cataracts than others. It can happen when they are puppies or as they grow, depending on the type of the inherited cataracts.
Finally, cataracts can sometimes lead to a more serious problem such as glaucoma. Glaucoma happens in dogs when the eye is under pressure, which causes damage to the structures in the eye. This condition is serious, since it can result in permanent damage to the optic nerve and eventually blindness. Symptoms of Glaucoma include cloudy eyes, or a blue or red tint to the cloudiness.
You may also notice a lump to the eye, increased discharge, an enlarged pupil, and sometimes loss of vision in one eye or both eyes. There are two types of Glaucoma, genetic, and secondary Glaucoma, which is caused by other conditions such as Cataracts, lens luxation or subluxation, where the lens changes position in the eye. But if you only notice cloudiness in the eyes, Bobofchak says not to immediately conclude your dog has cataracts.
Age is not necessarily always a factor in dogs who develop cataracts. Bobofchak says that cataracts in dogs are most commonly hereditary or due to diabetes. Since diabetes frequently goes hand-in-hand with cataracts in dogs, be on the lookout if your dog has been diagnosed with this endocrine disease.
Surgery [to repair the eyes] can still be performed as long as the diabetes is well-regulated and the overall health is good.
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