Pet Lovers

[Lovemyboots]

We have a little dog we rescued a couple of years ago & she has had her share of health problems. But she is such a sweetheart. Now I see she is getting a catarac in her eye. I feel so bad about it but I was just wondering if anyone knew of a supplement that might help. Eye drops or anything that might help?  Thanks I appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.

[Kachina624]

Cataracts in old dogs seem to be a fact of life; most do eventually get them.  I'm sure their vision must diminish as they age but they seem to get around fine, at least mine have.  Never heard of a preventative for dogs....or people.

[Carmie]

Are you sure your dog has cataracts?  There are other conditions that can cause the eye to look cloudy, including diabetes.

Cataracts are diagnosed by a Vet.  If your dog truly has cataracts, the only way to restore sight is the same for dogs as it is for humans.  The dog can receive cataract surgery and have the lens replaced.

Many dogs do just fine with cataracts if the lens is not 100% opaque.  Cataracts can result in complete blindness over time.

[Lovemyboots]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

Cataracts in old dogs seem to be a fact of life; most do eventually get them.  I'm sure their vision must diminish as they age but they seem to get around fine, at least mine have.  Never heard of a preventative for dogs....or people.

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Maybe just wishful thinking?  I thought maybe someone might know of something. Can't hurt to ask!

[DeliaVee]

I had a very special dog that had diabetes mellitus which caused her cataracts. I took her to a Veterinary Eye Specialists, she lost one eye due to glaucoma but the doctor saved the other eye (removed the cataract, just like they do in people). She did fine with one eye and was really happy. It was very, very expensive but she was my child and my sole mate. I'm sure your veterinarian could offer the best solution for your dog. Good Luck to you.

[sockmonkey]

Hi Lovemyboots,

We had 3 older dogs and they all had a condition that looked like cataracts but was actually benign.

I think this is what it was:

Nuclear sclerosis, which is also called lenticular sclerosis, is a condition that causes the pupils of the eyes to take on a cloudy bluish-gray appearance. Many owners of older pets assume the problem is cataracts. And while cataracts are a relatively common symptom in aging dogs and cats, nuclear sclerosis is even more prevalent. .

There was no treatment necessary and it didn't affect their vision.

Hope that's the case with your little dog!  Best of luck & happy new year!

[drizzellla]

My neighbor just(within the past 2 weeks) rescued a dog with cataracts in both eyes. He walks the dog around the neighborhood and the dog does very well. You could not tell the dog has cataracts. We don't know but we are guessing that the dog has some vision. He does follow our neighbor alot. But that is to be expected. This poor dog - cataracts, senior dog and then to have his original owner give him up. Then this dog has to adjust to a new way of life.

The President of our Collie Rescue group adopted a blind and deaf collie. That does very well. He is a sweetheart - both of them.

I think your dog will do surprisingly well and adjust to his dimissed sight.

[summerwind]

@Lovemyboots: I just checked my favorite wellness site, Earthclinic. They have a section for pet ailments, and I checked under "cataracts". There's several suggestions there, including castor oil drops in eyes, turmeric in food, and, oddly, sweet potatoes.

This is a sort of blog site, I think you'd call it, where people just post what's worked for them. Of course you should check most things, esp. the castor oil, with your vet. I'm fortunate in that my vet has a holistic bent, and approves everything I do, and even has her own suggestions.

It's easy to navigate, and you don't have to join unless you want to post. Good luck!

[NickNack]

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@sockmonkey wrote:

Hi Lovemyboots,

We had 3 older dogs and they all had a condition that looked like cataracts but was actually benign.

I think this is what it was:

Nuclear sclerosis, which is also called lenticular sclerosis, is a condition that causes the pupils of the eyes to take on a cloudy bluish-gray appearance. Many owners of older pets assume the problem is cataracts. And while cataracts are a relatively common symptom in aging dogs and cats, nuclear sclerosis is even more prevalent. .

There was no treatment necessary and it didn't affect their vision.

Hope that's the case with your little dog!  Best of luck & happy new year!

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Almost every old dog I've ever had has had nuclear sclerosis.  It looks just like cataracts but does not affect their vision.  Only your Vet could tell you which it is.

[tobes]

My wonderful poodle, had cataracts but you would never know it.  He thrived and was the same as he always was.