Dog Cataracts Treatment Without Surgery: What Options Are There?

When pet owners hear the word “surgery,” they immediately start panicking. And we get them! But sometimes, pet parents need to face the truth. Sometimes surgery is the only acceptable treatment choice.

It is well known that the only acceptable and most effective solution for cataracts is surgery. But are there any other options available? What is their efficiency? 

Stay with us, and we will discuss the cataract treatment procedures besides surgery and their effectiveness!

8 Other Cataract Treatments Without Surgery

Surgery is the only treatment that removes a cataract. The options below are still worth knowing about: some are being researched, some support overall eye health, and some protect a dog’s eyes while you decide on surgery. None has been shown to reliably reverse a cataract, so here is what each one can and can’t do.

1Lanosterol Treatment

Lanosterol is a new and innovative way to treat cataracts in both humans and dogs. This is a great option but no one can guarantee 100% success. Lanosterol has 2 main functions:

• Decreases protein aggregates
• Increases transparency in cataractous lenses

Since all mammals naturally produce lanosterol, this product is considered a treatment solution. This molecule prevents the aligned crystallin proteins in the eye from destroying and aggregating. 

The downside of this story is that Lanosterol is insoluble and cannot be injected directly. But, the good news is that scientists are currently working on finding a way to make soluble molecules for a full effect. 

The best choice is a combination of Lanosterol and an antioxidant (N-acetyl-carnosine) that aims for free radicals. And free radicals are the main cause of cataract development. 

This product has been tested, but we advise careful purchasing and discussing this with your vet. 

Lanomax Eye-Drops

Lanomax is a commercial lanosterol eye drop for dogs. It has been studied over 8 months, but the research is small and early. Talk to your vet before you start it.

Results so far are mixed. Some dogs’ cataracts stayed stable or looked slightly less cloudy, but other researchers have not been able to show lanosterol drops dissolving cataracts reliably, and the drops have not been through large controlled trials.

The interest started with a 2015 study in Nature, in which lanosterol given as an injection into the eye and then as eye drops reduced cataract cloudiness in a small group of dogs. Lanomax is based on that idea, but drops alone are a different treatment from the one in that study.

Eye Drops For Dogs With Cataracts: Do They Work?

2Filtered Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is popular for soothing skin, and some owners also use filtered aloe products around the eyes.

Aloe has anti-inflammatory properties, but there is no good evidence that it slows or treats cataracts in dogs. Anything you put in or near the eye should be a product made for eyes, and your vet should check the eye first.

Lab research suggests aloe may reduce oxidative stress in diabetes, which plays a part in diabetic cataracts, but that hasn’t been shown to prevent cataracts in dogs.

There is no wonder that this plant is called “silent healer”. After a while, your vet will notice better results in the blood tests because it regulates many enzymes and reduces oxidative stress. 

3Antioxidants

An antioxidant is the #1 supplement for aging dogs. As they age, they lose the ability to produce antioxidants naturally, so they could benefit from antioxidants. 

Cataracts are developed mainly because of free radicals. To stop the harmful function of free radicals, antioxidant supplementation is great. 

Antioxidants show great results in senile immature cataracts. 

Astaxanthin

It is a very popular antioxidant that is helpful in aging dogs. It also has many benefits for the cardiovascular and immune system. 

Astaxanthin is what gives many fish (salmon, lobster, shrimp, krill) a red pigment. It is actually the ingredient of krill oil which is also recommended for pets. 

This bioactive compound is great for treating diseases from the anterior to the posterior pole of the eye. Astaxanthin can be useful in treating the following diseases in humans and pets: 

• Ocular surface disorders
• Uveitis
• Cataract
• Asthenopia

It also regulates metabolism and cellular balance. 

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is another antioxidant sold as a supplement for pets. Ask your vet for the right dose before you start it.

Coenzyme Q10 is extremely helpful in preventing cataracts in diabetic dogs. This product is a strong aldose reductase inhibitor and antioxidant, which is great for preventing cataractogenesis in diabetic patients. Most of all, this product reduces the oxidative stress. 

4Cod Liver Oil

Cod liver oil is rich in omegas which have anti-inflammatory properties. Its content is recommended for maintaining healthy eyes. Other great alternatives to cod liver oil are salmon and fish oil. 

EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are what make all these oils with curing properties. These ingredients are found in salmon, cod liver, and fish oil. Their main function is treating inflammatory eye diseases. Most of all, the oils will protect your dog from dry eyes and macular degeneration. 

5Vitamins

Vitamins A, E, and C are highly recommended for cataracts. Before adding vitamins C and E, make sure to perform a vet check-up. If your dog suffers from some circulatory disease, these vitamins might be harmful. 

Vitamin A matters for eye health, but too much is harmful to dogs, and a complete dog food already contains enough. Only add a vitamin A supplement if your vet recommends one.

If you read somewhere that carrots and potatoes are rich in vitamin A, it doesn’t mean that your dog’s diet should be plant-based only. Try adding the plants gradually and see if your pet has some side effects. If it shows some side effects, immediately stop feeding carrots. At the end of the day, dogs aren’t herbivores!

The easier way to supply your dog with vitamins is an oral treatment.

Eye Supplements For Dogs With Cataracts: Do They Work?

6Dog Goggles

Consider dog goggles as an accessory that protects the eyes. But still, goggles are much more than just an accessory. It can protect your dog’s eyes from irritants and infections. 

If you consider getting goggles for your dog, make sure you get goggles with UV protection. Dogs that have cataracts have huge vision changes every day. For white opacity to grey vision change. So, this UV protection will “make a better picture of the world” for our dogs. 

There are different sizes of dog goggles, so no matter your dog’s size, you can find goggles that suit your dog. 

Besides this, dog goggles are perfect for days at the beach, even for healthy dogs. If sand enters your dog’s eyes, it is certainly unpleasant. 

Glasses For Dogs With Cataracts: 3 Best Options

7Triphala

This remedy is a combination of 3 medicines that originate from India. These substances have been used in medicine for over 1000 years. 

The “magic” ingredients are: 

• Emblica Officinalis
• Terminalia chebula
• Terminalia belerica

It is mostly used in people, and research in dogs is very limited.

Triphala has anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic properties in lab and human studies.

Supporters claim it helps with:

• Reducing oxidative stress
• Preventing macular degeneration
• Preventing senile cataracts
• Preventing aging eye disorders
• Strengthening eye muscles

None of these claims is well proven in dogs. If you want to try Triphala, ask your vet first, because herbal supplements can interact with other medicines.

Can Dogs With Cataracts Live a Good Life?

Yes. Cataracts are not life-threatening, and many dogs with cataracts live happy, comfortable lives, including dogs whose owners decide against surgery. Dogs rely heavily on smell and hearing, so most adapt well to vision loss that develops gradually. What makes the difference is regular vet checks and a few changes at home.

1Know the Signs and Stages

The most obvious sign is a lens that looks cloudy, white or gray. As vision fades, you may notice your dog bumping into furniture, hesitating on stairs, missing thrown toys, or becoming nervous in dim light or unfamiliar places.

Vets grade cataracts by how much of the lens is affected: incipient, immature, mature and hypermature (PDSA). Early cataracts barely affect vision, while a mature cataract can leave the eye blind.

Not every cloudy eye is a cataract. Many older dogs develop nuclear sclerosis, a normal bluish-gray haze in the lens that has little effect on sight and needs no treatment. Your vet can tell the two apart with a simple eye exam.

2Common Causes

• Age: cataracts become more common as dogs get older.
• Diabetes: most diabetic dogs develop cataracts, many within the first year after diagnosis, and they can form quickly (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine).
• Genetics: breeds prone to inherited cataracts include the American Cocker Spaniel, Labrador Retriever and Poodle. Boston Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and French Bulldogs can carry a gene for juvenile hereditary cataracts, which a DNA test can detect.

3Watch for Painful Complications

Cataracts themselves are usually not painful. But as a cataract advances, proteins leaking from the lens can cause inflammation inside the eye (lens-induced uveitis), which can lead to glaucoma or a dislocated lens. Redness, squinting, tearing, cloudiness on the surface of the eye, or rubbing and pawing at the eye all need a prompt vet visit. Many vets prescribe anti-inflammatory eye drops to keep the eye comfortable whether or not surgery is planned, so keep up with recheck appointments.

4Make Home Easier to Navigate

• Keep furniture, food and water bowls and your dog’s bed in the same places.
• Block stairs and pools with baby gates.
• Speak to your dog as you approach so you don’t startle them, and teach simple cues such as “step” and “wait”.
• Use rugs or textured mats near doorways and key spots to help your dog find their way by feel.
• Keep your dog on a leash in unfamiliar places, and stick to familiar walking routes.

When Surgery Is Still Worth Considering

Surgery is the only treatment that removes a cataract and restores vision. The best candidates are otherwise healthy dogs whose retina still works. A veterinary ophthalmologist checks this beforehand, usually with an electroretinogram and an ocular ultrasound. Dogs with uncontrolled diabetes, severe eye inflammation or other serious health problems may not be suitable, but age alone is not a reason to rule surgery out. Recovery involves several weeks of eye drops, a cone, restricted activity and follow-up visits.

Best Treatment Option – Cataracts in Dogs

Surgery is the only treatment that removes a cataract and restores vision. Of the alternatives, lanosterol drops have the most research behind them, but that evidence is still early and mixed. Antioxidants may support overall eye health and goggles protect the eyes from UV light and injury, but none of these options will clear a cataract.

Not every dog is a good candidate for surgery, so it’s worth asking a veterinary ophthalmologist which combination of monitoring, eye drops for inflammation and home changes suits your dog.