Dogs with cataracts see a hazy, blurry world, a bit like looking through frosted or fogged-up glass. A small cataract may barely affect vision, but as it grows the image gets dimmer and less detailed, and a fully mature cataract can leave a dog seeing little more than light and dark.
A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye. Below we explain how vision changes through the four stages, how vets diagnose cataracts, and what can be done to help, including surgery.
What are cataracts in dogs and what do they see?
Before we start talking about what dogs with cataracts see, we need to understand what cataracts are.
Cataracts form when proteins and fibers inside the lens change and clump together, turning the normally clear lens cloudy. A cataract can affect the whole lens and eventually cause blindness, or it can be focal.
Focal refers to cataracts that will only affect certain areas of the lens, which may be too small to interfere with the dog’s vision, or it can be a bit more serious, depending on the whiteness of the pupils.
In focal cataracts, there is vision loss in only a few places in the eye, where the light can’t pass through the formed protein layers. This cataract can spread over time and cause more significant problems and worse vision loss.
The number or thickness of the protein layers also affects the amount of light that can pass through the lens.
This causes the dog to have a milky-ish vision and only see blurry images. If the condition becomes more serious, it can lead to complete blindness.
A healthy dog lens is clear, just like a healthy human lens, so the pupil looks dark. In contrast, a lens with a cataract looks white, gray or bluish and opaque, limiting the amount of light that goes through the lens and onto the retina.
4 Stages of cataracts
Cataracts can be divided into four categories based on the vision loss they cause.
1Incipient cataracts
The first and least significant stage is incipient cataracts, in which there is no vision loss because less than 15% of the lens is covered. They’re diagnosed with magnification.
2Immature cataracts
Immature cataracts are when 15-99% of the lens is affected, and the cloudiness can be in one or multiple layers in this stage. The vet can usually still see the retina. When less of the lens is affected, vision loss is mild; it becomes more noticeable as the cataract covers more of the lens, and the dog sees an increasingly blurry, dim picture.
3Mature cataracts
Mature cataracts affect the entire lens, and the dog is functionally blind in that eye. Dogs with mature cataracts can usually only tell light from dark. Because vets can no longer see the retina through the lens, they use special tests (such as an ocular ultrasound and an electroretinogram) to check the retina before surgery, which is the only way to restore vision.
4Hyper-mature
In hyper-mature cataracts, the lens starts to liquefy and shrink, and it may leak proteins that trigger painful inflammation inside the eye (lens-induced uveitis). The lens can also slip out of place, which can lead to glaucoma. Surgery is still the only way to restore vision, but the risk of complications is higher at this stage, which is why vets prefer to evaluate cataracts early.
How to Help Dogs See Better With Cataracts?
There are treatment options that every pet owner should be aware of if their dog has developed cataracts or is prone to developing. Here are the most effective ones depending on the severity of your dog’s cataracts:
1Surgery
Even though the treatment of cataracts depends on the cataract type and the stage it is in, surgery remains the number one treatment that can cure cataracts and restore the dog’s eye vision. Surgery is the most recommended and, at this point, the only method for fixing cataracts.
After plenty of administered tests and check-ups, your vet will tell you the definite diagnosis, and if your dog is a candidate for surgery, you’re in luck! Luckily, the surgery is very similar to human cataract surgery, with one major difference – the dog needs to be under general anesthesia during the procedure.
The surgery (called phacoemulsification) consists of breaking up and emulsifying the cloudy lens with an ultrasonic probe and suctioning it out, while fluids are replaced. An artificial lens is then usually placed inside the remaining lens capsule, although not every eye is suitable for one.
The small incision is closed with very fine sutures, and the artificial lens stays in place permanently, restoring the dog’s vision to almost normal. Dogs without an artificial lens can still see after surgery, just less sharply up close.
More often than not, the success rate of the operation is above 85%.
Post-op care involves eye-drop treatment, oral medications, and an E-collar to lower the chances of self-inflicted injury. Then follow several weeks to months of anti-inflammatory eye drops and regular vet check-ups. Some dogs need long-term drops afterward, and periodic eye exams are recommended for life.
Dogs that should not undergo surgery
Terminally ill or very old dogs rarely undergo surgery due to possible complications. In these cases, the risk is huge, and the surgery might do more harm than good.
If the retinas or corneas are not healthy, the dog will stay blind or will become blind even with surgery.
In some cases, the owner is not ready for all the post-operative treatment needed because they can’t bear the thought of their dog being in pain and them being their full-time caregiver.
The dog’s temperament is also important, mainly for post-operative treatment, because some dogs are hard to medicate and manage after surgery.
2Dog goggles
This option is the best for active and adventurous dogs and owners that can’t get enough of the outdoors.
Goggles protect your dog’s eyes from branches, dust and other physical trauma, which matters more when your dog can’t see obstacles well, and many have built-in UV protection filters for harsh sunlight.
They can make bright days more comfortable for dogs with developing cataracts, but keep in mind that goggles don’t restore vision, and there’s no proof they stop cataracts from progressing.
They can also help protect eyes affected by other conditions, as long as your vet agrees.
Glasses For Dogs With Cataracts: 3 Best Options
3Eye drops
Topical eye medication is not proven to dissolve or reverse cataracts.
One type of drop (an aldose reductase inhibitor) has shown promise in studies for delaying cataract formation in diabetic dogs, but it’s not guaranteed to work. What eye drops can do is manage complications: vets often prescribe anti-inflammatory drops to control the inflammation (uveitis) that cataracts can cause, which helps keep the eye comfortable and protects it from glaucoma. Only use eye drops your vet prescribed, because the wrong drops might cause harm.
Eye Drops For Dogs With Cataracts: Do They Work?
Does Your Dog Even Have Cataracts?
Having concerns about your dog’s eyes and seeing changes in the lenses? It’s not the end of the world! As soon as you notice changes, take your dog to the vet to determine the cause.
Not every cloudy eye is a cataract. Many middle-aged and older dogs develop nuclear (lenticular) sclerosis, a normal aging change that gives the lens a bluish-gray haze. It looks similar, but unlike a cataract it usually has little effect on vision and doesn’t need treatment. Cloudiness can also come from the cornea, glaucoma, or inflammation. Cataracts that appear quickly, especially with increased thirst and urination, can be a sign of diabetes, so mention any other symptoms to your vet.
Many tests are required to get the correct diagnosis. Early detection of the issue means proper treatment and a good prognosis in many cases. Without a proper diagnosis, complications such as inflammation or glaucoma can go unnoticed. Early cataracts are found with magnification during an eye exam, so don’t wait until your dog’s vision is clearly affected.
The first test veterinarians do when they suspect a cataract is the slit lamp biomicroscopy, where light is shone into the eye through the lens. The vet can determine any changes or covering of it.
A complete eye exam usually also includes the Schirmer tear test, which measures tear production to rule out dry eye. The test is made with a small strip of measuring paper placed in the dog’s lower eyelid for a minute to see how much of it gets wet.
Your vet may also use a fluorescein stain, an orange dye that reveals scratches or ulcers on the cornea. Everything has a purpose! Together, these tests help your vet rule out other eye problems and decide on the right treatment.
The last test is tonometry. Many veterinarians prefer this test since dogs can tolerate it well, even without sedation. The goal of this test is to measure intraocular pressure. Normal intraocular pressure in dogs is roughly 10-25 mmHg (reference ranges vary slightly). High pressure points to glaucoma, while low pressure can be a sign of inflammation inside the eye, which cataracts can cause. Both need treatment.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
We are coming to the end of this post, but before that – let’s answer some of the most frequently asked questions related to dog cataracts vision.
Can Dogs With Cataracts Feel Pain?
The cataract itself usually isn’t painful. However, cataracts can cause inflammation inside the eye (lens-induced uveitis) or lead to glaucoma, and both are painful. Call your vet promptly if your dog’s eye becomes red, starts squinting or tearing, looks suddenly cloudier or bulging, or if your dog paws at the eye.
How Can I Help My Dog With Cataracts?
Most cataracts slowly get worse over time, so regular vet check-ups are important, and a dog with cataracts may need more frequent visits than usual. Follow your vet’s treatment plan, and make life easier at home: keep furniture in the same place, block stairs and pools, talk to your dog before touching him, keep walks on a leash, and use scents or textured rugs to mark important spots like the water bowl. Dogs rely heavily on smell and hearing, so most adapt well to vision loss.
What Does Vision With Cataracts Look Like?
It depends on the cataract stage. Early on, vision is slightly blurry or hazy; as the cataract grows, the world looks dimmer, grayer and less detailed, and a mature cataract leaves only light and dark. Many dogs struggle more in dim light. Cataracts can be one-sided or two-sided, but dogs with a cataract in one eye often develop one in the other eye too.
Conclusion – Vision with cataracts
Catching the diagnosis on time will relieve your stress, and by getting the treatment, you will protect the dog’s welfare by avoiding additional complications. Your dog can live a long and happy life with the proper care. Surgery can restore vision in suitable dogs, and even dogs who stay visually impaired usually adapt well with a little help from you.
