4047. PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS: Cataract in an old poodle

The most common cause of cataracts in the dog is inherited disease. Other causes include injuries to the eye or diseases such as diabetes mellitus ("sugar diabetes"). Some cataracts appear to occur spontaneously and are age related.

 

Will my dog go blind?

If cataracts occupy less than 30% of the lens or if only one lens is affected, they rarely cause diminished vision. When the opacity covers about 60% of the total lens area, visual impairment often becomes apparent. If the opacity progresses to 100% of the lens, the dog will be blind in the affected eye. However, whether the cataract remains static or progresses will depend on the type of cataract, the breed and other risk factors.

• Cataracts may also be described as incipient, immature, mature, and hypermature.
• Incipient – so small it often requires magnification to diagnose. These involve less than 15% of the lens and cause no visual deficits.
• Immature – involves greater than 15% of the lens and often involves multiple layers of the lens or different areas. The retina can still be seen during examination and visual deficits are typically mild.
• Mature – involve the entire lens and the retina cannot be seen during examination. Visual deficits are often significant with blindness or near-blindness often observed.
• Hypermature – the lens begins to shrink and the lens capsule appears wrinkled. Lens-induced uveitis (inflammation within the eye) often occurs at this stage.