Dog Cataract

[riptide]

A couple of weeks ago I decided to have my 5 year old dog's eye operated on for a cataract replacement. He is not insured and it is not cheap for this operation. Sadly 2 weeks later he is going to have to have the eye removed as a severe infection developed behind the eye which has not responded to intense antibiotic treatment and the vet is worried it might spread elsewhere". I went to one of the top vets who has years of experience in doing these ops and he has said it is so rare for this to happen. I am going to be in the same predicament in about 6 months time as he is losing his sight due to cataract in the other eye. Left untreated these can often become so dense that they cause the retina to detach and inflammation in the eye. So worrying, he assures me that it really should not happen again, but why did it occur this time.

Do any others have experience of this procedure with cats or dogs. Thanks.

[woofgang]

Yes, we had our late dog's eyes done nine, nearly ten years ago. She was 12 at the time and going blind because of diabetes. Some dogs can cope with being blind and do better without the op but our girl had panic attacks so we decide to go for it. One eye was fine, with the other, the capsule of the eye was thin and the stitches tore twice. In the end they repaired with a pedicel (graft) and she had two further happy years. Post op infection is a risk with any procedure sadly.
If it was me I would think seriously about how the dog would manage blind. many dogs (some say most) would find blindness less stressful than the operation and for them, monitoring, with removal of the eye if it becomes necessary might be a better way to go.
Would I have it done again? I think it would depend on the dog. If they seemed happy being blind then probably not. If the dog is so upset by blindness, like our old girl, then yes, i would consider it as for her, the alternative was PTS.

[rsvp]

I had the choice to have cataracts removed on my collie when she was 12/13 - however, I decided not to have it done because the recovery period entailed 6 months lead exercise only no playing or vigorous shaking of the head - after much thought I decided 6 months for a 13 year old dog was a long time as she may only have had another year or two before popping her clogs. She hated being on the lead anyway (think she considered it a slur on her training!) plus of course there was always the possibility of post operative complications. As it happens she finally went to the big kennel in the sky at 18+ years and managed perfectly well as a blind dog for the last four years of her life. Having said that she did gradually lose her sight rather than suddenly.
I realise this doesn't really answer your question about other people's experience of the op and your dog is very much younger than mine was but I posted it cos if your dog goes blind he can still have a quality of life without his sight.

[Khandro]

Smell, not sight is the most important sense for a dog, and old dogs, in my experience, cope far better with blindness than a human would.

[riptide]

Many thanks for your comments, I shall see how he goes over the summer months with just his one eye which obviously is going to get worse as the months proceed. I am going to talk to my own vet who also has an opthalmology certificate, although he does not do cataracts. Two opinions will be better than one in this case. My worry is that he will be left with no eyes at all, so I shall have to think very carefully when the time comes. The only wish for our animals is that they do not suffer and in this case, sadly what I hoped would give him a better quality of life has not worked out.

[rsvp]

Where are you based riptide - I ask because when I was thinking of having my collie's cataracts done I went to a specialist facility somewhere near Hereford - they were (then) pioneers in cataract surgery. May be worth a check out if you can find it.

[woofgang]

six months after cataract RSVP?? My girl was allowed off lead back to normal life after 2 weeks post op. Sadly this got extended because of the stitch failure but she was still allowed normal life two weeks after the last op. At the time, my local surgery were national specialists in eye surgery on dogs and cats. Other places have caught up now but they are still one of the specialist surgeries and get referrals from other vets

[woofgang]

sorry, I forgot. At the same time as my girl was going through all of this, a work colleague of mine had a lab who was also getting diabetes related cataracts. She never worried in the least about going blind and lived out the rest of her life quite happily.

[riptide]

Thanks rsvp, the vet I used is very well knownin his field with years of experience, but I shall bear your comments in mind when the times comes.

[rsvp]

Yes woofgang - six months - that's one of the reasons I declined. Perhaps things have moved on considerably since then (10/12 years ago) but I'm adamant that was the time scale given to me.

[woofgang]

my experience was 9/10 years ago

[rsvp]

not going to tit for tat woofgang - I'll agree to differ.

[woofgang]

no indeed. No intention of arguing but its a huge difference!

[rsvp]

We'll agree on that certainly! stay well