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Vancouver Animal Emergency & Referral Centre
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Vancouver Animal Emergency & Referral Centre
604-879-3737
Cataracts are a leading cause of visual impairment in dogs and frequently progress to cause total blindness. Vision of affected dogs can often be restored to a normal state by surgically removing the abnormal lens and substituting an artificial lens in its place.
A cataract is opacity or clouding of the lens within the eye. The lens' function is to focus light rays on the retina, and cataracts decrease vision by interfering with light reaching the retina. Advanced cataracts are a leading cause of blindness in dogs and are generally recognizable by pet owners as a decrease in the dog's vision or by a cloudy, whitish-blue appearance to the eye. Cataracts must be distinguished from a normal aging change in the lens termed "lenticular sclerosis," which causes a bluish appearance to the eye but generally does not interfere with vision.
Currently, the only effective treatment for cataracts is through surgical removal of the defective lens. Lens removal is done under general anesthesia by making an incision in the eye and using special equipment to ultrasonically fragment and remove the diseased lens material. In most cases, an artificial intraocular lens is implanted to replace the diseased lens.
Veterinary Ophthalmology services treat complicated or difficult problem such as cataracts, corneal ulcers, Entropion, Glaucoma, prolapsed gland of the nictitans (cherry eye) and Uveitis.
While your general practitioner veterinarian can diagnose and treat many routine eye conditions, certain diseases and injuries require the care of a doctor who has had specialized, intensive training in veterinary ophthalmology in order to provide the very best outcome for your pet.
A veterinary ophthalmologist is a doctor who specializes in diseases that can affect your pet's eye and vision. A veterinary ophthalmologist is also equipped to diagnose and treat diseases that affect the structures surrounding the eye, such as the eyelids, conjunctiva, and some of the bones of the skull that comprise the eye socket. A veterinary ophthalmologist will combine medical and surgical treatments in order to most effectively treat your pet's eye problem.While your general practitioner veterinarian can diagnose and treat many routine eye conditions, certain diseases and injuries require the care of a doctor who has had specialized, intensive training in veterinary ophthalmology in order to provide the very best outcome for your pet.Pet eye diseases that you may be familiar with as a result of your own visits to a human ophthalmologist include cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachments, and corneal ulcers.
While your general practitioner veterinarian can handle many aspects of your pet's care, just as in human medicine, sometimes there is a need for the attention of a specialist. If your pet has a complicated or difficult problem, your pet may need the care of a veterinary ophthalmologist. You can be assured that a veterinarian who knows when to refer you and your pet for more specialized diagnostic work or treatment is one that is caring and committed to ensuring your pet receives the highest standard of medical care for his or her problem.While in some cases, your veterinarian may be able to simply consult with a specialist about your pet's care, in other cases it is necessary to actually refer you and your pet to the specialist for more advanced diagnostics and treatment, including surgery.
Your veterinary ophthalmologist will work together with your veterinarian as part of your pet's total veterinary health care team. Your general practitioner veterinarian will still oversee all aspects of your pet's care, but with the added, specialized input of a veterinary ophthalmologist. For example, if a veterinary ophthalmologist ultimately diagnoses diabetes in your pet as a result of an eye examination for cataracts, that information will be relayed back to your general practitioner veterinarian, who will treat your pet's diabetes. The additional input of the veterinary ophthalmologist will be called upon as needed as your veterinarian manages your pet's illness.
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