When our pets get older, just like us, they start to require some special care and also a more exhaustive veterinary follow-up than during the rest of their lives.
From approximately 8 years of age, we recommend an annual visit where the veterinarian can check the weight, general physical condition, perform analytical or other tests if necessary. In these controls can be diagnosed diseases that do not yet have clinical signs and in which early treatment can slow the progression or development of such disease.
In this article we are going to focus on the most common vision defect in geriatric pets: cataracts. One of the most frequent ocular affections we see in the veterinary practice are cataracts. The origin of these cataracts is usually associated with age and degeneration of the crystalline lens due to the increase of its layers and the oxidative damage it suffers during its life. Other causes of cataracts can be diabetes mellitus, blows or trauma, congenital/hereditary or retinal atrophy.
How does a cataract form?
The crystalline lens is a lens formed by several layers located inside the eye, its function is to concentrate light so that it is properly projected on the retina. With the passage of time and the natural aging process, the lens tends to accumulate additional layers. This gradual process of layer accumulation can cause the lens to become denser and less transparent.
How do we detect that our pet has cataracts?
At home we can suspect the presence of cataracts and it will be the veterinarian who will confirm the diagnosis and will be able to tell us what treatment we can offer to our pet. If detected and treated in time, cataracts should not be a problem. At home we will be able to see a certain whitish or bluish opacity (at the beginning) in the crystalline lens. If the cataract is more advanced, we will clearly see the opacity or that the animal is hitting obstacles it may encounter due to the difficulty of vision.
In early stages (A,B), when it is not yet mature, there are still non-surgical treatment options such as dietary supplementation with vitamins and antioxidants to slow the onset of cataracts. Specialized nutritional supplements such as Occulus+ from Dr+Vet could be used to provide vitamins A, C, E and antioxidant minerals to slow the progression of the disease.
Once the cataract has evolved (C), a specialist veterinarian will indicate the best surgical solution, after an exhaustive review of the pet’s health and vision. Cataracts are an operable disease with a high success rate (around 90%). Post-surgical recovery usually takes a few days with anti-inflammatory eye drops and antibiotics until medical discharge.
Phases of cataract
Figure 1. Phases of cataract in dogs: A. Initial phase B. Immature cataract Immature cataract C. Mature cataract (point of surgery).
As the lens becomes less transparent and light can no longer pass through it clearly. In simple terms, the additional layers in the lens alter its original structure causing irreversible damage that affects its ability to focus light properly on the retina.
The Dr+Vet formula: Occulus+
As mentioned above, Dr+Vet offers the nutritional supplement Occulus+ recently reformulated to increase its antioxidant potential with alpha lipoic acid. This product contains abundant vitamins, minerals and antioxidant components that promote overall eye health and help slow disease progression.
