Blue Ridge Beads Blog

Dog vision surgery is fast, effective fix for canine cataracts

February 24, 2010 11:55 am admin Home

Has your dog ever had an eye exam? Most people will probably answer “no” this this question. I did not think that there was any way to test his visual acuity, and even if there were, would the solution be corrective lenses? I cannot imagine a dog wearing glasses full time, and contact lenses would be out of the question. Over the past few months, however, I have transitioned from passing curiosity to actual concern for my dogs sight. My dog has begun to clearly show indications that his vision has degraded. In particularly bright or dim situations, the problem has escalated such that he will even run into doorways, furniture and even people on occasion. I was concerned that he may be going blind, or require dog vision surgery.

I took my dog to the vet and they said that he had advanced cataracts. My choices were eye drops and dog vision surgery. The drops could take months to have an effect, and in the meantime, the dog would still have impaired vision. Because of this, dog vision surgery was their recommendation. Visits alone can be expensive, so my stomach clenched at the idea of paying for dog vision surgery. I asked what dog vision surgery entailed and what the costs would be. The answer was, “pretty costly.” The dog vision surgery is similar to the one performed on humans, apparently. The dog vision surgery starts by cutting the cornea, removing the clouded lens and inserting a new one.

Unlike with humans, the lenses available for dog vision surgery are not available in a wide enough selection to offer the dog near perfect vision. In fact, after dog vision surgery, an owner can expect their canine to have about two thirds their original vision restored. If your dog is in good health and a good candidate for dog vision surgery, it can be a fast way to restore his vision, assuming you can afford or finance the cost of the procedure.