Inheritance is the major cause of cataracts in dogs and cats. The type of cataract may not be important for deciding whether surgery may be performed. Cataracts may be classified by age of onset, physical appearance of the cataract or state of development of the cataract. There is no medical treatment known to slow the progression of, prevent the formation of or reverse the changes of cataracts. Surgery to remove the cataractous lens is the only known treatment in animals and man.
Successful surgery can provide a return of vision.
Cataract surgery is generally restricted to those patients who are developing a cataract in both eyes. If one eye has a blinding cataract and the other eye has a rapidly developing cataract or if rapidly developing cataracts are present in both eyes, surgery is recommended so the patient will not completely lose vision. It is also important to consider whether the patient is a good candidate for anesthesia. With continued improvements in veterinary medicine and anesthesia, age alone does not limit the possibility of surgery. With the use of modern anesthetic agents, successful surgery is performed on dogs and cats 17-18 years of age and older.