# My 10 yr old pomeranian has the early stages of cataracts please help!!



## phunkyphat (Nov 4, 2008)

So I took my 10 yr old Pomeranian in for a general check up a couple days ago and the vet told me he's in the early stages of cataracts! She told me to bring him in every 6 months or so to see how the disease is progressing. So the last couple of days I've been doing lots of research on the it. What should i do? Is surgery an option for a dog that turns 10 yrs old next month? How much will it cost? Is there any meds i can give him to slow process down? Will he eventually go blind? Should I dim the lights at night so it wont hurt his eyes? To all you experience dog owners that have gone through this please help.:frown: Thanks in advance.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I use to work for a veterinary ophthalmologist, have had many dogs with cataracts (Chelsy has a huge one now) and have had one removed on myself recently. 

If your dog is in the early stages, there is really nothing to worry about. They all progress at different rates, and your dogs may never get worse then what they are now. It might take years to fully develop. They don't remove them until they are mature, so surgery would not be an option now. My little dogs Chelsy has one that is fully mature, but I'm not going to have anythiny done about it because she is over 14 and that is the least of her problems.

You have to remember that dogs don't depend on their eyes like people do. The vet I worked for used to tell people that it's not like they were going to read the paper every day! The depend so much on their noses and ears that they function just fine as their eyesight diminishes. I have had a couple completely blind dogs from glaucoma and other reasons and they functioned perfectly fine. The cataract is not going to cause your dog any pain. It's just like he is looking thru a steamed up bathroom mirror. He will still see shapes and be able to get around just fine. Especially if it is just forming. He may not even notice it himself at this point. When mine first started, I didn't even know I had them until the eye doctor told me. 

Eventually he may get to the point where he has trouble seeing in the dark and can only see movement. But this could take years. Vet ophthalmologists routinely remove cataracts and it's not that difficult a procedure if you decide to have it done once they are mature. 

If you have any more questions, just ask.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Yes, I agree, don't panic, there's absolutely no need to. You've got plenty of time. Know what? The Eye Dr told me that I've got the early stages of cataracts too, so what the hell, that's life and I'll worry about it when other people's car's keep running into mine. 
So, its just a wait and see game, hopefully your pup's will progress very slowly and like Chowder said, they very well may outlast the life of your pup. 
Listen to what Chowder says, she's a wise, um, lady.


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## phunkyphat (Nov 4, 2008)

chowder said:


> I use to work for a veterinary ophthalmologist, have had many dogs with cataracts (Chelsy has a huge one now) and have had one removed on myself recently.
> 
> If your dog is in the early stages, there is really nothing to worry about. They all progress at different rates, and your dogs may never get worse then what they are now. It might take years to fully develop. They don't remove them until they are mature, so surgery would not be an option now. My little dogs Chelsy has one that is fully mature, but I'm not going to have anythiny done about it because she is over 14 and that is the least of her problems.
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot for your feedback. I really appreciate it. Now I can sleep a little better at night. You said that you have a couple of dogs that are completely blind right? You said they depend more on their ears and noses when their slight starts to go but what about water. They can't really smell water right? So if I keep his water bowl exactly in the same area it shouldn't be a problem right? He also has a little doggy door that he uses to go in and out with. So later on if his life if he goes blind will he have a problem going in and out of his little doggy door or will I have to let him out myself.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

phunkyphat said:


> Thanks a lot for your feedback. I really appreciate it. Now I can sleep a little better at night. You said that you have a couple of dogs that are completely blind right? You said they depend more on their ears and noses when their slight starts to go but what about water. They can't really smell water right? So if I keep his water bowl exactly in the same area it shouldn't be a problem right? He also has a little doggy door that he uses to go in and out with. So later on if his life if he goes blind will he have a problem going in and out of his little doggy door or will I have to let him out myself.


If he ever goes completely blind (and that is a BIG if), he will get along surprisingly well. I had a Samoyed who was blind and we could take her for walks in the woods. She could sense the trees and make her way along with us just fine. There was absolutely no problem with her finding her food and water bowl. Right now Chelsy can only see out of one eye and it has a huge cataract in it so I'm sure she only see's movement. She can get all over the house, find me always, find her food, water, and the back door. She only has a bit of trouble in really bright sun when she is outside and sometimes bumps into low bushes. 

But, your dog may go years before that point. Chelsy is 14 1/2 and she's had the cataract growing for years and only has one functioning eye left. She still gets around fine.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

MollyWoppy said:


> Listen to what Chowder says, she's a wise, um, lady.


Well, not everyone say's I'm a 'lady' but female is correct!! :becky:


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## yeastydawg (Oct 24, 2010)

Hi, I have the same problem too. My cocker, who also suffers from hip dysplasia, has a mature cataract in one eye. The other eye is beginning to cloud. His cataracts progressed rapidly; I would say it took around 2 years. I saw this product, Ocu-Glo RX, supposedly formulated for dogs with cataracts. Has anyone ever tried this? It's so expensive at P75 a bottle.

here's the link: OcuGLO Rx | Canine Cataract | Cataract Dog | Dog Cataract Surgery | Dog Vision Problems


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

If someone told me my dog was losing her sense of smell, THAT would really worry me.

Snorkels can't see very well. i've had several elderly dogs and they ALL got a reduction in their sense of smell/hearing. Snorkels' hearing was also almost totally destroyed by ear medication that damages the nerves in senior dogs' ears. 

But she goes by her nose - I'm sure your dog does also. I feel sure Snorkels' could smell her water bowl. She may not have much sight or hearing left, but she is an Olympic champion smeller. 

In fact, sometimes it's kind of embarrassing because apparently I am like rotten liver to her as far as smell goes, even after I just get out of the shower. Makes me wonder what I really DO smell like.


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