Cataract Surgery
 

Jenna has been recommended for cataract surgery. Can anyone who has had this done give me some pointers on what to ask about the procedure and what can be expected in terms of success? I could use all the info I can get.


I have to finance this operation so am looking into options. If anyone has any recommendations (no she isn't insured, sadly, when we got her this wasn't even a thing in our region) I'd be glad to hear them. I am in Southern Oregon.


And no offense to anyone who uses them, but please, not Care Credit. I've dealt with them before and as far as interest rates on balances they are a nightmare. Wouldn't go with them again.


Many thanks in advance. :)

Hi, I really don’t know anything about cataract surgery, other than i’ve heard it is very expensive I’m so sorry I can’t help you about that. I live in South Texas in a town of about 120,000 and we don’t have a vet that does cataract surgery here. I would probably have to go to Houston to have that done. My fur baby.just turned 13 and she has cataract’s too in both eyes. I’m not in a position financially now that I can afford surgery. I did hear it is very expensive. How can a regular vet tell how bad they really are and how well your dogs vision is?

Cataract surgery
 

I am sorry your baby has cataracts. Yes it is expensive and would be a real pain if you had to travel far for the surgery as it does involve several pre op and follow up visits. As your dog is 13 I would not do the surgery unless the dog is in pain or for some other emergency. It is a difficult procedure which involves a lot of drops in the eyes several times a day and a hard cone. Some dogs don’t mind it, but mine did not like it at all. My dog was only just over a year old when he had surgery in one eye for a juvenile cataract.
Apart from vision loss, the mailn reason for the surgery is to prevent glaucoma, that can be painful. If you decide to look into the surgery with a specialist, please ask many questions about the pros and cons for your particular dog and the risk of glaucoma.
I mainly did it as my dog was so young. He has an immature cataract in the other eye, but is fine. The surgery in the other eye went well. He is now ten years old and I would not do the surgery at his age, unless it was a serious emergency.
But please don’t just take my word for the process as each dog is different and the vet has to decide if surgery is the right thing to do. My cost in CA was $3;500 but I had insurance!
I wish you luck and pray your dog does not need surgery and that she keeps enough vision to enjoy life.

Thank you dottiesyrky you have given me a lot to think about before considering cataract surgery.i would have to get financing because I don’t have pet insurance, and I live in south Texas in a town that doesn’t have a specialist that could do it. When you mentioned glaucoma did you mean this can happen after cataract surgery or before surgery?

Can cataract surgery cause my dog to get glaucoma after surgery?

Hi, I was told about a month ago that my furbaby has a heart murmur, a left leaky heart valve and an slightly enlarged heart. Her regular vet put her on Lasix 1/2 of a 12.5 mg. pill twice a day she is a little 13 year old 4 lb. Yorkie. I hate to question my vet, but this sounds like a high dosage to me for a 4 lb. baby. She sometimes will refuse to take it.i give it to her in cheese which she. usually loves but now she won’t eat it. I’m at a loss of what to do . Pill pockets won’t work either.tonight I had to put it down her throat, which she hated. Has anybody had a small baby with heart problems on lasix? What was the dosage and weight of your baby and did he or she have any side effects from taking Lasix. My vet also said she would probably have to take it for the rest of her life. I would really like to talk to someone that has gone through this or is going through this now. Thanks to anyone that can help . I am sooooo worried about my baby.

Yes. It is one of the main reasons it is not recommended in some pups. The ophthalmologist checks the drainage system to assess the likelihood of this happening.

Cataract surgery
 

Thanks for your input Lady Jane.
When my dog got juvenile cataract, the eye specialist said I should do the surgery to prevent glaucoma, that is mainly why I had it done. But perhaps the pretest showed the drainage was ok in my case. So I guess you just have to check with your doc to see what is best for your dog. My dog is now ten with no glaucoma and he had surgery at around one year old.
If you do decide to get the surgery, please know that the aftercare is pretty tedious! But the vet should tell you what aftercare is needed.
Good luck with your baby.

The link I posted is very detailed. Cataract surgery can indeed cause glaucoma. You had a puppy...her dog is 11 years old I believe.

Yes, the ophthalmologist should advise ...

From the link I posted above! I am by no means against surgery for cataracts but have taken a couple of senior pups to be evaluated and both times was advised against the surgery due to the fact their drainage system was not adequate enough. YHR has had younger foster pups who had the surgery and did quite well.
I am posting the following for people who don't read links that are posted.....

"What are the risks involved with Cataract surgery?
Cataract surgery is a highly successful procedure, but there are risks. Chances of the patient having improved vision after surgery are high for most dogs (90%–95%). But 5% to 10% of dogs will not regain good vision due to complications, and (worst case scenario) may actually be permanently blind in one or both of the operated eyes. Because of species differences in how reactive eyes are to cataracts, inflammation, and to intraocular surgery, cataract surgery is not as successful in dogs (or other domestic species) as it is in humans and other primates. Additionally, it must be kept in mind that no surgery on any species can be guaranteed to be successful.

If your dog has significant LIU (most commonly caused by a hypermature cataract or a rapidly-developing cataract), this also decreases the success rate. LIU is the primary reason that the sooner that cataract surgery can be done, the better.

The risk of intraocular scar tissue. All dogs develop some intraocular scar tissue (primarily opacities of the lens capsule). Excessive scar tissue will limit vision. Puppies and young adult dogs develop more capsular opacities than older dogs. Anti-inflammatory medication and lifetime support with a specific canine antioxidant vision supplement may help reduce the formation of severe capsular opacities.
The risk of glaucoma. Glaucoma (increase in eye pressure) occurs transiently in 30% of dogs that have cataract surgery, usually within the first 24 hours after surgery. This is not as bad as it sounds; most of the time, these pressure increases are temporary and quickly resolve with treatment within the first 1–2 days after surgery. However, glaucoma can also occur later—months to years following surgery. Glaucoma not only can cause complete vision loss, but also may require the need for additional medications or surgery. It can be painful (in the form of a headache) and cause LOSS OF THE EYE if uncontrolled.
The risk of retinal detachment. While surgical re-attachment of the retina is sometimes possible, the success rate can be low and this complication usually results in complete vision loss. However, if it is caught early the surgical success rate is much higher.
The risk of intraocular Infection. While this is rare, it can cause complete vision loss as well as LOSS OF THE EYE (i.e. surgical removal of the eye).
The risk of general anesthesia. Anesthesia safety has progressed tremendously during the last 5 years. However, even healthy pets CAN DIE UNDER GENERAL ANESTHESIA. We take anesthesia very seriously. All patients are monitored extensively by our surgical team. All patients receive electronically assisted ventilation and monitoring of their blood oxygenation, carbon dioxide levels, respiration, temperature, heart function, and blood pressure. "

Cataract
 

The link is very useful I am sure, thanks for the info.
I was not well informed when my dog had cataract surgery and depended on the eye vet at the local specialist hospital, who was very well respected in my area.
I can’t remember if the glaucoma issue came before or after the extensive testing the specialist gave my dog before I decided to have the surgery. But I do remember that the glaucoma risk of not doing cataract surgery was the main reason I chose to do the surgery. I was also very stressed, as was my poor little one year old baby, with the many drops that had to be given , a hard cone, and the multiple trips to the hospital for check ups.
YorkiesRSpecial’s dog is 13 I believe and I don’t think I would put my dog through all that at that age. It was hard enough on my young boy and I don’t know how an older dog would handle it all. Also it seems the dog has other health issues too to complicate matters. Only the vet and the pet owner can make the right decision, but I would not do it!!!
Again, I feel for you and your baby, and hope you are able to make the right decision.
I have just seen your update LJ and would agree with the excellent info the link gives. All I can say is that my young dog had extensive pre testing and did well after the surgery with no side effects and excellent vision! I asked that he be kept in the hospital for a couple of days as I was scared that something bad may happen that I could not do anything about! In view of the link info, that was a good choice!