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Cataracts: What You Need to Know as a Pet Owner

More on PawNation: cataracts, diabetes, pet blindness, pet cataracts, pet diabetes

Apr 12th 2011

glennsajan, Flickr

Cataracts are a common affliction for household pets. This disease, which clouds the eye's lens, can lead to blindness if untreated. As part of a Paw Nation series providing background about the medical problems your pet may suffer, we spoke to Dr. Gregg Griffenhagen, DVM at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge, La., to get some insights about the condition. You should always consult your veterinarian before giving medicine or supplements to your pet.

What are the signs that my pet has cataracts?
The signs would be as you'd expect. They include bumping into objects -- especially at night or in low light situations -- difficulty following thrown or dropped objects, or difficulty "finding" the location of a noise or call. An owner might also notice a loss of "eye shine," called the tapetal reflection. Because cataracts in most cases mature slowly, signs can be gradual and not noticed until one day the pet appears "suddenly" blind.

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