What Causes Canine Cataracts?
The normal, transparent lens in the eye focuses beams of light onto the retina at the back of the eye. This enables your dog to see clearly. The word cataract literally means ‘to break down.’ It is a disruption of the normal arrangement of the lens fibers. In simple terms, a complex biological pump keeps the lens covered in a specific water/protein solution. When this is damaged, extra water is pumped into the lens which in turn damages the lens fibers and causes calcium and sodium to be retained. This interferes with the dog’s sight by partially or completely blocking the clarity of the lens, resulting in a reduction of the dog’s vision. Canine cataracts may be quite small and not significantly affect the dog’s sight. However, if the condition is left untreated and the cataract becomes dense enough, the dog may eventually go blind. Congenital Canine Cataracts These are hereditary and are one of the most common form of cataracts. This type of cataract is also the most common one suffer
