Hi Anne,

Thanks for your question.

The first thing I recommend is that you visit your veterinarian and confirm that what you are seeing is actually cataracts. There are many issues that could occur in the eyes that can mimic the appearance of cataracts. For example, inflammation of the cornea can lead to scarring called keratitis that has a grey opaque appearance that can look like cataracts. Another very common issue is something called nuclear sclerosis which is an age-related change in the lens of the eye which causes a grey opaque appearance much like a cataract, but it doesn’t impair vision. So when you examine the eye, you may be jumping to the conclusion that it is cataracts but it may not be. I recommend you visit your veterinarian and confirm the diagnosis as the next step.

If it is indeed confirmed as cataracts, I recommend you perform diagnostic tests to confirm the cause of it. There are medical conditions that can contribute to the development of cataracts, such as diabetes mellitus. If there is an identified cause, then you can initiate treatment to reduce or halt the process. In addition, you could consider treatments to reverse the condition in its current state.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

Dr. Clayton Greenway