How to treat cataracts in cats

Cataracts is a condition that affects many pets, including cats. These are opacities in various ways that affect the lens and are usually white. The lens, or also known as a lens, is a tissue of the normally transparent eye, but if your cat has cataracts, the light will not pass through the lens and will have problems perceiving all kinds of visual stimuli. In this article of .com we explain how to treat cataracts in cats.

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It is very important to go to the veterinarian if you think your cat suffers from cataracts, because the consequences for their quality of life are considerable. If this is the case, your vision will be diminished, to the point of losing sight altogether if the problem is very advanced. At this point you will only perceive light, no image. If the cataracts are not operated, they can reach a state of hypermaturity, where tiny particles pass through the lens. When the body reacts to this, a dangerous inflammation occurs called facolitic uveitis, the lens acquires a larger size and precipitated proteins can cause glaucoma or ocular hypertension, causing pain and even preventing the eyelids from closing due to the increase in eye size. .

To leave doubts, we advise you to read the article How to know if my cat has cataracts.

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Before the slightest doubt of cataracts, you should go to the veterinarian so that he can make your cat a diagnosis prior to the treatment he requires. Both eyes will be checked to reveal the problems that exist. Normally, devices such as direct and indirect ophthalmoscopes will be used to see the different structures of the eye and check if the cataract is a fact. If the lens conserves transparency, you can see the retina, which can be altered as well, hence the importance of treating it immediately at the slightest suspicion. When the lens is opaque, the retina is analyzed with crossed and direct pupillary reflexes. With an ultrasound, the veterinarian will be able to see if there is any tumor, hemorrhage or retinal detachment.

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The best treatment for cataracts is surgery. Eye drops are considered ineffective, however, when it comes to not very advanced cataracts vitamins and amino acids can be prescribed to improve metabolism. But the general recommendation is to operate as soon as possible even when there is vision, as this will reduce complications. Before the operation and as a preparation, it is usually prescribed anti-inflammatories, pupillary dilators and antibiotics. The intervention is with general anesthesia and is performed with high precision instruments to make a small incision in the cornea, and through a very innovative technology called phacoemulsifier, which emits ultrasound breaks and cataract is absorbed.

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After surgery, it is not necessary for your cat to stay in, it is normal to have an Elizabethan collar around his neck to avoid touching or licking the eye area, so he can heal and have a favorable healing. In addition, the veterinarian will prescribe the necessary medication for pain, swelling and dilation, as well as before the operation.

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Subsequently, your cat must undergo several revisions and the normal thing is that once your eyes have been operated on, see the objects that are less clear, but in general your vision will improve.