Early Stage Cataracts

Question:

Dear Dr. Smith,

Aloha, I have a standard poodle who will be 8 years old this Nov. I recently took her to my vet for her annual well visit. He told me she is in a very early stage of developing cataracts, otherwise "Anika" is in excellant health. What can I do to at least slow down the progression of this problem? I can't bare the thought of her just going blind and will try anything to help her.
Shari

Response:

Hello Shari,

Thank you for your Inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. For vision and ocular health you may try Ocu-clear by Thorne Research. It has several nutrients for the health of the eye and vision receptors. I would also recommend having your poodle checked for diabetes. Cataracts can also be caused by the chronic elevation of glucose in the blood stream.

If your dog is healthy and the cataracts are advancing quickly, there is a surgical procedure that disintegrates and removes the cataracts. This is a procedure done specifically by an ophthalmology specialist and has excellent results. Best of luck.

Mahalo,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA