Treatment for trauma eye cataract in dog

On July 2nd I accidentally struck my dog in the right eye with the metal end of a leash. I struck him fairly hard. He seemed to be in immediate discomfort and didn't do much but lay around for the next two days.

On July 4th I noticed cloudiness beginning to develop in the eye, so I called the 24hr vet service. They indicated that they didn't think the problem was an emergency, so I made an appointment for the next day.

When I saw the vet on 7/5 they said there was swelling inside the cornea and gave me some prednisone drops (2 drops qid for 5 days).

On 7/11 the cloudiness in the eye was no better, and in fact worse, so I took my dog back. This time I saw a different vet who checked the pressure in the eye. It was around 50. He prescribed a round of oral prednisone in addition to the drops.

The Oral prednisone seemed to take away the dog's sluggishness - he had not been himself really since this happened. However, it still did nothing to take away the cloudiness in the eye.

On 7/22 I took my dog back to the vet. This time I saw yet another vet who told me that this was a trauma cataract and would be permanent. He also indicated that it may cause him discomfort and get infected and that the eye may have to be removed. A friend of mine suggested checking for a homeopathic solution, so I found ya'll online.

From what I've read I don't have much hope that this will go away, but I'd like to at least take away the dog's discomfort.

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Treatment for trauma eye cataract in dog

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My Online Vet Response for Treatment for trauma eye cataract in dog
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Hello,
You wrote,
When I saw the vet on 7/5 they said there was swelling inside the cornea and gave me some prednisone drops (2 drops qid for 5 days).

On 7/11 the cloudiness in the eye was no better, and in fact worse, so I took my dog back. This time I saw a different vet who checked the pressure in the eye. It was around 50. He prescribed a round of oral prednisone in addition to the drops.

From the photo you submitted, and this information, I am concerned that the cataract may have been 'dislodged' and is causing MORE pressure inside the eye, resulting in GLAUCOMA. NORMAL intra-ocular pressure in the dog's eye is 19-29 (usually measures around 20). As it increases it is VERY painful. Prednisone (in drop form or oral) is not the medicine used to decrease the pressure in the eye.

There is not a quick alternative or holistic treatment to decrease the pressure, although it has been reported that homeopathic remedies and acupuncture have been helpful in chronic treatment. Your dog should be seen immediately by a veterinary ophthalmologist to prescribe glaucoma drops.

A veterinary ophthalmologist will also be able to give you a prognosis on how much damage the cataract is doing if it has 'luxated' and is now 'loose' in the anterior chamber of his eye. A surgery to remove the cataract may be indicated, since the glaucoma drops can only decrease the pressure effectively in a 'normal' eye, not one with a luxated lens.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Related Pages: Dog Eye Problems

Additional Info.
by: Dave

Thanks so much for your response, Dr. Tillman. I can see from what you've written I need to include some more info that I forgot to give you before.

In the early days after the injury, I could see what looked like a 5 pointed spoke inside his eye. It appeared to have radial symmetry.

The second vet spoke about the risk of glaucoma. The pressure level of 50 in the eye was the reason he prescribed the oral prednisone. He said if it didn't work they may have to try glaucoma medicine.

The third vet also checked the pressure in the eye and it was 9. He indicated that he thought the barrier between the lens and the cornea had been broken and that lens material was leaking into the corneal area. The talked like that was the primary source of the cloudiness and that because the lens was so highly damaged my dog wasn't a good candidate for cataract removal.

I hope this additional info helps.

Dave

My Online Vet Response for Treatment for trauma eye cataract in dog
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Hi Dave,
Thank you for the additional information.

From a holistic standpoint, it is also important to take into account the REST of the patient, and not just his eye problem. But if surgical correction is not an option, then researching all of the remedies pertaining to eye injury and cataracts is as follows:

If the injury caused the cataract, there are 2 homeopathic remedies to be considered, ARNICA and CONIUM. Homeopathic remedies for eye injury, include symphytum, arnica, calendula, ledum, rhus tox and several others.

Inflammation after eye injury, include aconitum, arnica, hepar sulphur, and silicea.

For treatment of a cataract there are 101 different homeopathic remedies.

To narrow the search to the correct remedy, a holistic veterinarian would need to take the case. It would be impossible for me to treat your dog online. By taking the case, a holistic vet would determine your dog's constitution and how it fits one of the above remedies.

In the meantime, I would advise NO MORE vaccinations for your dog. And improving his health in general by providing a good healthy diet, NO DRY DOG FOOD. See our page on the best dog foods - especially a RAW dog food diet.

Also, a total blood panel would be advised to make sure he has no underlying health issues, which might be helped by diet corrections and/or supplements.

Vitamin C is a natural anti-inflammatory, and may be helpful in this case. Try Mega C powder, available from OrthoMolecular Specialties (
http://www.belfield.com/megac226.php). Add 1/4 tsp to his food two times daily. (DO NOT USE regular Vitamin C or ascorbic acid. It is TOO acidic for a dog's stomach. Mega C is composed of a buffered Vitamin C, and also contains all of the vitamins and minerals needed for a dog.)

Referring your dog to a 'holistic' veterinary ophthalmologist would be ideal! But if you find a holistic vet, a close monitoring of the intra-ocular pressure will be needed, so a veterinary ophthalmologist will need to be able to work with your holistic vet.

Click here to find a holistic vet near you or try the AVH.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

P.S. If you've found this service or our web site helpful, please "Like" us by clicking the like button at the top of the left margin. Thank you!

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Related Pages:
- Dog Eye Problems,
- Ask a Vet Online Library - Dog Eye Problems Section

Wrong!
by: Anonymous

There is no effective holistic treatment for traumatic cataract. Once the crystalline fibers of the lens have been disrupted, causing nonclarity of the lens, they can't be put back together again. Normally the lens is an "immune protected" site, meaning the lens contents aren't exposed to the body's usual immune system. If the lens capsule has ruptured, the immune system often reacts strongly against the contents of the exposed lens, creating marked inflammation. The debris from this inflammation may clog the internal drain of the eye (phacolytic glaucoma), causing high pressure, which may then cause irreversible optic nerve and vision damage. Prednisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory treatment, but inadequate alone when treating very high intraocular pressures.

This dog probably should have had prompt cataract surgery to remove the ruptured lens, combined with aggressive topical anti-inflammatory and anti-glaucoma treatment.

My online Vet Response for Treatment for Trauma eye cataract in dog
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Dear Dave,
Anonymous posted a response indicating that there was NO treatment for a cataract, to which I disagree. But I am concerned that your dog not only has a cataract but he has a 'luxated' cataract, meaning that it has become dislodged and is now in the anterior chamber of the eye. In this case, there is NO holistic treatment for this condition, surgery is the only option.

Of course, preparing your dog 'holistically' so he is in the best condition prior to surgery, would be advised. This is where I would advise that you find a holistic veterinarian to help.

To find a holistic veterinarian in your area click on the link below
find a holistic veterinarian in your area

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

P.S. If you've found this service or our web site helpful, please "Like" us
by clicking the like button at the top of the left
margin. Thank you!

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

More Info
by: Dave

The veterinary opthomologist quoted me a price for the cataract removal that was far beyond what I was willing to spend, and indicated that there was certainly no guarantee of success. My dog obviously can't see out of the eye, but he seems to function well enough with just one eye.

Thanks for all your advice.

My Online Vet Response for Treatment for trauma eye cataract in dog
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Hi Dave,
That is good. And if your dog continues to be stable with NO PAIN, that is the most important goal to maintain.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

P.S. If you've found this service or our web site helpful, please "Like" us
by clicking the like button at the top of the left
margin. Thank you!

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

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