My senior dog has cataracts. Is she too old for eye cataract surgery?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Female | spayed | 14 years and 5 months old | 11 lbs
My Yorkie has cataracts in both eyes, one believes to be in the early stages the other is more serious (white ice appearance) She is 14 yrs old. Is that to old to have them removed?
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on June 4th, 2017
It is hard to evaluate eyes based on a photo. If your vet has told you your dog has cataracts, whether or not surgery is an option depends on a few factors. These include your pets overall health (a physical exam and bloodwork can help determine this), whether or not your pet will tolerate the aftercare (including frequent eye drops at first), and if your dog can still be visual once the cataract is removed (you may need to see an ophthalmologist for special testing to determine this). I would start with a general wellness exam and blood screening at your vet. If all looks good the next step would be a consultation with an ophthalmologist. More info can be found at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=659
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on August 30th, 2017
Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about this problem in one of your puppies. Cataract surgery probably varies widely as far as cost across the US but most large urban areas have eye specialists who received further training in eye problems and are certified opthalmologists. They would be the only vets I would trust with a cataract surgery since it is so specialized. These procedures typically are not inexpensive since they are only done by board certified veterinary opthalmologists. One of my concerns would be in this puppy is the other eye going to develop one? I wish you the best of luck with this situation. I would advise not breeding that female and male again since this is most likely a genetic problem but you can discuss this with your veterinarian. It is possible that some trauma caused the cataract.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on January 24th, 2021
Cataracts may be removed surgically, but you would need to have Nella examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist to make this determination. You can search for one at the link below. Not all dogs with cataracts will be able to have surgery. https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/cataracts/ https://www.acvo.org/ophthalmologist-search
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on May 17th, 2018
Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Luci were my dog I would not treat the cataracts. I've seen complications such as the development of glaucoma, which can be quite painful and can even lead to the need to surgically remove the eye if bad enough. To me, the risk of this complication is not worth putting a dog through unless the cataracts are causing severe problems. You can try eye drops such as Ocluvet, which is an antioxidant eye drop that is supposed to help with cataracts but its effectiveness has been debated. You can purchase these online quite easily. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!
20Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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