Last week, Ella leapt off the sofa to catch a passing fly. Ella is a 10-year-old black miniature poodle that lives in Gozo with her half-sister Nina, a chocolate brown miniature poodle, both bouncing with energy.

But this past year, Ella has been having increasing difficulty keeping up with Nina. She had started developing cataracts in both her eyes. Although she was adapting fairly well within the carefully structured environment of her home, she was finding it increasingly difficult to cope outdoors.

So on the morning that Ella flew off the sofa and caught that ill-fated fly, her owners had good reason to cele­brate because, six weeks earlier, Ella had undergone a cataract operation.

The eye works like an old-fashioned camera. It has a clear lens that projects the targeted image onto the retina. Cataract is the term used for any opacity that develops within the lens. As it builds up, vision diminishes until the lens becomes totally clouded over and eyesight is completely lost. Technically, this is known as ‘mature cataract’.

There are various reasons why cataracts occur. The most naturally occurring problem is age-related. Then there is the matter of breed, with some canine breeds more prone to developing cataracts than others. Diabetes is also a primary cause of cataracts and is certainly one of the things your vet would check for and consider when faced with a case of developing cataracts.

When cataracts develop gradually, as often occurs with age, dogs manage to mentally map familiar surroundings. This, coupled with an acute sense of smell, helps them to get around their house without difficulty. Stairs, however, can remain tricky.

Outdoors, it’s another problem altogether. Unfamiliar surroundings, combined with noise distractions and the realities of road traffic in built-up areas, are all hazards any dog with cataracts would find challenging or life-threatening. But not every old dog develops cataracts.

You might notice that your dog of, say, six years or so, has eyes which are starting to look blueish-grey, when you are positive that your dog’s eyes were not this colour when it was younger. This colour may be due to a very natural development of the lens called nuclear sclerosis.

Nuclear sclerosis is a natural hardening of the lens that occurs with age and causes the lens to de­velop a greyish appearance. If you do notice this gradual change in the colour of your dog’s eyes, it would be best to mention this to your vet during your next visit. Your vet is best placed to distinguish between cataracts and nuclear sclerosis.

Another eye condition occasionally seen in dogs is a chronic superficial keratitis, also known as pannus. This is a slow yet progressive inflammation of the eye’s cornea which, if left untreated, causes blindness due to the granulation tissue which infiltrate the surface of the cornea, causing it to lose its transparency. The exact cause of this condition is unknown, though it is mostly thought to be related to auto-immunity or allergens. Pannus often requires lifelong treatment, and your veterinarian will advise you as to what you can do to help alleviate your dog’s condition.

The eye works like an old-fashioned camera

Glaucoma is another eye condition where the entire eyeball in­creases in size. It is a very serious condition which can cause blind­ness. The liquid in the eye (called humor) is not a stagnant liquid but is continuously drained and replenished. If your dog’s eyes develop an alteration of this balance with impaired drainage of the humor, it will result in glaucoma of the eye.

The third eyelid is a physical concept present in some animals, but totally alien to humans. The third eyelid is a fold of skin situated in the corner of the eye (nasal side) and is found both in dogs and cats, birds, reptiles and some other mammals.

The technical term for the third eyelid is nictitating membrane. This membrane provides added protection and moisturising of the eyeball. Many cat owners have seen this, as it typically protrudes when the cat is sick. Dog owners who are very familiar with this membrane are usually owners of English bulldogs, since this breed often suffers from inflammation of the third eyelid to the extent that it needs to be surgically removed.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the eye which you would notice if your dog or cat starts to have continuously watery eyes. This can be caused by bacterial or viral infections or by dust or smoke irritation. It can also be due to an irritation caused by the hairs around the eye getting into the eye itself. When this occurs, it would be a good thing to have the fur around the eyes trimmed very carefully or the hairs on the head tied up. Poodles are particularly prone to conjunctivitis.

Entropion is the word we use for a condition most commonly seen in pointers and dalmatians. This is when the lower eyelid is overgrown from birth and folds inward into the eye. The continuous presence of hair and skin in the eye causes a constant irritation of the eye, bringing about conjunctivitis requiring surgery to pull the skin back and reverse the situation.

These are by no means a full list of eye problems that can occur in dogs and cats, yet they are a re­minder of the diversity of the problems that do occur. Foreign bodies in the eye, ulcers of the cornea due to a deep scratch or injury, severe cherato conjunctivitis in kittens due to chlamydia infection, as well as retinal detachment, are all conditions that could cause blindness and require expert advice as early as possible if the eyes are to be saved.

For dogs such as Ella, or for canine breeds prone to getting cataracts, there are special vitamins that can help minimise their onset and which are worth considering. In the meantime, Ella’s devoted owners are delighted that she is once again indulging in her pastime of fly-catching. She’s well on her way to a full recovery.

thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com

Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.

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