Cataracts in 44 dogs (77 eyes): A comparison of outcomes for no treatment, topical medical management, or phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation.

Outcomes for 77 cataractous eyes were compared after each eye underwent no treatment, topical medical treatment only, or phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation. Median follow-up time for all dogs was 2.3 y. Failure occurred in all untreated eyes and the rate of failure was 65 and 255 times higher than in medically and surgically treated eyes, respectively. The failure rate was 4 times higher in dogs receiving only medical treatment compared with dogs that received surgery. Across all groups, the success rate for mature and hypermature cataracts was lower than for immature cataracts. Regardless of cataract stage, the chance of success was higher for eyes undergoing phacoemulsification than for eyes that received medical management only. Results of this study support prompt referral for phacoemulsification when cataracts are diagnosed in dogs or, if referral is not possible, topical anti-inflammatory therapy.