Feline Cataracts – Remedies/Treatment
Feline cataracts treatment focuses on the underlying cause. Anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics are prescribed when the inflammation uveitis is the cause. Veterinarians cannot medically shrink or reverse the actual cataract and cannot surgically remove it until any inflammation is brought under control.
A veterinary ophthalmologist is usually called in to assess a patient’s suitability for surgery. Genetic cataracts and those that spontaneously develop may be surgically removed; however, cataracts associated with inflammation cannot. In the case of an inoperable feline cataract, caregivers may be reassured to know that cats adapt well to blindness, so long as their environment remains constant. Caregivers should refrain from changing furniture groupings and should confine blind cats to the indoors or an enclosed porch or patio in order to provide their cat with a secure environment.
Operable feline cataracts are removed by phacoemulsification. (Laser feline cataract surgery does not exist.) Under this procedure (performed under general anesthesia), the veterinary surgeon dilates the pupil and makes a small incision in the cornea. He then makes a tear in the front lens capsule and removes a circular piece of the capsule. The surgeon uses the ultrasonic waves of a phacoemulsification instrument to break apart and suck out the lens. He then implants a prosthetic lens after cleaning the lens capsule of any remaining tissue and stitches the cornea closed. These implants mimic natural lens function as closely as possible.
Veterinary surgeons also perform intracapsular and extracapsular lens extractions to treat feline cataracts. Extracapsular extractions are performed when a phacoemulsification machine is unavailable or the machine is not powerful enough to break apart an old or hardened cataract. The major difference between this procedure and phacoemulsification is that, in extracapsular extractions, cornea and lens capsule incisions must be made large enough to remove the entire lens. Intracapsular extractions differ in that the entire lens capsule is removed during the procedure because the lens has shifted and is no longer held stationary inside the eye. Any implant is sewn into place, since the lens capsule has been removed. Surgical removal may not be indicated when feline cataracts occur secondary to another eye disorder.
Cats are usually medicated prior to surgery to combat uveitis that occurs after the eye has been reopened. This medical therapy continues for several weeks post surgery. The eye is monitored for pressure buildup, as well, and anti-glaucoma medications are administered when needed.
The herbs, vitamins and minerals discussed below can also help supplement any conventional course of treatment or health maintenance program. It would be wise, however, to confirm with a veterinary professional whether a particular herb or herbs will adversely interact with treatment before administering any. Supplementation with NuVet Plus has been shown to greatly help feline patients in general and to protect cats from developing bacterial infections or any of the systemic diseases that contribute to cataract development by strengthening the body against attack from infectious agents. NuVet Plus ingredients also promote general vision health and help eyes to recover quickly from injuries that might otherwise result in feline cataracts. Even your most expensive cat foods can lack the proper nutrition necessary to optimal cell function and longevity. Our scientists formulated NuVet Plus after extensive testing with many different ingredients and combinations of ingredients, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, brewer’s yeast, evening primrose oil, whey protein, blue green algae, cat’s claw, iron and shark cartilage. The addition of alpha amylase to the formula helps the body absorb these ingredients as quickly as possible.
NuVet Plus obtains its Vitamin B complex from chicken liver, which is good for boosting immunity. NuVet paddle-dries its chicken liver to better retain Vitamin B complex, Vitamins A and C and important omega fatty acids. The NuVet Plus formula gives a cat’s immune system a synergistic and powerful antioxidant boost to help it fight off the effects of free radicals. When NuVet Plus is added to a cat’s diet, it jumps in to assist her natural defense system.
NuVet Plus’s ingredients provide the nutrients necessary to proper hormonal balance, improve resistance to disease and parasites, and heal tissues from the ravages of infection and injury. They also support and strengthen the immune system to better resist attack by infectious agents. The instance of infections can be slowed and even prevented altogether through the continuous use of NuVet Plus and a proper diet.
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