Hi everyone hope you can help. Just bought a pug cross and at the vet check I was advised she had cataracts. The breeders i bought her from have collected her and taken her for further checks but I'm a little confused about the process. I know the operation is costly, and I know any insurance i have for her will not cover the op because she was born with it. Does anyone know what steps I should expect from the breeder.

Thanks

What I was told when I saw an eye specialist with my dog, and this guy is a prof who lectures on the subject all over the world is that the op is very very rarely done on dogs even though dogs were used for human surgons to learn how to do the procedure.

The main reason is is not done routinely on dogs is that post op, the patient must stay very still and avoid eye movement for quite some time, something I'm sure you will agree is hard to achieve with a dog.

Good luck anyhow.

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Thanks for your help. I think I can cope with her not being able to see, I have an dog already and she is very good with her. Just wasn't sure if breeders have cover though becuase the figures I was quoted were quite high and I want to be prepared when they get back to me.

Thanks again x

Hello and welcome to the forum, I'm sorry it's such a sad first post for you

It's a difficult one, I've had a quick peek at the recommended health tests for pugs, and there's one for the spine, but nothing else really. I don't know if they suffer as a breed from cataracts, many breeds do have a certain amount of dogs affected within the gene pool, but I've never heard of a young pup with them before.

Jess2308 on here breeds pugs and may be able to help you a bit further, the only thing I can suggest is to look through the pedigree, and see if you can find out any more about the lines she's been bred from. That may give you a clue as to where this condition has possibly come from, and then take it from there.

Fingers crossed for you for the specialists

Some catracts can be dissolved with cortisone, it depends what sort they are. Good luck.

She@s at vets tonight, then hopefully specialist asap and all will be revealed. If she cannot be operated on would I be selfish by keeping her. I know we wold have to adapt things , but I'm sure it must be do able >

no you wouldnt be selfish keeping her at all, i'd do exactly the same if she were mine, dogs adapt very well to impaired vision or even blindness.

good luck at the vets i really hope the prognosis will be good for her visionx

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OK - I don't know about Pugs - but Cataracts can just happen (to dogs and humans) and don't always have a genetic link.

Similarly, cataracts in some breeds will have little, if any impact on the sight of the affected dog, although there are surgical procedures available to healthy dogs whose sight is impacted.

I am guessing that in this case, the dog wasn't being specifically eye tested, and therefore, the cataracts are obvious and therefore are impacting on it's sight Poor thing

I think you have to weigh up the risks and benefits of surgery against the impact it is having on the dog's sight - I've seen dogs with limited / no vision leading pretty much normal lives (although maybe not a good idea to move the furniture around regularly) - but they do adapt - and you should I think, quickly get a handle on the quality of life pupster is getting.

I do feel for you - Poor little mite - hope you can get some answers and hopefully solutions xx

Respect to the breeder that they have taken this on board and it sounds like they are supporting you.

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I just wanted to say when i was young we had a cavalier from a puppy who had cataracts. The breeder sold her at a reduced price due to this so we knew from the start but had an older cavalier already who helped take care of her.

At no point did this seem to affect her, she lived a happy life & it didn`t seem to affect her on a day to day basis. The only difference we observed was she obviously couldn`t judge the depth of the water in her dish as she always stuck her nose in first prior to having a drink.

It does sound as if the breeder is being supportive & i just wanted to give an insight that having a dog with cataracts does not mean it will be more difficult.

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Thanks for all your support, I will definatley be keeping her even whatever happens. We also have an older pug cross , she's one and half , amd she@s really taken to her. My main worry, I think , is that the breeder brought my money back when she took her and I'm just scared she won't bring her back.