Herbal remedies for cataracts in dogs

Can herbal remedies help cataracts in dogs?

Have you noticed that your dog’s eyes are starting to cloud up with a whitish tinge? This is generally indicative towards the fact that your dog is probably developing cataract. Just like humans, dogs can also get affected by cataract. It is a cloudy area inside the lens of the eye and impedes your dog’s vision.   

Please read this first: no supplement, herb or eye drop has been proven to stop, reverse or dissolve cataracts in dogs. Surgery by a veterinary ophthalmologist is the only treatment that restores vision (VCA Animal Hospitals). Not every cloudy eye is a cataract, either: many older dogs get a harmless bluish haze called lenticular (nuclear) sclerosis, and only a vet can tell them apart. The nutrition ideas below are general eye-health support, not a cure.

See your vet promptly if: the cloudiness appears suddenly, your dog is also drinking and peeing more (diabetes can cause cataracts that progress quickly), or the eye looks red, painful, or your dog squints. Untreated cataracts can cause inflammation inside the eye (lens-induced uveitis) and painful glaucoma (VCA Animal Hospitals).

If you are worried about your dog developing this heinous disease and losing his or her vision, read the full blog post to know the home remedies you can use to prevent cataract as well as to heal your dog if he or she is suffering from cataract.

Do you know why cataracts occur in dogs and what are the normal preventive measures available for the same? I invite you to check out my blog post on cataract: cataracts in dogs the causes symptoms and treatment options. When dogs develop cataract, the crystalline lens in the eye loses its transparency and light from outside can no longer reach the retina. This leads to a vision disorder. Depending on the age and previous health conditions of your dog, cataract can either develop slowly or it may develop before you realize.

If you are still reading, then you know what is cataract in case of dogs, its causes, symptoms as well as treatment options available. Let’s focus on the natural remedies which are available for cataracts. Natural remedies cannot heal a cataract, and none has been proven to slow it down. At best, a good diet supports overall eye health. Let’s look at the natural cataract remedies for dogs

About supplement doses: complete commercial dog foods already contain vitamins A and E, and too much vitamin A can be toxic. Ask your vet before adding any vitamin or antioxidant supplement, and let them set the dose for your dog’s weight and diet.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is known to be an antioxidant by virtue of which it prevents cells from ageing fast. It has also been known to improve vision. You can use the following dose of vitamin C as a supplement to keep your dog from developing cataract and also to keep your dog young and healthy:

Ask your vet whether this supplement suits your dog and at what dose.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A has proven that it can act as a shield of good health. It is known to be the best supplement for eye care. It has also shown to protect the integrity of the epithelium of the eye. This epithelium primarily covers the eyeball. If you wish to administer vitamin A to your dog as a supplement, kindly check out the following doses

Ask your vet whether this supplement suits your dog and at what dose.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is another natural antioxidant. It has been known to heal the oxidative damage which occurs in tissues as and when ageing happens. To administer vitamin E as a regular supplement to your dog, check out the following doses:

Ask your vet whether this supplement suits your dog and at what dose.

Coenzyme Q 10

Coenzyme Q 10 is another natural antioxidant. It is commonly taken by humans as well as dogs. It is an antioxidant, but there is no good evidence that it slows or reverses cataracts in dogs. The following doses of coenzyme Q 10 should be administered to dogs:

Ask your vet whether this supplement suits your dog and at what dose.

The Dosage of coenzyme Q 10 as well as vitamins can be divided into half and the portions can be administered once in the morning and once in the evening.

Bilberry extract: 

Certain herbal remedies have been observed to reduce the rate of cataract advancement. Among these, Bilberry extract has been observed to be pretty effective. Bilberry contains an antioxidant which has the ability to fight diseases. It is for this reason that Bilberry is also sometimes referred to as the vision herb.

Other herbal remedies

Other herbs which may be used to counteract and reduce cataract progression are rosemary, meadow sweet, grape seed extract, turmeric as well as burdock. Never put homemade herbal teas or washes in your dog’s eyes; they aren’t sterile and can cause infection or irritation.

Carrots

Remember when your mother told you that carrots must be eaten since they are good for your eyes? Not only was she right about your eye, she was also right about your dog’s eye. The reason behind this is the presence of beta carotene carotenoid in carrots. Lutein, another carotenoid  which is found in leafy greens can also help reduce the progression of canine cataracts and protect the eye from any further damage.

Topical treatment

Succus cineraria with artificial tears in a 50:50 ratio has been promoted for cataracts, but there’s no good evidence it works in dogs; ask your vet before using any eye drop. Other topical treatments which have shown mixed results in case of canine cataracts are cysteine ascorbate, riboflavin, glutathione and l-taurine. 

Now that you know the natural supplements people use for eye health, what about the efficacy of the same?

The primary thing to remember here for all the guardians is that supplements are not miracle workers. Thus, no one should expect instant results. Currently there is a growing support towards the administration and usage of the natural remedies for canine cataract. There is no proof that supplements prevent or treat cataracts in dogs. However, these treatments have shown no permanent effect so far. 

Another promising remedy: eyedrops with lanosterol

Lanosterol is an organic compound which has recently been discovered as one that can improve vision by just dissolving the clumped proteins which form cataracts. A 2015 laboratory study reported that lanosterol reduced cataract severity in a few dogs, but later research has not confirmed it, and no lanosterol eye drop is approved for dogs. Don’t buy online ‘cataract-dissolving’ drops.

Balanced lifetime diet

A balanced lifetime diet can help prevent the occurrence of cataract in your dog. Obesity is one of the factor which contributes to the risk of diabetes and cataracts. So keep an eye on your dog’s weight always. Provide your dog food items which are rich in amino acids like cysteine, glycine, glutamic acid, bioflavonoids, zinc, manganese, selenium and finally vitamin A, C, E.

Nutraceuticals

Nutraceuticals like wheat grass sprouts have shown a great promise as natural treatment for canine cataracts. You can either feed your dog fresh sprouts or you can purchase high-quality wheat grass powder supplement for your pup.

Algae/ seaweed

Algae/seaweed possesses the minerals, vitamins, liver detoxifier and antioxidants which have detoxifying properties which can act as natural canine cataract remedy. 

Whole krill

Krill is an amazing source of carotenoid, astaxanthin and other great antioxidants which are recommended to keep your dog’s eye safe and sound.

Conclusion:

Have you ever tried using natural remedies for canine cataracts? Please share your experiences in the comment section below. If you have a story or anecdote about your pup that you wish to share on my blog, please contact me on one of my social media channels.

See you in my next blog post

Shruti