A cataract is any opacity of the lens or its capsule. In cats the cause is the first thing to settle: unlike dogs, in which inherited and diabetic cataracts dominate, most feline cataracts follow inflammation inside the eye. So a cat with a cloudy lens needs an eye and systemic workup, not just a surgical referral.
Key facts
Cataracts at a glance- Species and system: cat; eye (lens).
- Main cause: anterior uveitis (MSD: in cats and horses most cataracts are secondary to anterior uveal inflammation).
- Other causes: inherited cataract (mostly in young animals), trauma, lens luxation.
- Diabetes: cats appear quite resistant to diabetic cataract, unlike dogs.
- Definitive treatment: surgical removal of the lens.
- Zoonotic or reportable: not usually; some underlying causes (for example toxoplasmosis) have public health relevance.
What's inside
13 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Working up a cat with a cloudy lens
- Cataract stages and what they mean for vision
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 3 tables, 1 figure, 3 self-test questions and 3 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.