From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2008-03-24 16:24:57 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: surgery for cataracts in ferrets??
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Here is how to find specialists:
http://www.acvo.com/
http://www.ecvo.org/public/index.htm
Here are some veterinary pages (dogs and
cats so far in the search but there is info
which would be useful):
http://www.veterinaryvision.com/public_forum/Cataract.htm
which includes
BEGIN SHORT QUOTES OF LARGE ARTICLE WITH VIDEO
A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye and is the
most common cause of blindness in dogs. Cataracts can be
caused by injuries or diabetes, but most cataracts in dogs
are inherited. Any opacity in the lens is called a cataract; very
small spots do not significantly affect vision.
...
There are no medications which are effective in treating or
preventing cataracts. A cataract is not a growth; treatment
requires surgical removal of the lens
...
surgery to remove the lens uses phacoemulsification, the same
procedure used in people. Once the lens is removed, it is replaced
with an artificial lens inserted into the pocket
END QUOTES
http://www.veterinaryvision.com/dvm_forum/dvm-cataracts.htm
http://www.eyevet.info/cataract.html
http://www.vrcc.com/ophthamology/cat_surgery_info.html
This contains a section on eye diseases of ferrets:
http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-dept/avian-exotic-dept/common-ferret-
eye-problems.aspx
including:
BEGIN SHORT QUOTE FROM LARGER ARTICLE
On rare occasions, surgery may be done to remove the cataract,
but this is not always practical.
"Cataracts surgery is relatively risky in ferrets," Burgess said. "They
have very small eyes and doing a lens extraction on them is more
difficult than it is on a dog or a cat. Most of the time ferret owners
don't opt for it [because of] the risk involved and the cost, which
can be quite high."
END QUOTE
Finding an artificial lens of the right size
could prove difficult, I'd imagine.
These will also be of interest:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=11&cat=1284&articleid=542
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8158980
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