Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common are cataracts in normal, diabetic, and dehydrated cats
By Williams, David L & Heath, M Fred·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2006·Queen's Veterinary School Small Animal Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of feline cataract: results of a cross-sectional study of 2000 normal animals, 50 cats with diabetes and one hundred cats following dehydrational crises.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that cataracts are common in older cats, particularly those with diabetes or a history of dehydration. Normal cats typically start showing signs of cataracts around 12.7 years old, while diabetic cats show them much earlier, around 5.6 years. Cats that have experienced dehydration tend to develop cataracts around 9.9 years. This means that if you notice cloudy eyes in your older cat, especially if they have diabetes or have been dehydrated, it’s a good idea to have them checked by a vet.
People also search for: cat cataracts symptoms · diabetic cat eye problems · signs of dehydration in cats
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: In this study 2000 normal cats, 50 cats with diabetes and 100 cats with a history of dehydrational crises were examined ophthalmoscopically to determine presence of cataract. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cats examined were predominantly from veterinary hospital populations but also from re-homing facilities and breeding catteries. Prevalence of cataract was determined for different age groups (year cohorts). The age at which prevalence of cataract was 50% (C(50)) was determined indirectly from a fitted prevalence curve as previously described. C(50) was determined for animals of different genders and different breeds as well as for those with diabetes and histories of dehydrational episodes related to chronic renal failure, chronic vomiting or chronic diarrhea. RESULTS: The mean +/- standard deviation of C(50) for all normal cats in the study was 12.7 +/- 3.4 years. All cats over 17.5 years were affected by some degree of lens opacity. C(50) for cats with diabetes was 5.6 +/- 1.9 years (significantly different from normal cats at P < 0.0001). For cats with a history of dehydrational crises C(50) was 9.9 +/- 2.5 (difference from normal cats nearing statistical significance at P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The study yields novel findings regarding the prevalence of age-related cataract in normal cats together with cats with diabetes and history of previous dehydrational episodes in which prevalence of cataract is increased.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16939463/