Layla may not have diabetes but she definitely has cataract.
Layla went to an eye specialist about 2 weeks ago and underwent a thorough eye exam. Her eye doctor did an eye pressure test to completely eliminate glaucoma. She passed! He also suspected corneal dystrophy could be in her genes. We told the vet that this is true, according to her breeder, her mom has corneal dystrophy now that she is 6 years old.
Why did Layla acquire cataract at such an early age? He went on to explain that there maybe a number of causes; 1.) inherited 2.)age 3.) caused by extreme trauma around the eye area and 4.) diabetes. Layla's previous history, though short, is not really clear. We could only speculate on how she was treated there. We know very little about her parents but it could be possible that this is an inherited condition from two parents who are carriers of the genes expressing cataract. Basically, everything is up in the air and we could do nothing else but to make Layla's life comfortable.
Layla's cataract is confined within the nucleus of her left eye. Unfortunately, the vet is not sure if this will progress so he would like to monitor Layla's condition with monthly visits. Fortunately, her condition is not affecting her sight at all. She responded normally to the tests given to her. He also does not think that it is necessary for her to undergo a $2852.35 eye surgery to remove this cloudiness. Yes, yikes! to the price.
He sent us home with a tube of eye drops and a few suggestions:
- Not to breed Layla. (Well, don't worry. She's spayed at the age of 7 months).
- No irritation allowed.
- No squinting.
- No tearing.
...and a bill for $208 for the examination and a tube of eyedrops.
