Eye woes? Vet can offer advice

Dear Uncle Matty: My female dog will be 17 this year. She is a super dog and has a beautiful disposition. She is part Husky. She does not see very well, and someone told me that she might have cataracts. I haven't taken her to the vet yet as she is due for her shots in a month. Do dogs and cats get cataracts, and is it necessary to have them taken care of? How much does it cost, and what would you do? -- E.L., Springfield, Mass.

Dear E.L.: No doubt you have taken very good care of your wonderful companion, as she is enjoying a very long life. The loss of vision can be caused by a number of things. And, yes, dogs can develop cataracts that may be indicated by the clouding of the lens.

Almost all older dogs develop what is called a bilateral clouding, which looks like a gray or blue haze in certain lights. This can be confused with cataracts, yet it is part of the normal aging process, and the lenses will cloud more as the dog ages. Usually, this does not cause a problem with vision.

Other causes can be glaucoma, edema of the cornea (see a vet immediately), inflammation inside the eye and other conditions. All of these require diagnosis by a veterinarian. Surgery may or may not be warranted, and as long as your dog is not in pain and she seems happy, you may want to avoid surgery anyway. An anesthetic can be as much of a problem for an elderly dog as the condition you are trying to remedy. Costs also vary a lot region to region and clinic to clinic, so I wouldn't venture a guess. Find out what the problem really is, and get some expert advice from your dog's vet. Good luck to both of you.

And to all my friends who ask the question, "Why does my dog need training?" here are the answers. When a dog is well trained, a lot of the problems that normally drive you crazy are solved with a simple command. It is word magic!

For example, how do you stop your dog from dragging you down the street when you try to walk him on a leash? You teach your dog to HEEL.

How do you keep him from jumping on people? You say SIT, and your well-trained pooch will not dream of knocking down a child or leaping up on frail Aunt Anna.

How do you put on your dog's collar or leash without running all over the house? Simply ask your dog to SIT.

And what if company comes? Can you stop the doggy crazies that drive guests nuts and cause them to think twice before they visit you again? Of course. The command is DOWN/STAY. Your dog is comfortable, and so is the company.

Ever have your dog get out of the house when it wasn't time for a romp or a walk? If your dog is trained to COME WHEN CALLED, guess what. Call him, and he will come to you. Of course, remember that a well-trained dog always responds to your commands. Sometimes, almost all the time and most of the time are not enough.

If your dog isn't trained, please look for a trainer with good credentials and excellent references. Then, make sure the trainer uses love, praise and affection. If there is not a professional and qualified trainer near you or you cannot hire a professional at this time, then work with your dog yourself. You will be surprised how much you both can learn when you follow a paw-by-paw program based on love, praise and affection -- like my training videos, kits and books. Whatever you do, remember that training is not optional. It is a necessity.

Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Read Uncle Matty's columns at the Creators Syndicate Web site at www.creators.com and visit him at www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to dearunclemattyunclematty.com. Or mail your questions to him at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619. (C) Creators Syndicate

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