Post by fred on Dec 1, 2011 20:23:02 GMT
This has been asked on other threads, and I have therefore translated the chapter on cataracts from a German veterinary book “Leitsymptome bei Meerschweinchen, Chinchilla und Degu: Diagnostischer Leitfaden und Therapie” by Ewringmann and Glockner. This book can be accessed through Google books.
The authors note that while cataracts can be seen regularly seen in guinea pigs and chinchillas, they are particularly prevalent in degus.
Cataracts can be age related, inherited, diabetic and osmotic.
Age related cataracts are degenerative changes of the lens and I assume that vets should be able to distinguish them from other types.
For inherited cataracts the authors note that that they are particularly found in guinea pigs but that they have also been described for degus. No further details are given.
In the course of diabetes, the associated metabolic changes can cause cataracts.
Similar to the diabetic cataracts are the osmotic cataracts of degus. These can occur at normal or only slightly increased levels of blood glucose levels of 150mg/dl. The underlying cause is a remarkably high concentration of the enzyme aldose reductase in the lens which catalyses the conversion of glucose and galactose into their respective osmotically active derivatives. The authors state that osmotic cataracts can be prevented through appropriate diet, but don't give further details.
For a determination of the cause, an exact and detailed anamnesis is required and if diabetes is suspected also a blood and/or urine test.
In this context, a recent paper ( www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21265850 ) is very interesting: In a retrospective study of 300 degus treated at the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno, Czech Republic, Jekl and colleagues found 40 degus with cataracts but only 12 with diabetes. Only two degus below 2 years had diabetes; in young degus cataracts must therefore be mostly inherited or osmotic. I am wondering, but haven't yet found anything to back this up, whether some of the inherited cataracts are in fact osmotic ones.
An interesting aspect of osmotic cataracts is that some may be reversible, but I haven't found this demonstrated for degus. However, this would fit reports that cataracts in some degus have cleared up. While it is often said that degus with cataracts can live a fairly normal live, it would be so much better if they could be more effectively prevented and perhaps reduced.
The authors note that while cataracts can be seen regularly seen in guinea pigs and chinchillas, they are particularly prevalent in degus.
Cataracts can be age related, inherited, diabetic and osmotic.
Age related cataracts are degenerative changes of the lens and I assume that vets should be able to distinguish them from other types.
For inherited cataracts the authors note that that they are particularly found in guinea pigs but that they have also been described for degus. No further details are given.
In the course of diabetes, the associated metabolic changes can cause cataracts.
Similar to the diabetic cataracts are the osmotic cataracts of degus. These can occur at normal or only slightly increased levels of blood glucose levels of 150mg/dl. The underlying cause is a remarkably high concentration of the enzyme aldose reductase in the lens which catalyses the conversion of glucose and galactose into their respective osmotically active derivatives. The authors state that osmotic cataracts can be prevented through appropriate diet, but don't give further details.
For a determination of the cause, an exact and detailed anamnesis is required and if diabetes is suspected also a blood and/or urine test.
In this context, a recent paper ( www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21265850 ) is very interesting: In a retrospective study of 300 degus treated at the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno, Czech Republic, Jekl and colleagues found 40 degus with cataracts but only 12 with diabetes. Only two degus below 2 years had diabetes; in young degus cataracts must therefore be mostly inherited or osmotic. I am wondering, but haven't yet found anything to back this up, whether some of the inherited cataracts are in fact osmotic ones.
An interesting aspect of osmotic cataracts is that some may be reversible, but I haven't found this demonstrated for degus. However, this would fit reports that cataracts in some degus have cleared up. While it is often said that degus with cataracts can live a fairly normal live, it would be so much better if they could be more effectively prevented and perhaps reduced.
