Australia: Cataracts: Tasmanian devil’s eye surgery successful

Australia
Cataracts: Successful eye surgery on Tasmanian devil

Vets in Australia have operated on a Tasmanian devil for a cataract for the first time – giving little Derrick his sight back.

The eleven-month-old cub is hand-raised by the Aussie Ark organization in a sanctuary near Sydney. His keeper Hewin Hochkins noticed small white dots in his protégé’s eyes some time ago, the organization said. The spots had grown so quickly that Derrick could hardly see. A vet diagnosed cataracts.

“This disease is common in dogs, but has never been seen in Tasmanian devils,” it said. Cataracts are also relatively common in older people. This is a clouding of the lens of the eye. As a result, the eyesight decreases, those affected see as if through a veil. If left untreated, cataracts can also lead to blindness.

animals under protection

Tasmanian devils live on the Australian island of Tasmania. The animals have been under protection since 1941. They have an extremely strong bite. Characteristic are the red ears, a wild screeching and a foul smell that the animals emit when excited.

After a series of tests, veterinarians at the Eye Clinic for Animals in Sydney were certain that Derrick was at risk of going blind if he was not operated on – and that they had to act quickly. “All in all, the procedure took around four hours,” said a spokesman for Aussie Ark of the German Press Agency.

The surgeons used the now widespread method of phacofragmentation of the cataractous lens. The core of the lens is sucked out using a cannula stimulated with ultrasound. Subsequently, Derrick received artificial lenses.

And how is Derrick now? “He’s fine! He passed all the tests of his veterinary team,” said the spokesman for Aussie Ark. However, he will spend some time with his foster father, Hewin Hochkins, before returning to the animal enclosure.

dpa