07:13 PM PST on Wednesday, February 11, 2004

By ERIC RIDDLE / Evening Magazine

Many of us take the gift of sight for granted, yet we can't imagine living without it. But what if that gift began to disappear? Worse yet, disappear from your best friend?

Before Frans and Leah Keylard said "I do" to each other, they first said “yes” to a new best friend.

From the beginning, this tight trio have been inseparable.

This happy family went on several adventures over the years, but one night last year, the three began a journey they never expected to take.

Mow Mow's feels playful again since the surgery.

They noticed their dog’s eyesight was deteriorating when she ran into a fence.

As the days passed, the dog's eyes become worse quickly and within just days, she was completely blind and her eye were white.

Mow Mow's sight was gone.

Her eyes had been taken over by the leading cause of blindness in dogs: cataracts.

Now every step their dog takes is a step into the unknown.

Like many homes, Mow Mow is more than just a pet, she's part of the family.

When the couple learned there was a chance her vision could be restored, they were willing to do whatever it took.

“People automatically assume cataracts come on only in the elderly, but in dogs in many cases it’s very young dogs,” said Dr. Tom Sullivan, a board-certified veterinary opthamologist at Seattle's Animal Eye Clinic.

Over the years, Dr. Sullivan has treated countless animals who suffer from this debilitating disease.

"A cataract is when the lens inside the eye instead of remaining clear becomes opaque, starts to turn white,” he explained. “In the worst case scenario, when the entire lens is white, animals and people can still see light and dark, but it’s like looking threw a snow covered windshield."

Most dogs who develop cataracts inherit the disease, but in Mow Mow's case, her cataracts were brought on by diabetes.

“We almost treat diabetic cataracts in dogs as an emergency of sorts because it can accrue from complete clarity to complete opaque in a four-day period,” he said. "The lens can actually expand and burst inside the eye."

Though the price of cataract surgery can reach as high as $2,500, the Keylards felt the choice was clear.

On the day of the surgery, Leah’s and Frans’ emotions were mixed. They were both excited and worried about the surgery.

The procedure and equipment used to remove cataracts in dogs is the same used on humans.

"What we do is go in and tear a circular opening in the front of that lens capsule. We use an ultrasound probe to go in through that opening and remove all the cloudy lens material and then replace it with an artificial lens which slides back into the animal’s own lens capsule,” said Dr. Sullivan.

The surgery lasted an hour, but its effect will last a lifetime.

With the cataract curtain removed from her eyes, all Dr. Sullivan could do was wait.

A few weeks after surgery, the Keylards back taking walks with Mow Mow. They said she seems like a different dog, like she was six years younger.

It's a gift not often given twice. But thanks to two loving owners and some medical magic, Mow Mow’s world never looked so good.

The cataract surgery was conducted by Dr. Tom Sullivan at the Animal Eye Clinic at 5339 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105, Tel. 206-524-8822.