Well I work for an ophthalmologist (a human eye doctor) and I just wanted to calm your fears a little. Cataracts are something that we will all probably develop if we live long enough. They are normally referred to as "age-related cataracts" and that is because most cases of cataracts are simply due to the aging process. I have had dogs that have lived into their teens and was told that they had advancing cataracts.

Most people do nothing about it because the cost is prohibitive and at the time of diagnosis they unfortunately do not have that many years left. I had a friend from work, many years ago, whose standard poodle developed them at an earlier age and chose to have the surgery. The choice is ultimately yours. Please don't feel badly if you choose not to proceed. Dogs, and people for that matter, with cataracts do quite well. The problem with people is that some of them continue to drive and that is often a problem.