Cataracts are classically defined as an opacity within the lens, directly obscuring visualization of the fundus. There is currently no approved medical therapy for management of cataracts in dogs. Surgical correction has historically been performed as an intracapsular procedure, but phacoemulsification, an extracapsular extraction, is now the preferred method of surgical correction. Breeds predisposed to development of both cataracts and lens-induced uveitis warrant special consideration, as delay in phacoemulsification may result in chronic lens-induced uveitis and severe visual impairment post-operatively. Success rates of phacoemulsification within 6 months postoperatively drop from 95% with no pre-existing lens-induced uveitis to 52% if the condition exists before surgical correction. Owners with dogs with congenital or juvenile cataracts should be counseled about the possibility of development of this condition, and its potentially devastating consequences for future visual acuity post-operatively.