One of the authors (D. L. W.) visited ophthalmologists in Great Britain, Europe and the USA to assess current practice in the surgery of cataracts in dogs. This paper describes the results of these visits and provides a survey of the literature. The success rates in canine cataract surgery have increased markedly in the last 10 years, particularly as a result of the introduction of phacoemulsification techniques and the reduction in the use of extracapsular cataract extraction; these new techniques and the problems they seek to overcome are discussed. The paper also considers the developing field of intraocular lens implantation, the rationale behind such developments and the benefits and potential problems which may occur after the extraction of a cataract and the implantation of a lens.