Did you know that about 1 in every 50 dogs will get glaucoma in their lifetime? My mom knows about Glaucoma because humans also get it but she had no idea us doggies can have the disease as well. Glaucoma is a disease that elevated the pressure within your eyes. The fluid within the eye increases because its exits are blocked or restricted. It is suppose to hurt and will eventfully lead to blindness (yikes!).
There are two types of dog Glaucoma:
- Primary — This type may be congenital or the dog has a genetic predisposition for glaucoma. There is a structural or functional problem that prevents the drainage. It occurs without any injury or trauma to the eye.
- Secondary — This type is not thought to be inherited and it can occur in any breed. It is usually the result of bleeding, inflammation in the eye, lens issues, or a tumor.
But if caught early enough our pals at the Vets office can help delay the onset. So I told mom that we need to tell you guys what we are suppose to be looking for to catch this nasty disease early. Here are the early signs:
- Redness or cloudiness in the eye
- Squinting
- Abnormal discharge from the eye
- Sudden lost of vision
- Photophobia — sensitivity to light.
If you seen any of the signs it is an emergency! Get us to the the vet ASAP!
Some of the treatments include, eye drops and/or pills by mouth. Surgery is another option, they freeze parts of the eye or even put a shunt in. And finally if the eye is extremely painful they will remove it.
My pals…take good care of those eyes. I know I will!
that looks like my Caviler Spaniels eye ball. She went suddenly blind within a month! The vet couldn’t explain it except maybe she has a tumor on her brain. We couldn’t afford to get a cat scan/Mri on her to see if it was a tumor. That was 3 years ago. W
My dog develop glaucoma in past 6 mos
she is on two eye drops Dorzolamide HCL 2% and Timolo Maleate 0.5%
It is painful for me look at her eye, but I do not know what I can do for her.
She is 13 years old
Is any way I can do for her