Glaucoma Infection

Glaucoma is a disease that many people get, but dog owners don't realize that their precious pets can also suffer from it. Knowing the causes and symptoms of glaucoma can help pet owners recognize glaucoma when it is happening to their pet so that treatment can be sought sooner rather than later.

  1. What is Glaucoma?

    • Glaucoma, which can affect one or both eyes of a dog, occurs when the pressure of the inner eye is too great. The pressure is caused by the inability of the eye to drain the normal discharge produced by the eye. The discharge continues to be produced, but because it cannot be drained away the pressure builds and builds. The part of the eye can only cope with the pressure for so long, and then it becomes painful.

    Canine Glaucoma Symptoms

    • Usually the symptoms of glaucoma in a dog are very obvious. Most dogs with acute glaucoma will start having what appears to be nervous twitches or will rub their eye constantly. Usually the dog will also have a red and sometimes swollen eye that appears cloudy or blurry. The pupil of the eye will begin to widen and the dog will eventually go blind. In chronic cases of canine glaucoma, the eye will grow bigger and bigger until the pupil dislocates from the eye and the blurry or cloudy look is even more noticeable.

    Causes

    • The cause of glaucoma will vary from dog to dog, but generally it is caused by one of two things. In many cases, glaucoma is an inherited condition. This type of glaucoma does not need any infection; instead, there is a genetic predisposition for glaucoma to occur. This is usually due to a malformation or disturbed development of the eye.

      In other situations, the glaucoma will occur when there is an infection or disease of the eye. If the disease or infection renders the eye unable to drain the discharge, it can lead to glaucoma. For this reason, it is important to treat any eye infections or illnesses as soon as they are discovered.

    Treatment

    • The treatment of glaucoma usually involves decreasing the pain, which is done through the reduction of pressure in the eye. If caught early enough, this reduction of pressure can avoid further problems. In advanced cases, the only option is to keep the dog as comfortable as possible with pressure reduction. In severe cases, the eye is often removed.

    Side-effects of Glaucoma

    • Pain is the biggest issue associated with glaucoma, although some dogs will not experience much pain until the disease is quite advanced. Blindness, if not treated early on, is almost always a result. In cases that are not treated, even after blindness occurs, death can often follow.