Eyes are an essential part of animal anatomy. For the good health of our pets, taking care of their peepers is important. Like humans, animals also develop ocular conditions like vision impairment and glaucoma. If glaucoma in your pets is diagnosed at an early stage, there are better chances of recovery. Knowing the signs of glaucoma can help you identify whether your pet has it or not and rush them to Virginia Beach animal hospital for timely treatment.
So, let’s understand glaucoma in pets and signs to identify it.
Similar to humans, pets’ eyes are filled with aqueous humor, a fluid. This fluid drains from the eyes at a constant rate, maintaining consistent pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma refers to a medical condition wherein there is increased pressure within the eyes.
Pets can develop glaucoma due to various factors and conditions. Some form of glaucoma develops due to genetic abnormality in the pet’s eyes. However, most often, glaucoma in pets is caused due to secondary reasons.
Some of the most common causes of glaucoma in pets are eye trauma, cancer, cataracts, abnormal positioning of eye lenses, and inflammation of the eyes.
Signs of Trouble
The glaucomatous eye can cause discomfort to the pets. In not treated in time, the pet can become permanently blind. As a responsible pet parent, you must know the signs of glaucoma in pets so that timely treatment at Virginia Beach vet hospital can start.
Look for symptoms like
- Teary eyes
- Eye redness
- Squinting
- Constant Rubbing of the eye
- Cloudy eyes
- Reduced appetite
- Low activity level
- Visibility issues
- Change in the eye shape
Usually, eye problems in pets start small and often go unnoticed. Moreover, it’s not easy to differentia glaucoma with other eye problems. Thus, it’s advised to seek help from specialists whenever you suspect eye disorder in your pet.
Eye problems in pets are a pet emergency that requires immediate attention. If you find your pet continually rubbing his eyes or having red or cloudy eyes, bring him to the vet or fix an ophthalmologist appointment.
The eye specialist will perform a test on the eyes to determine the cause of discomfort. The doctor may also perform a tear production test to look for ulcers or scratches in the eyes.
Glaucoma is established if the eye pressure readings are abnormal. The readings are taken with a medical instrument called a tonometry pen. The pen is touched on the surface of the eyeball to measure the pressure inside the eye globe. After glaucoma is diagnosed, the cause of the disorder is determined. In most cases, like cataracts or uveitis, glaucoma can be removed surgically. However, fixing glaucoma is surgically is not possible in every situation. In such cases, the condition is managed with medicines and eye drops. In extreme cases, the best option is to remove the painful eye.