For any successful treatment of glaucoma, the dog's owner must contact a trusted veterinarian. The veterinarian is likely to try a pharmaceutical option first, especially if she does not consider the condition too far gone. In more serious cases, however, cyclotherapy or surgery may be required to save the animal's vision in the affected eye.Continue Reading
Glaucoma in dogs is caused when inordinate pressure upon the eye prohibits the proper drainage of fluid. Thus, medications designed to alleviate that pressure and bring it down to normal ranges are a first-line solution. If too late or ineffective, the veterinarian may progress to cyclotherapy, which uses cold temperatures to stop the cells actually producing the fluid. Surgical options typically entail physically draining that fluid from the eye.
Because glaucoma in dogs is often initially misdiagnosed or simply diagnosed too late, treatments are unfortunately also administered too late in many instances. In such cases, the eye requires removal. However, specialists encourage owners that affected dogs commonly adjust well after losing the diseased eye, as they have likely been dealing with the lack of vision for an extended period of time. If the dog does lose an eye, the owner should be especially vigilant when it is outdoors, susceptible to traffic or other animals.Learn more about Veterinary Health