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GLAUCOMA
Article refereed by Drs Jeff Smith and Cameron Whittaker at the Animal Referral Hospital, South Strathfield- see below for contact details.
This is a condition which occurs in both people and animals.
It is a very serious problem which left untreated can lead to loss of vision.
Glaucoma occurs when there is fluid build-up within the eyeball and the pressure inside the eye increases.
Normal eye processes
Eyes continuously make fluid (aqueous humor) to maintain their round shape- technically speaking, they are maintaining their Intra-Ocular Pressure (IOP).
“Old” fluid is filtered off through some tiny channels in the front (anterior) chamber of the eye, just below and in front of the iris.
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Normal appearance of an eye
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Glaucoma formation * Trademark owned or used under licence by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc |
Primary causes of glaucoma
Genetic eye defects
- Narrowed angle of filtration
- the angle of the drainage channels is too narrow, so “old” aqueous humor can not be drained off the eye
- Malformed drainage areas (Goniodysgenesis)
Secondary causes of glaucoma
Dislocation of the lens causing blockage of the drainage channels
- Inflammation of the eyeball (uveitis)
- Bleeding into the eyeball where the blood clot blocks the drainage channels
Trauma to the eye is one of the most common reasons for glaucoma, followed by genetic predisposition in certain breeds.
| Angle abnormalities are commonly seen in the following breeds | |
| American Cocker spaniel | Australian cattle dog |
| Basset hound | Beagle |
| Chihuahua | Cocker Spaniel |
| Fox terrier | Jack Russell Terrier |
| Poodle (miniature and toy) | |
| Inherited lens luxation are commonly seen in the following breeds | |
| Australian cattle dog | Dandi Dimont terrier |
| Fox terrier | Jack Russell |
| Lakeland terrier | Manchester terrier |
| Sealyham terrier | Tibetan terrier |
| Toy terrier | Welsh terrier |
Age incidence
Primary glaucoma can be seen at any age, but on average, dogs are 4-9 years old
Glaucoma due to lens luxation is usually in dogs 2-6 years old.
Symptoms
- Redness of the eyeball
- Cloudiness of the cornea giving a bluish appearance to the eye
- Semi-dilated pupil none responsive to bright light (unless it is initially a uveitis case where the pupil may be constricted)
- Increased pressure of the eyeball- usually seen towards the later stages
- Loss of vision
- Pain: lethargy, squinting, excess tears, hanging the head down.
Treatment
Glaucoma is a disease where the aim of treatment is to control rather than cure the problem.
Long term conservative treatment is often unsuccessful. Surgery by a specialist ophthalmic surgeon is the long term treatment of choice.
Acute glaucoma cases require emergency therapy if one is to save the eye.
If it is due to a secondary process, treatment is aimed at fixing that particular problem e.g. removal of a luxated lens.
Prognosis
Glaucoma has a guarded to poor prognosis, especially if untreated in its early stages.
In people, ophthalmologists perform yearly eyeball pressure tests to detect early symptoms and initiate therapy as soon as possible. Glaucoma is definitely a disease where early treatment is.
For BVH clients, we refer eye cases to Drs Jeff Smith and Cameron Whittaker at the Animal Referral Hospital, Strathfield, Sydney.
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| The Animal Referral Hospital referral letter |
Map of the Animal Referral Hospital |