My 5 yr old spaniel has just been diagnosed with glaucoma which the vet says may leave her blind in both eyes. Has anyone else's dog suffered this and if so what was the treatment / outcome. Any info. would be greatly appreciated.

Viv Andrew.

viv@craillochcroft.freeserve.co.uk

Glaucoma is a terrible ailment which if it runs its full course ends with the dog going painfully blind with the only restbite coming with the removal of the eyes! That’s the bad side. There is an operation available which can save your dogs sight. But it is a specialist's operation with only a few veterinary surgeons able to perform it. The way forward is to ask your vet to refer the case to the veterinary college where a specialist such as Professor Peter Bedford would be able to tell you the full story and if necessary perform the op.

Regards John

Hi Viv
My Jack Russell was diagnosed with glaucoma at 8yrs, she lived until 15.5yrs and died of kidney failure. John is right it can be a painful condition, and "Katie" was in considerable pain at one time with one eye, which was then removed. She had already gone blind, and it is progressive, so dogs don't suddenly go blind. The eyes can build up pressure which your vet will test for and the eyes often turn white. This all may seem unpleasant, but I can honestly say even when she was totally blind "Katie" couldn't have cared less, and with the painful eye removed the other eye never altered beyond its colour. She led a normal life, and I am sure if your dog will do the same if a similar thing occured. So don't worry just yet this condition often stays mild.
Dawn.

My very first Labrador Vicky Had glaucoma,when it got really bad she had her eye removed,I worried how she would be ,but she was great,seemed to get another lease of life she had it when she was ten and lived another two and a half years of a very happy life,and she managed very well with one eye.
We also rehomed a lab (in rescue)which was totally blind she managed very well I see her in the park sometmes and she always knows when Im there even if im across the park,her owner says she always know its you :)

Viv, glaucoma is raised pressure in the eye. This causes damage to the optic nerve, which at first causes loss of the field of vision, and eventual blindness. As far as your spaniel is concerned there are three main types of glaucoma. Acute or closed-angle, chronic or open-angle and secondary.

Chronic/open-angle glaucoma is the common type in humans, and quite possibly in dogs. Unfortunately in dogs it is rarely diagnosed until the sight has been severely damaged because it is painless. The pressure does not usually rise very high or very quickly. It usually (but not always) affects both eyes. It is treated first by eye drops, usually timolol or one of its derivatives. An operation called a trabeculectomy is also used to treat chronic open-angle glaucoma.

Acute or closed-angle glaucoma seems to be the common type in dogs because it is painful and so is diagnosed early. The pressure rises very high and very rapidly. It almost always affects one eye, but a dog (or human) that has had an episode of acute glaucoma in one eye is very often predisposed to the same happening to the other. Acute glaucoma is an emergency. The usual treatment is to control the pressure with a diuretic like mannitol, and with pilocarpine drops. Once the pressure is controlled an operation is required (usually in both eyes) to prevent recurrence. This operation is called a peripheral iridectomy, and it is be carried out surgically. Alternatively a laser iridotmy can be performed. Sometimes other treatment is required later if there is scarring in the part of the eye called the trabecular meshwork, but provided that the treatment is immediate, people and animals with acute glaucoma can do well.

Secondary glaucoma develops secondary to a whole host of eye problems, of which iritis is probably the commonest. Treatment is aimed at treating the underlying condition and bringing the pressure down. Sometime when the underlying condition has resolved the glaucoma will also resolve, but often scarring means that glaucoma treatment has to be continued.

That is a very simple overview. Closed- angle glaucoma can also present sub-acutely, and the pressure in open angle glaucoma can rarely be high enough to cause discomfort. There is also a form of glaucoma where the pressure in the eye is 'normal', but is still too high for that particular optic nerve.

No matter which type of glaucoma your dog has, it is essential that you see a veterinary ophthalmologist as quickly as possible.

Best of luck to you and to your spaniel.