Pets

Can dogs get glaucoma? Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

Can dogs develop glaucoma? It's a great question and unfortunately yes they can. This is something we see very commonly in the veterinary ophthalmology field. What glaucoma is, is a high pressure inside the eyes and if that high pressure stays too high for too long, it will cause pain and loss of vision. And so our eyes, much like dogs eyes, has a normal pressure inside of it and how that pressure is created is by fluid called aqueous humor floating around inside of our eye. And that aqueous humor is created by an area of the eye called the ciliary body or ciliary processes. And so we compare that to the faucet of a sink that is producing fluid. And that fluid flows around our eye, just like the sink in your kitchen. And then eventually that fluid exits the eye out the drain, just like the drain within your kitchen. But glaucoma develops when that drainage area, which is called the iridocorneal angle, either closes or it's clogged with something. So it's just like putting a stopper in your drain, but the faucet is still running and eventually that pressure becomes too high inside the eye to cause a very high pressure, pain and vision loss. So it's a very serious issue that we see and it can occur very quickly in dogs. So important recognition by a veterinarian or a veterinary ophthalmologist to recognize when glaucoma is present and treat that. And there is treatment available and this may be medical treatment, it may be surgical treatment, but there are options available to try to lower that pressure so that we preserve their vision and we don't have an animal that goes blind for this particular reason. So yes, we do see glaucoma frequently, but there are treatment options.

Dogs can develop glaucoma which is a high pressure inside the eyes causing pain and vision loss. The pressure is created by fluid called aqueous humour that is produced by an area of the eye called the ciliary body. If the drainage area of the eye (the corneal angle) closes or becomes clogged, then the pressure may become too high. Treatment options are available to lower the pressure and preserve vision.

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Dogs can indeed develop glaucoma, which is a common occurrence in the field of veterinary ophthalmology. Glaucoma refers to high pressure inside the eyes, which, if left untreated, can cause pain and vision loss. Similar to our own eyes, dogs' eyes have a normal pressure created by fluid called aqueous humor. This fluid is produced by the ciliary body or ciliary processes, acting like a faucet that generates fluid. The fluid circulates around the eye and eventually exits through the drainage area called the iridocorneal angle, similar to a sink drain.

Glaucoma occurs when the iridocorneal angle becomes blocked or closed, akin to placing a stopper in a drain while the faucet continues to run. As a result, the pressure inside the eye increases, leading to pain and potential vision loss. Prompt recognition and treatment by a veterinarian or veterinary ophthalmologist are crucial in managing glaucoma. Treatment options may include medical or surgical interventions aimed at lowering the pressure and preserving vision. While glaucoma is a serious issue, there are available treatment options to address it and prevent blindness in dogs.

How much should I expect to pay for a routine check up?

Average cost of routine checkups: $50 to $100 for general vets, $150 to $250 for specialists.

How much should I expect to pay for a routine checkup with my animal? So this all depends because if you are seeing a general veterinarian, the price may vary because this may be a new appointment that you're seeing them, that your dog has a new issue, or it could be that it's a routine annual wellness visit with them. Those checkups could vary anywhere from $50 to maybe $100 depending on how involved they get. If you have to see someone like myself, which I'm a specialist, I'm a veterinary ophthalmologist, those visits may be more expensive. They can vary anywhere from maybe $150 to $250 on the initial visit, and then usually less than that on follow-ups and rechecks. So it all depends on who you're seeing and what the issue with your animal is.

Routine checkups vary in price depending on who you are seeing and what the issue with your animal is. General veterinarians may charge anywhere from $50-100 for a routine visit, while specialists may charge more (up to $250) for an initial visit. Follow-up visits usually cost less.

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How much should I expect to pay for a routine checkup? The cost can vary depending on the type of veterinarian you are seeing and the nature of the appointment. If you are visiting a general veterinarian, the price may range from $50 to $100 for a routine checkup or an annual wellness visit. However, if you need to see a specialist, such as a veterinary ophthalmologist like myself, the initial visit may be more expensive, typically ranging from $150 to $250. Follow-up visits and rechecks usually cost less. Ultimately, the cost depends on the specific veterinarian you are seeing and the reason for the appointment with your animal.

How does medical treatment for physical conditions affect an animal's behavior?

Medical treatment transforms animal behavior, restoring comfort and vision.

How does medical treatment for physical conditions affect an animal's behavior? So speaking as my job as a veterinary ophthalmologist, we see a lot of eye diseases and some of those diseases can affect an animal's vision and that can change their behavior because they're nervous, they're scared, they're unsure of themselves because of the vision loss that they've experienced. There are other conditions that can cause pain in the eye and depending on what those things are, dogs may behave differently when they're painful or they're scared or their vision is poor and so we treat those conditions and by treating those our goal is to hopefully return their comfort back to normal and their vision back to normal and hopefully their behavior back to normal. When a dog is painful, they are going to act very different from their normal selves and when a dog is scared or unsure of themselves because of their vision, same thing, they're going to behave very differently. With treatment, sometimes with medicines to fix these issues, to help their pain, sometimes with procedures or surgeries to either resolve the medical condition that's causing pain or the vision loss and if we can improve those, the goal is to get them back to normal to being the great, happy, fun-loving dog that they were and hopefully have them continue a long, healthy life with great vision.

Veterinary ophthalmologists treat a variety of eye diseases, which can directly affect an animal's behavior. By treating these conditions, we aim to return the animal to its normal behavior by alleviating pain and restoring vision.

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Medical treatment for physical conditions can have a significant impact on an animal's behavior. As a veterinary ophthalmologist, I often encounter eye diseases that can affect an animal's vision. This can lead to changes in behavior as they become nervous, scared, or unsure of themselves due to the loss of vision.

Additionally, certain conditions can cause pain in the eyes, which can further alter an animal's behavior. Dogs, for example, may exhibit different behaviors when they are in pain or feeling scared due to poor vision. The goal of treatment is to address these conditions, restore comfort, and improve vision, ultimately aiming to bring their behavior back to normal.

By using medications to alleviate pain, performing procedures or surgeries to resolve the underlying medical issues causing pain or vision loss, we strive to help animals regain their normal behavior. The objective is to return them to being the happy, fun-loving pets they were before, allowing them to continue leading a long and healthy life with improved vision.

Spotting Cataracts in Dogs: What You Need to Know

How to know if your dog has cataracts. This is something as a veterinary ophthalmologist I see very commonly. Cataracts, basically what they are is an opacity, a cloudiness in the lens inside of your eye. The lens is this skittle shaped or M&M shaped structure that sits behind the iris, the brown or blue part inside of her eye, and it's typically crystal clear and its job is basically to serve as the fine focus of a camera. It's what focuses light on our retina in the back of our eye so that we can see so well and see so clearly. But for various reasons, with dogs it's sometimes because of age. There are certain diseases like diabetes that can cause this as well, congenital factors, so basically their genetics that can cause this as well, but for different factors dogs can develop cataracts, which is a cloudiness of the lens inside the eye. And sometimes if these are small, dogs may even not be affected. Their vision may be normal, but as these progress, dogs may experience visual issues. They may stumble over things. They may bump into objects. If any of those things develop, it may be good to see a specialist like myself where we would do certain testing and if found that that your dog does have cataracts, there would be the option for something like cataract surgery, which is done very commonly in our field to get their vision back to normal.

The best way to know if your dog has cataracts is to take them to a veterinary ophthalmologist. They will do certain tests to determine if the dog has cataracts and then discuss options for treatment, including cataract surgery.

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To determine if your dog has cataracts, it's important to observe certain signs. Cataracts are characterized by an opacity or cloudiness in the lens of the eye. The lens is responsible for focusing light onto the retina, allowing clear vision. Cataracts can develop in dogs due to factors such as age, certain diseases like diabetes, or genetic predisposition.

Initially, small cataracts may not significantly affect a dog's vision. However, as they progress, visual issues may arise. Watch for signs such as stumbling or bumping into objects. If you notice these symptoms, it is advisable to consult a veterinary ophthalmologist who can conduct specific tests to diagnose cataracts.

If cataracts are confirmed, cataract surgery is a common option to restore normal vision. Veterinary specialists can perform this procedure to remove the cataracts and improve your dog's eyesight.

Cloudy Eyes in Dogs: Common Causes and Concerns

Why are my dog's eyes cloudy? This is something I see very commonly as a veterinary ophthalmologist and there's a number of reasons that you can see for this. Sometimes it may be concerning, sometimes it may not be concerning at all. A lot of times this will be something that owners notice at home that animals eyes are getting cloudy. It may be something your general vet may notice, but when they present to me the most common causes that I'll see for cloudiness, one can be just a normal age-related change called nuclear sclerosis or lenticular sclerosis where the lens, the little M&M shaped structure inside the eye behind the iris, it ages as we age and as it ages new fibers are added on the outside and it makes the middle, the nucleus, very dense and over time that density will become cloudy. And so those cases that is not something that needs surgery. Most dogs still see very well with that type of cloudiness. For people, the way that lenticular sclerosis would present is what's called presbyopia. So you start having trouble seeing close up because your lens, now that it's a lot more dense, can't move the way it used to be able to focus on structure. So you have trouble seeing things close up. You have to hold the menu or your iPhone a little bit further away from your face. So with dogs we don't really do anything about that because it doesn't cause a major issue. Some of the other things we'll see that causes this, cataracts, that would be the biggest concern and the biggest way you may know that is they may start having trouble seeing. They may start bumping into things and a cataract is where that lens turns truly cloudy and they can't see through it. If it is a cataract, then many times they will see someone like me, a veterinary ophthalmologist, to consider cataract surgery to remove it and then see if we can improve their vision. So that's probably the biggest reasons for cloudiness in eyes of animals.

Cloudy eyes in animals can be caused by age-related changes or cataracts. Age-related changes are normal, but cataracts may need to be surgically removed to restore vision.

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Cloudiness in a dog's eyes can have various causes, some of which may be concerning while others may not be. One common age-related change is called nuclear sclerosis or lenticular sclerosis. This occurs when the lens inside the eye becomes denser over time, resulting in a cloudy appearance. However, most dogs can still see well with this condition, and it does not typically require surgery.

Another potential cause of cloudiness is cataracts, which can significantly impact a dog's vision. If a dog starts having trouble seeing or bumping into things, it may indicate the presence of cataracts. In such cases, a veterinary ophthalmologist may be consulted to consider cataract surgery as a potential solution to improve the dog's vision.

It's important to note that cloudy eyes in dogs can have other causes as well, and a thorough examination by a veterinarian or veterinary ophthalmologist is necessary to determine the underlying reason and appropriate course of action.

How am I supposed to choose the best brand of supplements with so many options?

Discover the Best Supplements for Optimal Retinal Health!

How am I supposed to choose the best brand of supplements for dogs? So I'm going to speak to this from my field which is veterinary ophthalmology. We use a lot of supplements with dogs in regards to their retinal health. The supplements that are available focus mostly on retinal health. They do claim some other benefits but most of the supplements that are available for people and for animals tend to be beneficial for retinal health and the main things that we see that studies have shown to be beneficial are a lot of antioxidants so especially fish oil, lutein, grapeseed extract, bilberry extract, zeaxanthines, astaxanthines. Those things tend to not only try to preserve retinal function and retinal health but keep it from deteriorating over time to try to preserve our vision and an animal's vision as well. So those are some of the supplements that we use with dogs and sometimes with cats as well. There are a number of products that are out there that you can look to order that contain those supplements. They do tend to be good for health in general but these are marketed more towards eye health and mainly retinal health.

Veterinary Ophthalmologists use supplements to help preserve retinal health, such as fish oil, lutein, grape seed extract, bilberry extract, and zeaxanthin. These supplements are available from a variety of brands and can be beneficial for overall health.

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Choosing the best brand of supplements can be overwhelming due to the multitude of options available. In the field of veterinary ophthalmology, where supplements are commonly used for dogs' retinal health, there are specific considerations.

Supplements for retinal health often focus on providing antioxidants. Some beneficial supplements include fish oil, lutein, grapeseed extract, bilberry extract, zeaxanthines, and astaxanthines. These supplements aim to preserve and maintain retinal function, preventing deterioration over time and preserving vision for both humans and animals.

When selecting supplements for dogs, it is advisable to look for products that contain these specific ingredients. While these supplements can have overall health benefits, they are primarily marketed for eye health and retinal health.

By focusing on supplements that target retinal health and contain the mentioned antioxidants, you can make a more informed decision when choosing the best brand of supplements for your needs.

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Joshua Broadwater answers your Pets questions. See all the advice Joshua Broadwater has and get answers to your own Pets questions.

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Dr. Joshua Broadwater has been hooked on treating and curing diseases and helping relieve the suffering of animals – since he got his first microscope at age 12. That passion eventually took on a particular focus – caring for animals’ eyes. Following a residency at the Animal Eye Specialty Clinic in Florida, Dr. Broadwater worked at Lion Country Safari, SeaWorld, and Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex, where he performed surgery to remove tumors from turtles’ eyes. Broadwater is now an ophthalmologist at CARE, where he has a special interest in cornea disease and surgery, cataract surgery, and glaucoma surgery. “I went into ophthalmology,” he says, “because there’s something so special about relieving the suffering of a dog with a corneal ulcer, or controlling a painful condition such as glaucoma, or removing cataracts from a dog that was blind, and suddenly have them see the world again.”