Animal Ophthalmology

By:  Michael Lamping, DVM

            Think of your most useful sense.  For many, eyesight comes to mind.  The ability to see is an incredible gift for animals and mankind alike.  This gift often goes under-appreciated until vision is poor or gone.

            One frequent cause of blindness in cats and dogs is glaucoma.   Constantly being produced, the clear fluid within the eye normally gets re-absorbed and recycled.  When production continues and absorption slows, the pressure increases and glaucoma occurs. 

Glaucoma requires immediate attention because the disease is quite painful and can lead to permanent vision loss within a few hours to days of onset, depending on the cause and severity.  Eye pain may lead to lethargy, aggression, or loss of appetite.  Other symptoms include hazy blue cloudiness, redness around the eye, and increased tear production. 

I have seen patients with partial blindness in both eyes or with blindness present in only one eye.  Pets might be seen bumping into things or wandering about.  However, a gradual decline in vision can be difficult to perceive since pets adjust to it by depending on other senses.  One owner described her hypertensive cat's eyes as "shiny" due to strongly reflective retinas behind greatly dilated pupils.  Another time I suspected the disease during a wellness exam after I noticed that the dog's pupils were unequal in size.  In both cases, I diagnosed glaucoma in a few minutes by performing a rapid, non-invasive test called tonometry.

            At Murphy Road Animal Hospital, we screen for glaucoma by measuring eye pressure with a new technological device called the TonoVet.  We also know that disorders of vision can be secondary to another serious condition, such as hypertension.  Therefore, I recommend that you protect your pet's vision and general health by visiting your veterinarian for examination and glaucoma screening.