Introduction
Treatment of glaucoma in dogs involves addressing the cause of the glaucoma and diagnosing what type of glaucoma has occurred either through a response to treatment or through the use of diagnostic tools. Treatments for glaucoma involve prescribed eye medications and/or surgery.
Treating Glaucoma in Dogs
Medication
Glaucoma in beginning stages, or a type of glaucoma known as 'open-angle glaucoma', can be controlled using prescribed eye medications. These medications, such as timolol or xalatan, in addition to prescribed oral diuretics, such as methazolamide, will decrease the fluid and pressure within the eye. In most cases, the medications much be administered for life to control the glaucoma. If the medications seem effective,examinations are needed to ensure the condition does not return.
Surgery
Surgery is the only treatment option for glaucoma that is at an end stage, glaucoma that does not respond to prescribed medications, and a type of glaucoma known as 'closed-angle glaucoma' (if closed-angle glaucoma is caught early in some cases prescribed medications can control the condition).
Surgical treatments include placing small implants in the eye to help drain fluids, and injecting the eye with medications that will kill cells in the eye which produce fluid. In many cases surgery only slows the progression of the disease, and the eye often develops scarring and loss of vision. If blindness has already occurred as a result of the glaucoma, or if surgical treatments are unsuccessful, then the eye is surgically removed to eliminate any pain the condition is causing. The success of glaucoma treatments depend heavily on how early the condition was diagnosed.