My dog has glaucoma. Should I choose eye injection or removal?

I'm sorry to hear that Danny has glaucoma! If the ophthalmologist is recommending removing the eye, I'm assuming that Danny is already blind in the affected eye. If this is the case, then I'm afraid there really aren't any better options - there is no treatment that can reverse the blindness, and the eye is a constant source of pain for him. Removing it will improve his quality of life dramatically, since he'll no longer be in pain. If he does still have some vision in the affected eye, then you can certainly ask the ophthalmologist to discuss other possible treatment options with you. Glaucoma can sometimes be medically managed for a while with prescription eye drops, although this will eventually stop working as the disease progresses. Some dogs may also be good candidates for laser surgery to help improve the glaucoma - you can certainly ask the ophthalmologist about this to see if it might be an option for Danny, if you haven't discussed it already.

Yes the eye could be painful. Most dogs do great after eye removal and he may become perkier afterwards. You are the one that sees him everyday and are the best one to evaluate his quality of life. Personally if he’s eating and getting around I’d do the surgery so he’s more comfortable. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jingles.

I sympathize with you. Painful eyes are very difficult to deal with. The answer to your question depends on if the reason for the problem is that the antibiotics aren't working because of the type of bacteria or the underlying disease. Unfortunately, it is difficult to know that information. I think your best option would be to see a specialist. Veterinary ophthalmologists have 4 years of specialized training in treating only eyes, so they have a much greater knowledge of eyes than normal vets. I actually took my 15 year old dog to a veterinary ophthalmologist last month because I want to avoid removing one of his eyes. She used medication that I have never used in my practice in 15 years and my dog is doing great now. I have included a link below for you to search for a veterinary ophthalmologist near you. http://member.acvo.org/search_results Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

There are no real good options except surgery if the drops are no longer working. I'm sorry to say that. Unfortunately, glaucoma is EXTREMELY painful so at the very minimum you have to do some pain management. Talk to your vet about your options for pain control. I don't know what is available in your country.

Hello, thank you for your question about Kavi. Overall I would say the need for preventative medication in the other eye is somewhat dependent on what the underlying cause of the glaucoma was. Additionally, taking it to account the current pressure in his remaining eye would be important in deciding the need for these ocular medications. If the pressure is high normal or has been trending upward, I think these medications are beneficial. If you would like more information or would like more information about the underlying cause/current pressure in his eye you could get a second opinion from another veterinarian. Hope this helps, good luck!

I think a full ocular exam would give you more information on whether one or both eyes need to come out. The small eye may be congenital or may have already ruptured and may not be painful any longer. The larger eye could be large just because it looks bigger as compared to the small eye or could have glaucoma. KCS can easily be diagnosed with a vet, but will likely need life-long medications to manage, and these can be expensive depending on the medication and formulation used. Many dogs with severe KCS have their eyes enucleated and become much more comfortable. My impression from reading her file is that she has very painful eyes, and that this is a chronic pain. Bilateral enucleation would easily resolve this pain and may improve her quality of life drastically. The cost for this surgery can vary depending on the vet clinic chosen, you may call around and ask for rough quotes for bilateral enucleation. It could range from $700 to $1500 or more. I would recommend that she have both eyes done at the same time (if the vet performing the ocular exam thinks they are both defective eyes) as this will decrease total time under anesthesia and make Lia only have to recover from a painful procedure once. If both eyes are removed, then she may not need significant medical care or follow-ups (cost-wise) after she is fully recovered. Her file tells me that she may be a great one to rescue if your group can cover the costs of surgery. I admire the work you do and appreciate your compassion more than you will ever know!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Oliver! Did they diagnosis him with glaucoma? If yes that is very painful and usually results in permanent blindness. You can ask your Vet for eye drops to lower the pressure in his eyes (for comfort purposes until surgery) and oral pain medications. You can also have your Vet refer you to a Veterinary ophthalmologist for a second opinion. I wish you and Oliver the best!