A New Tool for Diagnosing Glaucoma in Pets!

We are excited to announce that we recently purchased an iCare Tonovet Plus Pen; a state of the art tool to measure intraocular pressure in dogs, cats and horses.  The Tonovet Plus Pen has revolutionized the diagnosis of increased intraocular pressure, otherwise known as glaucoma, in pets.  The use of this tool does not require any sedation or eye drops and takes less than 10 seconds per eye.  Instant results are provided at the time of the examination allowing for an immediate diagnosis of glaucoma. 
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Glaucoma is a serious eye condition that results from increased pressure inside the eye that damages intraocular structures, such as the retina.  When the retina is damaged, it cannot repair itself and permanent blindness can result.  Early in the disease there may be little to no clinical signs or very mild eye redness, discharge and squinting; however, as the disease progresses you may see any or all of the following: ,  

• Dilated pupils.
• Increased tears.
• Squinting
• Avoiding light.
• Cornea becomes cloudy.
• Congested vessels on the eyeball.
• Decreased vision/blindness.​

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​Glaucoma must be recognized and treated early on in the course of the disease. Glaucoma in animals can be hereditary or secondary to other systemic or ocular diseases.  Regular ophthalmic examinations with measurement of intraocular pressure are very important in the early detection of glaucoma and other serious eye conditions.   Cat breeds more predisposed to glaucoma include Persians and Siamese.

There are two types of glaucoma in dogs, primary and secondary. Primary glaucoma in dogs can be easier to predict and anticipate, since it is largely a hereditary condition. Although primary glaucoma in dogs has been recorded in most every breed of dog, it affects certain dog breeds more than others. Dog breeds prone to glaucoma include:

• Afghan
  
• Akita
  
• Alaskan Malamute
  
• American Cocker Spaniel
  
• Basset Hound
  
• Beagle
  
• Border Collie
  
• Boston Terrier
  
• Bouvier des Flandres
  
• Cairn Terrier
  
• Cardigan Welsh Corgi
  
• Chihuahua
  
• Chow Chow 
  
• Dachshund 
  
• Dalmation
  
• Dandie Dinmont Terrier
  
• Elkhound
  
• English Springer Spaniel 
  
• Fox Terriers
  
• Giant Schnauzer
  
• Great Dane
  
• Labrador Retriever 
  
• Maltese
  
• Manchester Terrier
  
• Norfolk Terrier
  
• Pembroke Welsh Corgi
  
• Poodle
  
• Saluki
  
• Samoyed
  
• Scottish Terrier,
  
• Sealyham Terrier 
  
• SharPei, Shih Tzu 
  
• Siberian Husky
  
• Tibetan Terrier
  
• Welsh Springer Spaniel
  
• Welsh Terrier
  
• West Highland Terrier
  
• Whippet

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Call us today to learn more about glaucoma testing in your pet.