As much as human beings complain about getting older, we don’t have it nearly as bad as our pets. Because they have much shorter life spans, they experience accelerated aging, which often results in age-related illnesses. Arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, hearing loss, and other chronic and degenerative diseases often affect our canine friends from middle age on.
Zola has always been super active and playful. I never thought of her as “getting old”. Not MY dog. It wasn’t until after we came home from VA from Thanksgiving that we were struck with the REAL TIME game changer. Zola had developed Glaucoma. I her into her regular veterinarian, and they performed multiple tests. The doctors were AMAZED that she wasn’t wincing in pain. That’s the part that’s so hard about our beloved animals. They can tolerate pain much easier than us humans. They used a small device called a tonometer that measures pressure within her eye. We were referred to the VSH Animal Hospital to their Eye Specialists. We were given wonderful advice and a few options. Bottom line, she would need to lose the eye. There was no saving her eye at this time. I had a cat a few years ago that needed to have an eye removed and he did just fine. I was a little worried about Zola, being older. How would she adjust?
She had the surgery right away and we brought her home. She was loopy for a little while from the pain meds, but adjusted just fine. She bumps into walls here and there, but is living her life well!
These are few GREAT articles to read up on. Be on the look out. How to tell if you should be worried about Glaucoma in your pets.
http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/eyes/c_dg_glaucoma#.Uk2UH4ash8E
http://www.animaleyecare.net/diseases/glaucoma.htm
2 Comments
Hi! We know all too well the horror of facing a diagnosis of glaucoma. Our sweet mixed breed lab is 9 years old and was diagnosed the middle of last yearwith primary glaucoma in his left eye. It came out of nowhere and took us by surpise. We were told there were a few options, all of which were based on what we could aford with a great need for additional research and awareness needing to be done and spread..As we battled to raise money, I made it my mission to do as much as I could to begin building awareness and support for Canine glaucoma, we’re so quick to accept it as part of life as we do with so many of our human diseases, that its led me to add holistic medicine for pets to my forte’ of education. We still may have to have spike’s blind eye removed, and his healthy eye is doing great but theres a high risk it’ll go to the other. I’m so glad your sweet lil one is doing great!
Thanks Amy and I’m so sorry about your Spike. We have drops that we administer in her eye that she has left. We do it daily. It’s just to prevent pressure and fluid build up. Which is how she lost the first eye. We get her checked out often. I have gotten a little better with “swearing that eye looks cloudy” and just making sure it’s not painful for her. There is a test you can do. Cover the “bad eye” and take your hand and slowly move it towards his good eye, if he flinches, and blinks, you’re good to go! Many well wishes for Spike’s recovery and continued good health!