Companion Animals

Glaucoma in Dogs: Welfare and Emergency Management

Recognising and treating increased intraocular pressure to relieve acute pain and preserve vision.

Key Facts

Glaucoma is the most painful ocular condition in dogs — causing severe ocular pain
Primary glaucoma has a genetic component — Cocker Spaniels, Bassets, and Nordic breeds are predisposed
Acute glaucoma is an emergency — irreversible vision loss occurs within hours
Emergency treatment with mannitol and topical drugs reduces IOP rapidly

Welfare Considerations

Acute glaucoma causes intense ocular pain — welfare emergency requiring immediate treatment. Welfare management involves emergency pressure reduction, long-term IOP control, and honest discussion of prognosis for vision preservation. When vision cannot be preserved, enucleation or evisceration resolves pain permanently and restores welfare — pain-free dogs without eyes have excellent quality of life.

What You Can Do

Seek emergency veterinary care for any dog with a red, painful, or cloudy eye — glaucoma is time-critical
Accept that vision-preserving treatment is not always achievable — pain resolution is the welfare priority
Ask your vet about prophylactic treatment of the fellow eye in dogs with unilateral primary glaucoma