Glaucoma in cats
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease characterized by increased pressure inside of the eye (intraocular pressure), which results in damage to the eye and blindness.
Glaucoma is a common cause of sight loss in cats, and most often develops secondarily after chronic inflammation of the inner segments of the eye (secondary glaucoma).
Some breeds of cats may have inherited glaucoma (primary glaucoma). The shape of the eye is maintained by intraocular fluid (aqueous humor) which is continuously produced and drained from the eye. Similar to an open tap and drain, the system is well maintained as long as the drain is functional. If the drainage system of the eye becomes blocked, the intraocular fluid will start to accumulate in the eye, which causes an increase in the intraocular pressure. Elevated intraocular pressure can damage many eye structures in a very short period of time.
Medical and surgical therapies for glaucoma may reduce the production of intraocular fluid (“tap closure”) and/or increase fluid leakage from the eye (“drain opening”) to maintain an intraocular pressure of 15-20 mmHg.
