Primary Open Angle Glaucoma in Dogs

Category: Eye
Breeds documented: 4
Published sources: 10

Overview

Pressure inside the eye can rise gradually and damage the retina, the eye's light-sensitive lining, and the optic nerve, which carries visual signals to the brain. This inherited form, called primary open-angle glaucoma, can develop without obvious pain. Early changes are easy to miss, so an owner may first notice an enlarged eye or poor sight. The disease can progress to blindness.

Signs to watch for

An eye that looks larger than before
Reduced sight
Pupils staying wider than usual
Redness around the eye

In Petit Basset Griffon Vendeens, it is often diagnosed at 3 to 4 years.

Emergency Go to an emergency vet now if your dog develops a painful, cloudy eye.

Diagnosis and tests

The vet measures eye pressure and examines the retina and optic nerve for damage. A specialist may also examine the drainage angle, where fluid leaves the eye, to help classify the glaucoma. DNA tests identify some inherited variants, but a negative result for one variant does not exclude every cause of the disease.

Breeds with documented risk

4 breeds

By breed size

1 Small
3 Medium

BeagleSmall · Hound Group
Chinese Shar-peiMedium · Non-Sporting Group
Norwegian ElkhoundMedium · Hound Group
Basset Fauve De BretagneMedium · Hound Group

Inheritance

Not yet known
None of the sources we use states how this is inherited in dogs yet.

We've gathered what published sources say about this condition, so you can talk it through with your vet. It isn't veterinary advice: you and your vet know your dog best.