Acute Glaucoma - watch your dogs eyes

[Stella]

Thankfully this isn't about my dogs but a colleague from work. Her GSD developed acute glaucoma and went blind almost overnight. By the time they realized something was wrong it was too late to save her sight. This dog is only four years old. Their vet said there is nothing to be done except to remove her eyes (for pain relief), which will cost in the region of $2000. There is no way my colleagues husband would allow this kind of money to be spent on a dog, and I doubt he has the patience to make the changes needed to accommodate a blind dog in the house. I'm pretty sure they are going to have the dog euthanized, which I think is tragic.

I did a quick Google search and it appears there are very few early symptoms other than the dog is in pain, less willing to exercise and may be grumpy (a couple of articles likened it to having a migraine). Later there are more obvious signs, cloudiness, bulging of the eye, reddening of the white of the eye etc. Most owners don't notice anything is wrong until it is too late. This is a veterinary emergency, you only have hours to save your dogs sight. So, if you suspect something is wrong, please take your dog to the vet immediately. I am so sad thinking of that poor puppy being put to sleep just because she can't see.

[F, Calla & Luca]

What a sad and cautionary tale. Needless to say this is true of people too but at least we should be aware of pain.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

How heartbreaking. This is very similar to what happened to my elderly cat, over a three day period I watched her totally lose her eye sight! The vet ran a full blood work-up and concluded her thyroid was slightly high but not enough for medication? Over the next week she stabilized and I think could see maybe shadows, she adapted well and was no longer running into things but if you waved your hands in front of her eyes nothing! Tell your friend not to give up hope animals are resilient.

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

What a sad story. Is there any local rescue, a GSD rescue that they can look in to?

[Stella]

I am really sad that they are thinking of euthanizing the dog. I couldn't imagine doing that to one of my doods, but her husband is not a patient man and he holds the purse strings, so it is a difficult situation.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Very sad for the dog and your friend.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

so sad.  I hope something can be done for this poor dog 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Very sad for your friend and for the dog.

[Leslie and Halas]

Oh, that's so sad.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

So sad for your friend and her dog but thank you for posting.  I had a Beardie who went blind or nearly so -- the opthamalogist gave the cause as inoperable cataracts.  He (and I) adapted our routine and he lived several more reasonably happy years but he was not in pain.  

[Stella]

I wish I could get them to give her up to a GSD rescue. I'm sure someone somewhere would give her a good home.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The rescue would have to be able to have the surgery done. :( 

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Yes, and if that someone had another dog, that dog might become the sight dog for the blind dog when the time comes.  I recently had Beau's eye's tested for another reason and fortunately they were healthy.  But when visiting with the eye specialist, she mentioned that if there is another dog in the home,  they will become the sight dog for the one with the problem.  I had not heard of that. My son's lab went blind at 12 and he followed my DIL like glue for 4 years.  He was so sweet.