[Dailydrool] Wilbur and Glaucoma

[Barbara Sorensen]

Our thoughts are with everyone who is battling this terrible condition right 
now.  It isn't fun.  Wilbur was diagnosed with glaucoma in February.  By the 
time we caught it, he had already lost the sight in his left eye and pressures 
were high in the right.  We are very fortunate that we do have very good canine 
ophthamologists in the Mpls/St. Paul area.   We were offered several options on 
treatment and decided not to have any surgery for the time being.  Since then,  
Willie has been getting four different eye drops twice a day.  They are: 
prednisolone actetate, lantanoprost, demercarium bromide and dorzolomide.   We 
can get all but the demercarium at any pharmacy.  The demercariam is for vet use 
only and we get it directly from the company.  However, in the last few weeks,  
we have had much more trouble controlling pressures and some pills or capsules 
have been added to the regimen.    Methazolamide can be purchased at any 
pharmacy.  It's expensive.  An equivalent, dichlorhenamide, we get from the same 
company as the demercarium.  This is good, because in addition to the drops, 
Willie is now getting six pills a day.  He is also getting the latanaprost in 
mid-day.   

For some reason, the eye pressures tend to spike around 3-4 a.m.   Willie's 
doctor mentioned that if he had a dog with glaucoma  he would consider giving 
the drops during the night, as well.

We are asking for drool, crossed paws and good wishes for Willie tomorrow.   
Having been to the emergency vet three times in three weeks for pressure spikes, 
Willie is having surgery tomorrow.   The doctor is trying a new combination 
technique that combines laser surgery with a drainage tube.   We had been told 
about the tube implant before, but they have tended to plug up with protein 
within weeks or a few months.  The laser surgery works, but the danger has been 
that initially, the irritation from the surgery causes swelling and pressure 
spikes.   The thought is that the tube will handle the drainage while the laser 
surgery heals and by the time the tube blocks, the laser surgery will have taken 
effect.  Both are established techinques, it is the combination that is new and 
different.

I hope this might help someone.  If you want the name of either our 
ophthamologist or the veterinary drug company (you will need a perscription from 
your vet),  please e-mail me off-list.

Barb, mom to Willie, Duncan, Buddy the not-a-basset with Max, Gretta and Copper 
(ATB)
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