Is your pet bumping into objects while wandering around? Are his/her eyes cloudier than usual? Well, these are some of the popular symptoms of glaucoma, an eye disease that has the potential to cause blindness in animals.
Immediate treatment is vital in preventing the disease from progressing towards complete vision loss. Although surgery is sometimes the only solution, CBD oil is considered a popular remedy. It reduces intraocular pressure, gets rid of inflammation, relieves pain, and employs its neuroprotective properties.
Learn more about the types, causes, and symptoms of glaucoma, as well as the reasons to use CBD oil in the treatment of this disease.
Types and causes of glaucoma
This medical condition is common in both canines and felines, causing eye damage and triggering unexpected vision loss. It refers to the increase in intraocular pressure due to an inadequate amount of fluid in the eyes of animals, whose role is to regulate pressure. When the fluid amount exceeds normal levels, the optic nerve is subjected to high pressure, eventually resulting in nerve damage. Unless treated promptly, such nerve damage has the power to cause partial vision loss or absolute blindness.
Although glaucoma cannot be cured, it can be treated with medications like drops or surgery in severe cases. Nowadays, pet owners also find CBD oil highly beneficial in the treatment of this medical condition. Online CBD stores, like https://www.holistapet.com/, offer a variety of organic CBD products for dogs and cats. Using the right treatment might prevent glaucoma from progressing and affecting both eyes of animals.
Moreover, this eye disease can be either primary or secondary. Primary glaucoma occurs only in certain feline and canine breeds, which are genetically predisposed to suffering from this condition. In the case of felines, Siamese and Burmese cats are at the highest risk, whereas dog breeds like Cocker Spaniel, Maltese poodle, Basset Hound, Siberian husky, and Chihuahua are also likely to develop such eye disease.
Secondary glaucoma, on the other hand, isn’t as rare, capable of affecting either one or both eyes of animals. In canines, it might be triggered by an infection, tumor, eye inflammation, or lens luxation. In contrast, felines might develop this type of disease when infected with FIV (feline infectious peritonitis), the leukemia virus, eye cancer, uveitis, etc.
Symptoms
Feline and canine pets share almost the same symptoms of glaucoma, mainly affecting their eyes. These become cloudy and red due to an inflammation of the retina blood vessels. One of the most obvious symptoms in dogs is the different sizes of pupils. Pets are also likely to have their eyeballs swollen and unresponsive to light.
The feeling of pain forces pets to rub the affected eye with their paws, as well as blink rapidly. Anyhow, severe pain might cause other symptoms like appetite loss and changes in social behavior. Pets tend to become asocial when experiencing pain on a daily basis, hence avoiding their owners and hiding in corners. Read here about the most common symptoms of glaucoma in dogs.
Furthermore, if left untreated, this medical condition might even trigger mental health issues in pets, such as depression. Also, the development of vision problems impedes animals from walking normally, as they keep on bumping into furniture and other objects. It’s common for pets to avoid exposure to light and experience severe headaches.
Reasons to use CBD oil
As mentioned before, glaucoma is generally treated with the help of drops and anti-inflammatory medications for pain relief. However, a large number of pet owners have switched from using prescription drops to CBD oil as part of the treatment. Unlike drops, cannabidiol oil is more convenient in terms of administration, as you won’t need to administer the drops right into the eyes of your companion but orally.
In addition, CBD oil provides multiple benefits to pets coping with this severe eye disease. It alleviates discomfort in felines and canines, caused by inflammation. No more than a few days are necessary for animals to start experiencing pain reduction. The anti-inflammatory role of cannabidiol is also crucial in minimizing eye inflammation, which in turn lowers the risk of vision loss.
Moreover, CBD is touted to reduce intraocular pressure in pets, responsible for the development and progress of glaucoma. Additionally, cannabidiol protects the eye from glutamate, which causes cell death when produced in large amounts. The more eye cells die, the greater the possibility of blindness. However, CBD oil is believed to prevent the death of such cells and impede the disease from progressing quickly.
Another reason why pet parents prefer cannabidiol over medications is the absence of powerful side effects. Painkillers are infamous for causing appetite loss, digestive issues, nausea, vomiting, and liver damage in animals. CBD, on the other hand, is only likely to make pets drowsy or less hungry.
The right dosage of CBD oil for the treatment of glaucoma requires pet parents to consider several factors. The size and weight of your pet are the first things to consider by looking for the recommended dose on the chart provided by the producer. However, sometimes the dose might be higher than recommended if the condition is in an advanced stage. A consultation with the vet is beneficial prior to administering the first dose.
Final word
Keep an eye on your pet for detecting glaucoma symptoms.
Any sign is worth a visit to the vet!
