Tonometry
Dogs,
cats, and most other species can develop glaucoma, a serious and painful
condition in which the pressure inside the eye is elevated. The aqueous humor or
fluid inside the eye normally maintains its proper pressure but when glaucoma
occurs, there is too much fluid and therefore too much pressure inside the eye.
This can occur gradually over time with age or acutely due to trauma or injury.
It is important to diagnose this condition very quickly, because increased
intraocular pressure can lead to permanent
blindness. We use a hand-held electronic instrument, called a Tonopen, to determine the pressure inside the eye. It is similar to the
instrument your ophthalmologist uses to test your eyes. This is a painless
procedure that we often perform in an exam room after applying a few drops of
a topical anesthetic.