Symptoms of Feline Glaucoma

Symptoms of feline glaucoma begin with redness in the eyes that resembles another eye disease, conjunctivitis.  Cats are very good at hiding the symptoms, although cats with glaucoma show an increased sensitivity to the light.  An afflicted cat will appear to be painful and squint a good deal of the time. The pupils become dilated and excessive tearing can be seen.  Enlarged blood vessels can be seen in the white part of the eyes.

As the pressure in the eye increases, the eye can enlarge often to a point where it has to be removed.

Veterinarians test the eye pressure of glaucoma patients with the use of an instrument known as a tonometer.  This is the only way to tell for sure that the cat has glaucoma.  Primary glaucoma very rarely occurs in cats; most cases are diagnosed as secondary.