Barney had a test today for glaucoma and I thought I'd share in case anyone is interested.
He is almost 11 and is showing some haze in his eye called Nuclear or Lenticular Sclerosis. This condition is part of the normal aging of the eye. It is different than cataracts and the dog's vision is not usually impaired.
Since there is no way to know if dogs have glaucoma, I thought it was worthwhile to have Barney's eyes more thorougly checked. Since my vet has the equipment to test for glaucoma, I did not have to go to the eye specialist and my vet could perform the test.
She put anesthesia drops in his eyes and used a Tonometry machine to test him for glaucoma. The only way to tell if a dog has glaucoma is through this test, and that's why I wanted to have it done. Barney's eyes were 18 mm/Hg which was in the normal range.
I thought this procedure was well worth the $32 my vet charged me and I can rest easy now knowing Barney not only can still see very well but also he has no glaucoma.
This is the test
Glaucoma Test for Dogs | eHow.com