Trusopt is widely used to treat glaucoma in cats. Glaucoma in cats is an optic nerve disease of the eye that will eventually make a cat go blind.
Glaucoma in Cats Explained
Glaucoma is a progressive disease of the eye. It is caused when the fluid in a cat's eye, aqueous humour, builds up too much pressure. One of the first signs a cat has glaucoma is seeing an enlarged pupil that does not respond to light. The eyes will also look bloodshot and inflamed.
Managing Cat Glaucoma with Trusopt
Trusopt is a medicated eye drop that contains a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor and is the generic form of dorzolamide. Its use isn’t approved for cats, but veterinarians will often prescribe it as an "extra-label" medicine.
Trusopt can help manage glaucoma in cats by decreasing his eye's production of aqueous humour, thus decreasing ocular pressure. This medicine is also used to help prevent glaucoma in the healthy eye of a cat.
Truspot for cats typically comes as a 2% solution in 5 ml or 10 ml bottles. A veterinarian, depending on the situation, will usually instruct an owner to place 1 drop in a cat's eye, three times a day. The medicine should be administered at the same time every day. A pet owner should never stop applying the drops to a cat's eye before first consulting with a veterinarian. Placing too many drops in a cat's eye can lead to dangerous side effects.
Administering Trusopt
Trusopt comes in a special eye dropper bottle. You should always wash your hands, and the cat's eye should always be cleaned if there's discharge, before applying the eye drops.
When you're about the place the medicine in a cat's eye, the bottle should be shaken with the lid still on. A hand should then be placed under the cat's chin so his head can be tilted up (so the eyes are facing up). Squeeze the prescribed amount of drops in the corner of the cat's eye while resting the administering hand on the cat's head. Do not touch the eye with the dropper. Hold the cat's head in the upward-facing position until the Trusopt has covered the eye. Always wash your hands after placing the drops in a cat's eye.
Take care to never touch the inside of the medicine's cap or the dropper itself with your hands. If the cat needs other eye drops administered, wait 5 minutes between applications.
Side Effects of Trusopt
One of the main side effects of Trusopt in cats is photophobia, sensitivity to light. Therefore, a cat should not be exposed to bright sunlight. This medicine can also cause a stinging sensation. Trusopt can cause the eye to become red, itchy and swollen if the cat is allergic to it. An overdose of Trusopt in a cat's eye can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, panting and a lack of appetite.
Glaucoma in cats will eventually lead to blindness. However, management of this disease with Trusopt can help slow down its progression and alleviate pressure within a cat's eye.