Latanoprost limitations in cats with glaucoma

Treatment options for cats often lag behind those available for dogs, and ophthalmology is no exception. In this interview clip on his lectures at the Fetch dvm360 conference in Nashville, Tennessee, this past month, Benjamin Bergstrom, DVM, MS, DACVO, owner of The Eye Vets, a veterinary ophthalmology practice in Nashville, discusses the challenges of managing glaucoma in feline patients. He highlights that glaucoma is often more manageable with medical therapy in dogs than in cats, depending on the cause. Bergstrom also discusses the limited utility of latanoprost—a key medication in treating canine glaucoma—in feline patients, reminding practitioners that the medication is not as long-lasting in cats as it is in dogs.

Below is the transcript of the video, which has been lightly edited for improved clarity:

Benjamin Bergstrom, DVM, MS, DACVO: Glaucoma in animals is a very, very frustrating disease. The treatment of glaucoma in dogs is different than it is in kitties. And in a lot of instances, we can manage it a little bit longer in dogs with medical therapy than we can in cats depending on the cause. And so, I think the important fact about glaucoma and its differences between cats and dogs is latanoprost, for instance, which is our most potent best medication we have as a defense to glaucoma in dogs, does not work or does not work for as long in kitties. And so, we don't have that in our arsenal to be able to manage the disease as well as we do in dogs.

For more on ophthalmology and to listen to the rest of the interview with Bergstrom, check out the following:

• Understanding and managing cataracts and lens luxation in cats and dogs
• Differentiating nuclear sclerosis from early cataracts during an ophthalmic exam
• Leaning on each other in practice
• Enucleation conversations: A lecture preview