Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is an optic neuropathy that usually occurs in people over 50 years old.The pathogenesis of NAION remains unknown, and there is no recognized effective treatment.The animal model of NAION established by photodynamic method has similar fundus and electrophysiological changes to clinical NAION.In recent years, studies on the pathological mechanisms of NAION based on animal models have found that axonal structure destruction, demyelination and inflammatory cells infiltration in the region of optic nerve infarction, accompanied by secondary retinal ganglion cells apoptosis.There are a wide range of drugs for NAION based on animal models, including glucocorticoids, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, prostaglandin J2, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, neurotrophic factors, effective drugs for glaucoma or central nervous system damage, etc.Routes of administration include systemic administration, intravitreal injection or topical application of eye drops.The neuroprotective effects of some drugs in animal models provide a basis for clinical screening of new therapeutic drugs.In this review, the animal models of NAION, pathophysiology and treatment based on animal models were summarized.