Ophthalmology

The health and function of your pet’s eyes are vital to his or her well-being. “Your pet’s eyes are its windows to the world.” If you notice any changes in your pets’ vision or the way their eyes look, let us know. There is usually something that can be done before it becomes a major problem.

• Can your pet see as well as it used to?
• Is there any discharge from the eyes?
• Do the eyes or eyelids look any different from how they used to?

There may be a problem with one or both eyes that we can help with. Don’t forget, problems in the eyes can be a sign of other illnesses in the rest of the body.

How can we help?

We have a range of modern diagnostic tools and tests at our disposal to help diagnose and treat the problem. Did you know pets can wear contact lenses? They are not to help vision but to protect a damaged eye and allow it to heal, avoiding the need for complex surgery. Many pedigree dogs and cats have hereditary eye problems. These range from eyelids turning into cataracts and even progressive blindness. If picked up early, some of these can be treated and vision saved. As dogs and cats age they can develop high blood pressure as we can, but did you know this can cause irreversible damage to the eye?

A simple examination and blood pressure measurement can pick this up before it becomes serious. Pets produce tears too. Some dogs and cats develop a disease that stops tear production called dry eye. It makes them feel like they have grit in their eyes. If your pet gets recurrent eye infections, ask to have the tear production checked. Any problem your pet may have with its eyes, we can help.