OPHTHALMIC EXAMS

The eyes are the windows into your pet’s health

The eyes are considered the windows into your pet’s health. They tell a lot about how your pet feels. For example, if your pet feels bad or has a fever, his eyes may be dull and perhaps more runny and mucousy. A thorough ophthalmic exam can therefore help us detect diseases early before other significant clinical signs are present. Animals are very inquisitive. They often investigate by putting their heads into areas where they shouldn’t. This can lead to scratches on their eyes. To detect this damage, a fluoroscein stain is applied to the surface of the cornea and then flushed. The stain will adhere to the scratched portion which helps to determine what type of eye medications to use.

Another informative eye test we use is for glaucoma, where we test for intraocular pressure. We use a Tonometer, an eye pressure pen designed solely for use with animals. Glaucoma, or high eye pressure, occurs because of genetics, trauma, secondary to cataracts, or from age related issues.

Other equipment utilized for eye examination include direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy, tear production tests. We also can refer to Board Certified Ophthalmologists locally.