What is a veterinary specialist?

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A veterinary specialist is a registered veterinarian with an exceptionally high level of skill that is well above that of a general practitioner. A specialist must have undergone extensive advanced supervised training, culminating in the passing of a rigorous set of examinations.

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Reasons for visiting a Veterinary Ophthalmologist

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• Acute or chronic discharging, painful, cloudy or red eyes especially where uveitis, glaucoma or other vision-threatening disease is suspected

• Vision loss

• Recurrent problems eg ulcers

• Patients where one eye has already been lost and it is likely that the condition might affect the other eye

• Lack of treatment response

• Problems which are completely outside of the type of services which your general practitioner can offer e.g. cataract surgery, corneal surgery

 

Diagnostic and surgical procedures

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Animal Eye Services is equipped to perform sophisticated state-of-the-art diagnostic procedures including ultrasonography and electroretinography.

We are also equipped to perform a comprehensive range of surgical procedures including:
 

• Eyelid surgery

• Corneal surgery

• Conjunctival surgery

• Cataract surgery

• Laser surgery

• Cryosurgery

• Cosmetic globe replacement for blind end stage eyes

 

Please make sure your dog has a microchip inserted for positive identification and bring your kennel club registration papers when presenting for eye certification. Please arrive approximately 20 minutes before your appointment so that drops to dilate the pupil can be given. Pupil dilation is important so that the structures in the back of the eye can be examined carefully.

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Continuing education of veterinarians 

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Animal Eye Services in association with Veterinary Specialist Services and Animal Emergency Services provides regular seminars to general practice veterinarians on diagnosis and treatment of common eye diseases.

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Extramural veterinary student education 

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Animal Eye Services believes in and supports the future of the veterinary profession by its involvement in undergraduate veterinary education. We frequently take veterinary students on extramural practical rotations and have delivered lectures and practical sessions to veterinary students & practitioners in ophthalmology.

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Referral Information

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You, your usual veterinarian and your veterinary ophthalmologist form a special three-way relationship of communication which enables us to provide the optimal care for your pet. Your veterinarian will always be updated about the diagnosis and treatment of your pet's condition whilst in our care.

If you live a long way from our clinic, Animal Eye Services is always available for telephone consultation with your veterinarian regarding your pet’s condition. Some distant veterinarians may also email digital photos so that we can more accurately define their patient’s eye condition. We also invite veterinarians to attend our clinic so that they can observe and gain first hand experience in the diagnosis and treatment of different eye conditions.

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Because conditions of the eye can sometimes be an indicator for disease of the rest of the body, we will occasionally suggest referral onto other veterinary specialists such as internal medicine clinicians, oncologists, cardiologists dermatologists or general surgeons. Many of these services exist within the same hospital for your convenience.
 

Your First Visit

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Please arrive 10 minutes early to your first appointment so that we can have you fill out a new client registration form.

Please also bring with you any medications that are currently being given to your pet.

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When you come to see us we will firstly obtain some history from you about your pet’s eye condition. In particular we will ask questions about:

•      Medications which have been used and the perceived response to those medications.

•      The duration of the condition.

We will then perform a complete examination of your pet’s eyes with sophisticated equipment.