The Importance of Regular Eye Exams for Pets

Your pet’s eye health is essential to overall health and comfort. Issues that develop in the eyes can cause pain and discomfort for pets, and some of these ocular problems can eventually cause blindness. Regular eye exams for pets help mitigate the risk of certain ocular diseases while giving your pets a way to continue to view the world through their eyes.

Eye Exams for Pets Encourage Early Detection

Like many health issues, most eye issues can have a positive outcome if caught early. Regularly getting your pet an eye exam is one of the best ways to minimize their risk of dealing with a significant eye problem. Many eye conditions don’t have outward symptoms until they are very advanced. Keeping up with regular eye exams helps your veterinarian spot and treat any potential issues early.

Pet Eye Health Can Indicate Overall Health

There is a reason they say the eyes are the window to the soul. Did you know that certain diseases—like infection, cancer, or immunity issues—can cause eye inflammation? If your veterinarian regularly examines your pet’s eyes, he or she can get an indication of the animal’s overall health. Not only do these exams help catch problems in the eyes, but they can also help spot health issues affecting other parts of the body.

Eye Exams for Pets Create a Solid Health Baseline

When your veterinarian regularly checks your pet’s eyes, he or she can create a solid health baseline to compare against in the future. Since the comparison will be against the animal’s own history, a veterinarian can easily see when something has changed. A veterinary team creates a clear picture of an animal’s eye health by using a wide variety of tests. These preliminary tests include:

• Schirmer Tear Test: This test measures the amount of tears your pet is producing
• Tonometry: This test measures the level of pressure inside the eye
• Slit Lamp Biomicroscopy: This test looks closely at the front of the eye
• Indirect Ophthalmoscopy: This test looks closely at the back of the eye
• Fluorescein Staining: This test looks at the surface of the cornea

Plenty of additional tests are available if the veterinarian finds any potential issues.

Eye Exams for Your Pet Set You Up with a Veterinarian

One of the most significant benefits of getting regular eye exams for pets is that you already have an established relationship with a veterinarian when you need it. If you see issues with your pet’s eyes, you already have a doctor you know and trust. Your veterinarian can then refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist if needed. 

Signs of eye issues in pets include:

• Cloudiness 
• Prolonged redness or swelling
• Discharge from the eyes
• Ocular pain—often presents as squinting
• Difficulty moving around without bumping into things
• Significant changes in behavior

The Ophthalmology department at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services offers a full spectrum of services devoted to animal eye health. We have an expansive range of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment to ensure your pets get the best eye care. To learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment, please call (248) 334-6877.