At Animal Vision Care & Surgical Center, our primary goal is to enhance your pet’s quality of life by preserving and restoring their vision and comfort. We achieve this by working in close collaboration with your primary care veterinarian. This includes gathering essential medical information before your consultation, communicating with your veterinarian during and/or after the examination, and providing a comprehensive summary of your pet’s care afterward.
We understand that visits to the doctor can be a source of nervousness for both you and your pet. Therefore, we take care to guide you through every step of the examination and treatment plan. Ophthalmic exams are non-invasive and can be completed quickly, which helps to minimize stress for your pet. Dr. McNabb’s friendly and thorough consultation style ensures that you will leave with a clear understanding of your pet’s eye condition and the proposed treatment steps.
We’re looking forward to your pet’s upcoming appointment at Animal Vision Care!
To help you prepare, here’s an overview of what to expect:
Arrival
To minimize lobby traffic and create a calmer environment for our patients and clients, please bring only the pet scheduled for the appointment into the clinic. All dogs must be on a leash or in a carrier (slip-leashes are available if needed), and all cats must be transported in a carrier.
Patient and Staff Safety
For pets who do not like other animals: Please call us when you arrive to check in. We will do our best to arrange a scenario where your pet will not encounter another animal while entering or exiting our building.
For pets who may become nervous with restraint or close contact: Please inform us prior to the exam if your pet tends to be nervous. Our exams require close, eye-to-eye contact, which can cause anxiety in some pets, even those who have never snapped or bitten before. If your pet shows any signs of fear or aggression (e.g., growling, showing teeth), we will require a muzzle to be placed by you to complete the exam. This will not harm or traumatize your pet. If you are unable or unwilling to muzzle your pet when necessary, we may be unable to attempt or complete the exam. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us provide the best possible care for your pet.
Managing Anxiety
Highly anxious pets often benefit from a “calming pack” of medications administered at home 60-90 minutes before their veterinary exams. A combination of gabapentin and/or trazodone is very effective and safe for many dogs and cats, including geriatric animals. If this has not already been prescribed by your pet’s primary care veterinarian, please call us in advance of your appointment to discuss this option.
During Your Appointment
A veterinary technician will begin by taking a detailed history and verifying the information you’ve provided on our New Patient Form.
Dr. McNabb will perform a comprehensive ophthalmic exam, including:
Tonometry: Measuring intraocular pressure.
Examination of the Anterior (Front) Segment of the Eye: Using a slit lamp biomicroscope and direct illumination to inspect the eyelids, conjunctiva, cornea, anterior chamber, iris, and lens.
Examination of the Posterior (Back) Segment of the Eye: Using an indirect ophthalmoscope and condensing lens to examine the vitreous, retina, and optic nerve.
She will then discuss or perform additional testing if needed.
Additional Testing Beyond the Exam May Include:
- Schirmer tear testing for dry eye
- Fluorescein dye testing (to aid in examining ulcers/abrasions)
- Jones test (to assess the patency of the tear ducts)
- Rose Bengal dye testing (to aid in the diagnosis of viral lesions)
- Gonioscopy (to determine the anatomy of the iridocorneal angle)
- Ophthalmic ultrasound
- Blood Pressure
- Other tests based on the exam findings
It is crucial that we perform our own exam and diagnostic testing in most cases, even if your veterinarian has previously conducted similar tests. This ensures we can provide you with an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan for your pet. While we accept blood work previously done by your veterinarian, it may occasionally need to be repeated.
After the Exam
Our goal is for you to be fully informed and have a clear understanding of your pet’s eye condition. Dr. McNabb will provide a diagnosis, explain the ocular condition in clear terms, and discuss the recommended medication(s) and treatment instructions both verbally and in a detailed written “Discharge Instructions” form.
A technician will review these discharge instructions with you, answer any remaining questions, and go over medication instructions if necessary. You can receive a hard copy of the discharge instructions and/or have a copy sent to your email address.
Finally, our reception staff will check you out and schedule a progress exam for your pet if needed. We prioritize timely communication with your veterinarian, and a copy of the discharge instructions will be sent to them within 24 to 48 hours of your pet’s examination.
Surgery
Surgical appointment admission times are scheduled between 7:45 AM and 10:00 AM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We aim to schedule your pet’s admission at least two hours before surgery to allow for patient examination, pre-medication, IV catheter placement, and other pre-surgical diagnostic testing and preparation.
Most pets are hospitalized for 4-8 hours, depending on the surgery performed, with discharge times scheduled between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM. The order of surgeries depends on many factors and may not finalize the schedule until all patients for the day are admitted. We can notify you by text or email when your pet’s surgery begins. We will always call you once the surgery is complete and designate a discharge time. Our surgeries do not require your pet to remain hospitalized overnight. We understand the importance of minimizing hospitalization, especially for older and anxious pets. Please let us know if your pet may benefit from special accommodation.
In some cases, we can schedule an initial consultation and surgery on the same day. These appointments are reserved for cases very likely to require surgery. However, some conditions can be treated medically, and surgery isn’t always recommended. If we perform surgery on the same day as the consultation, pets already scheduled for surgery will have priority, which may result in your pet being discharged late in the afternoon. Patients with cataracts cannot have a consultation and surgery on the same day, as they may require medical treatment prior to surgery, and we must perform an eye exam first to determine if your pet is a suitable candidate for surgery. Therefore, we do not schedule initial consultations and cataract surgery for the same day.