WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio — Those sweet puppy dog eyes. They'll melt your heart. And just like the rest of your pet, those eyes are deserving of some tender, loving care.
That brought us to VCA Great Lakes Veterinary Specialists in Warrensville Heights, for a chat with Dr. Parker Wilcox. As a veterinary ophthalmologist, he examines and treats any condition or disease relating to the eye, eyelids or eye orbit.
"Your primary care veterinarians are looking at your animal's eyes as part of their whole physical examination. Once they start to identify things, whether that be cataract or a corneal ulcer or actually seeing issues typically refer to a veterinary ophthalmologist for a more extensive workup," said Dr. Wilcox.
Dry eye is one of the most common conditions he sees. This is the lack of sufficient tear production. Symptoms include a think mucous discharge from the eyes. It can be treated with artificial tears and a prescribed ointment.
Also common: corneal ulcers. This is a condition where the outer layer of the eye erodes.
"The cornea is that front windshield part of your eye and when it becomes traumatized, it can kind of leave behind a bit of an erosion," Dr. Wilcox said noting that it is painful, and can cause increased tearing, squinting and redness. There are prescribed topical treatments that can help, but sometimes they do require surgical management. This is a procedure that a veterinary ophthalmologist is trained to do.
Cataracts are common too. They most often affect senior pets. It's important to note that dogs with diabetes are very likely to develop cataracts within 18 months.
Treatment is surgery.
"I wish there was an easier way with just medical management, but it also allows us to restore vision to animals so that they can have a good quality of life moving forward," Dr. Wilcox explained.
Dr. Wilcox took us through a routine eye exam on "Iggy." He checks everything from the cornea all the way back to the retina and optic nerve. A check of tear production and eye pressure allows him to gather as much as much diagnostic information as possible.
"If you're beginning to see clinical signs at home that you're concerned with: increased redness, tearing, squinting, discharge, or changes in vision, having it addressed earlier is always better than waiting.," he added.
And yes, just like us, our pets can suffer from seasonal allergies -- leading to itchy water and irritated eyes. A minor nuisance, but it's important to rule out any other serious causes.
"Just to make sure it's nothing more serious before we start utilizing allergy drops or eye relief drops," Dr. Wilcox said.