Information for Pet Owners

Accessible and affordable animal eye care for your pets

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For more information on how This Vet  works with your vet to provide affordable, advanced eye care for your pets.

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What to do if you think This Vet may be able to help you and your pet with assessment and management of eye disease. 

Click here to review some of the commonly asked questions about the services we provide, and how we might help you and your pet

 

What we do

Consultations

Most pet owners will understand the value in pet ownership. 

For every referral, every consultation, and every procedure we undertake, every effort is made to deliver quality medical, surgical​ and consulting services with excellence. 

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A consultation with This Vet involves a revision of your pet's medical history (often before the time of consultation). This involves liaising with your pet's regular veterinarian as a review of the medical notes and previous tests and procedures is recommended. At the time of consultation, we will obtain further information about your pet's history (specifically with regard to the eyes and the reason your vet recommended a consultation with us), and then perform a complete ophthalmic examination.

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Our examinations are comprehensive and involve the use of specialised equipment that allow detailed examination of the eyelids and surrounding tissue, the anterior segment (the front part of the eye), the lens (where cataracts occur), and the fundus (including the retina and the optic nerve head (or optic disc as it is known in people). Diagnostic tests are routinely performed to assess your pet's tear production, the quality of your pet's tears, to assess for the presence of any corneal ulceration and to measure the intraocular pressure (the pressure inside the eye). We will always examine both of your pet's eyes (as long as they still have both eyes!) even if you have noted a problem with only one eye, as early and careful examination may help identify and manage early disease.

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At every consultation, you are welcome to ask any questions, or express any concerns you have about your pet's eyes and/or vision, and about our findings and recommendations. We will provide you with written notes about our findings and recommendations for care to ensure you have the best chance possible to fully understand your pet's health, and our plan to manage their eyes.

How we work

If your vet diagnoses a condition affecting your pet's eye that needs further assessment, or the use of specialised equipment, they will contact This Vet to arrange a time for us to come to your vet's clinic to assess your pet. As some eye problems are emergencies, your vet may recommend a same-day appointment which we will always try to accommodate when scheduling permits.

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The This Vet ​team will bring all the equipment needed for the appointment and will communicate directly with both you and your vet about our findings and recommendations, and provide written discharge summaries and consultation notes to ensure communication between all parties is excellent.

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All fees for our services will  be charged via your vet, so that it always remains clear what the estimated costs for treatments, and you are not stung with hidden charges. By working closely with your vet, we aim to provide high quality, timely eye care for your pet, at more affordable prices than when referral to 24-hour hospitals becomes necessary.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I make an appointment?

Your regular veterinarian will contact us to discuss your pet's case and to arrange an appointment. Your vet will advise you about details of the appointment time and provide an estimate of costs.



How much will it cost?

Our consultation fee - which includes a full ophthalmic (eye) exam, as well as some preliminary testing - is fixed, and your vet will advise you of this cost before your appointment. At the time of consultation, we will discuss our findings and treatment recommendations and can give an estimate for any further treatments your pet may need. All fees will be charged by, and paid to your vet - this is because This Vet works with your veterinarian to provide the ophthalmology service, and rather than giving you two separate invoices, we want to make the process as smooth as possible for you, and combine the costs in the one invoice.



What does an appointment involve?

Your initial appointment will involve a consultation where you will speak with Dr Graham and have an opportunity to ask any questions about your pet's eyes, and about our findings. Your vet will have already discussed the case with Dr Graham, but we will ask you questions to clarify different points. Most of the time you will be present for the appointment, but if your pet has an urgent problem and you are not available at the time, it may be best for your pet to stay for the day at your vet's hospital, and we can examine them, and speak with you over the phone.



I have an appointment, what should I do?

You should give your pet all the medications your vet has previously prescibed. This is especially important for diseases such as glaucoma, where it is imperative that medication is given on a routine basis to slow the progression of disease. Depending on what your pet is being seen for, it may be of benefit to fast them (for approximately 6 hours) before the appointment. If your pet is fasted, it means any procedures that may need to be done under sedation, may be performed on the same day. It is very important that your pet be allowed free access to fresh drinking water at all times even if they are being fasted. There are some cases where you should NOT fast your pet unless your vet has specifically told you to - if your pet is diabetic, if your pet is young (less than 4 months of age), or if your pet is a rabbit, guinea pig, or other animal that needs to constantly graze, you should NOT fast your pet before the appointment, but should feed on their regular schedule. Please check with your veterinarian about whether your pet should or should not be fasted before your appointment.



What type of tests are done for animal eye conditions?

To assess an animal's eye(s) properly, diagnostic tests are usually used. These tests range from those that are routinely performed in every examination and consultation we perform. Other tests will be discussed with you at the time of consultation and depend on the examination findings.

Some of the tests that will be conducted routinely as part of every examination include:

  • Measurement and assessment of the tear film
  • Fluorescein testing to assess for corneal ulceration. Additional stains to help assess the ocular surface may be used dependent on the individual case.
  • Tonometry (measurement of the pressure inside the eye - or intraocular pressure)

Additional tests that may be conducted (with your consent) at the time of consultation may include:

  • Assesssing patency (whether there is an obstruction) of the nasolacrimal (tear) ducts
  • Imaging tests such as ultrasound of the eye, or imaging of the retina (optical coherence tomography)
  • Treatment trials to assess how an animal responds to a particular medication

There are some tests or procedures that may be scheduled at a later date. This might include tests such as a CT (computed tomography) which requires heavy sedation or an anaesthetic and is not available at every veterinary clinic, or obtaining samples for laboratory testing that may require sedation or anaesthesia. In some cases, referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist at a referral hospital may be recommended.



 

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