Eye issues in animals present in many ways. Many patients with traumatic eye problems (ulcers, scratches, etc) will squint the affected eye and the eye will tear. In other situations, such as cataracts, the problem is noted due to cloudiness in the eye or the patient’s loss of vision (bumping into things, etc). Patients with an acute (sudden) onset of symptoms associated with the eyes should be evaluated immediately. Delayed treatment for some eye conditions could lead to altered healing and long-term vision loss.

Patients with a sudden onset of squinting, redness of the eye, cloudiness of the clear portion of their eye (cornea), discharge from the eye, or sudden blindness should be evaluated immediately. These sudden symptoms could indicate trauma to the eye (ulcers, scratched, etc) or glaucoma and require emergency treatment.

Patients with chronic (slow progressive) changes to their eye such as decreased vision and cloudiness of the lens within their eye (cataracts) can be evaluated by your family veterinarian or a veterinary ophthalmologist. You should schedule an appointment for further evaluation.

Austin Veterinary Team
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