MAKE AN APPOINTMENT
• Download & fill out our New Patient Form (PDF) Please remember to bring this document to your appointment. Please have your veterinarian fill and send the Referral Form (PDF) prior to your appointment.
• Referring veterinarians, please fill out our Referral Form (PDF) and e-mail to animaleyeiowa@gmail.com or fax to 1-877-516-6277
• To schedule your appointment, please book an appointment using our online system or call one of our clinics to schedule an appointment.
WHAT TO BRING
• Please be sure to bring all of the medications you are currently using, the name and phone number of your regular veterinarian, and a method of payment.
Do I need a referral from my regular veterinarian? – Animal Eye Consultants of Iowa is a referral specialty ophthalmology practice. We work intimately with local veterinarians and serve as a resource and help for your veterinarian, while dealing with basic ocular conditions. Most routine eye problems can be diagnosed and treated successfully by your local veterinarian. We prefer that your pet is first evaluated by your veterinarian, and if referral to our ophthalmology specialty service is needed, we will closely work with your veterinarian to appropriately address any eye problem or systemic disease which resulted in the ocular complications. Detailed historical information about previous and current health problems provided by your veterinarian is extremely important in determining the proper diagnosis and establishing the future therapy for eye diseases. Your veterinarian and you can schedule an appointment with our service by accessing our website using the smart phone or computer, or just by calling the specific clinic in which you would like to be seen. Referral is not necessary for eye screening examinations and CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) exams.
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How much does an exam cost? – The cost of examination varies based on your pet’s condition, the specific type of examination and examined species. Equine examinations usually take more time, and they are more expensive compared to small animal examination. Canine Eye Registry Foundation examinations for breeding dogs are the cheapest (please call our hospital for pricing information). Before pursuing more costly examinations, or surgical procedures, we will provide you with a written estimate of all anticipated costs. Please feel free to contact our offices with specific question regarding prices for different surgical and medical procedures.
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How long will the exam take? – We try our best to see all of our appointments at the time scheduled, but like any doctor’s office, some patients may take longer than others. The initial examination usually takes 30 minutes, while recheck examinations are usually done in 10-15 minutes, unless unforeseen complications are observed, which may require additional medical or diagnostic procedures. Owners should anticipate spending approximately one hour at our clinic with their pets, which allows us to finish with the examination and prescribe needed medications. We usually try to prepare discharge information immediately. However, in some cases, discharge information will be sent via e-mail or regular mail within 24 hours. All clients will receive instructions for medications at the end of appointment. We accept all emergency cases throughout the day, and will try to examine them immediately especially in cases of conditions, which may pose an imminent threat for the vision. Since this type of emergency conditions is relatively rare, our scheduled appointments have a top priority in terms of the examination schedule.
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Do I have to stay for the appointment? – Yes. All patients need to be attended by their owners or a designated guardian during the initial appointment. Patients undergoing surgery or diagnostic testing can be left in the hospital and picked up at the end of the day.
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Do you do surgery the same day as the appointment? – Minor surgical procedures can be done at the same day, while major surgeries are usually scheduled in advance (cataract surgery). Surgery can often be scheduled within a week following the first appointment. Please do not feed your pets for 12 hours prior to the appointment (water is fine), in the case general anesthesia is needed for any diagnostic or surgical procedure.
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What are the tests performed in the exam room? What do they measure? – There are three common diagnostic tests our ophthalmologists perform in the exam room, none of which are painful:
- Evaluation of the vision (object tracking, menace response, visual navigation skills in the maze test)
- Chromatic pupil light reflex response testing - this is a very quick test where bright red and blue light will be used to illuminate your pet's eyes and evaluate constriction of the pupil. This test provides an information whether retina and optic nerve are functioning properly.
- Schirmer Tear Test: This test measures the amount of tears your pet’s eye is producing. A small strip of paper is placed beneath the eyelid. After a minute, we see how much of the paper strip becomes wet, measured in millimeters. A healthy animal should produce 15-25mm per minute wetting of the strip..
- Intraocular Pressure Check (Tonometry): This test is performed by lightly touching the surface of the eye with the tip of the instrument. A reading is produced in mmHg. Healthy animal eyes generally have a pressure between 15-25mmHg. Prior to performing this test, we will instill a drop of topical numbing drops so discomfort associated with this testing can be reduced.
- Fluorescein stain: This test is usually performed if there is a suspicion of the possible damage to the superficial and most transparent layer of the eye (cornea). The fluorescing is a green die which can stain any structural defect in the cornea.
- Slit lamp biomicroscopy - an ophthalmologist usually uses a hand held microscope to evaluate different ocular structures under very high magnification. The magnification helps with a diagnosis of subtle changes, which otherwise would not be visible to the human eye.
- Indirect ophthalmoscopy - This examination allows to an ophthalmologist to perform a detailed examination of structure in the back of the eye (retina and optic nerve).
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