Section: Veterinary Care In-depth
It is essential that a specific cause be identified in order to initiate appropriate therapy. In general, opacities of the eye that develop suddenly, reduce vision, and/or cause pain (rubbing eye, squinting) are inherently more serious and necessitate immediate medical attention.
Diagnosis In-depth
The following diagnostic tests are essential in helping to diagnose and treat your pet's ocular disease:
Complete medical history and physical examination
Complete ophthalmic examination including slit-lamp biomicroscopy (magnified examination of the eyelids, cornea, front chamber of the eye and lens) and indirect ophthalmoscopy (magnified examination of the vitreous body and retina)
Schirmer tear test to determine if tear production is normal, elevated or reduced
Fluorescein and possible rose bengal staining of the cornea to detect surface defects, ulcers and erosions
Tonometry (measurement of the pressure within the eye) to evaluate for the presence of glaucoma
Complete blood count (CBC) and serum tests to identify any related medical problems
Additional diagnostic tests may be recommended based on results of initial tests or due to a lack of response to prior treatments.
These tests may include:
Corneal cytology (complete cell analysis) of cell samples collected from infected or inflamed corneas to determine the presence of infectious organisms and type of inflammatory reaction.
Corneal culture of cells collected from corneal ulcers to identify the specific type of bacteria or fungi present and which antibiotics they are most susceptible to.
Paracentesis (collection of a fluid sample from the anterior chamber or vitreous body obtained with a small needle) is an alternative for attaining a diagnosis of undefined uveitis (or cancer) utilizing cytology and serology.
Serology (testing of antigen-antibody reactions in-vitro) when systemic fungal diseases (cryptococcosis, blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis), toxoplasmosis (a protozoal disease)or tick-borne diseases are suspected.
Gonioscopy (magnified examination of the fluid drainage angle within the eye using a specialized lens) to help classify the type of glaucoma present.
Electroretinography (evaluates the electrical responses of the retina to light stimulation) to ensure that the retina is functioning normally.
Ultrasound examination of the eye (imaging technique in which deep structures of the eye are visualized) when the eye is too opaque for normal examination procedures
Treatment In-depth
Therapy is dependent upon the underlying cause.
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