FAQs
Board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists are required to complete four years of veterinary school, followed by a one-year internship and a three year residency in ophthalmology. Following completion of their residency, a candidate must then pass a rigorous four-day knowledge and skill-based examination by a panel of veterinary ophthalmologists. Upon successful completion of these requirements the candidate achieves board certification by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
No. Most of our patients are sent to us by their primary care veterinarian to assist them in the diagnosis and treatment of complex eye conditions. We do not require a referral; however, if you feel your pet would benefit from seeing a veterinary ophthalmologist, we welcome you to contact us (Contact link).
- Signs of discomfort, either localized (squinting, rubbing or pawing at the eye, light sensitivity) or generalized.
- Animals with glaucoma often act depressed, as though they have a headache.
- Change in appearance of the eye – cloudiness, redness, swelling.
- Discharge from the eye, especially anything other than clear tears.
- Loss of or change in vision – hesitating when going down stairs, won’t play with toys, etc.
If any of these symptoms develop suddenly or seem severe, your pet may need to be seen on a more urgent basis. One of our ophthalmologists is available for emergency consultation with your primary veterinarian to initiate treatment or urgent referral as needed.
The dog eye has primarily evolved for dim light vision and to detect motion, both of which are useful during low light hunting. They also have some specialized cells called cone photoreceptors which are responsible for bright light and color vision. While humans have trichromatic vision, dogs are believed to have dichromatic vision seeing in shades of blues and yellows. Dogs also have significantly fewer cones than humans with only 20% of the central retina made up of cones versus 100% in humans.
Payment is required at the time services are rendered. Animal Vision Center accepts cash, checks, and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express) as payment. We know that some eye conditions require prompt treatment and that unexpected medical expenses can difficult.
No. Early diagnosis and examination may reveal complicating factors that could affect your pets chances of regaining vision. Early treatment can significantly improve the chances of a successful cataract surgery.
Please ask during your pet’s appointment for a demonstration. Our doctors and staff would be happy to share our tips and tricks with you. The best method is to have your pet sit with their back against your chest. Using your body as a backstop, gently lift your pet’s chin up and allow the medication to drip into their eye from above. Do your best to not touch the medication bottle to your pet’s eye as this can lead to contamination or injury (handout link).
We see patients by appointment Monday through Friday from 8:30am-5pm. You may schedule an appointment by calling or making an appointment. We require a minimum of 24 business hours notice for cancellation of scheduled appointments.
Our goal at the Animal Vision Center (AVC) is to provide high quality medical care in a timely manner to all of our veterinary patients. As your appointment time is reserved specifically for your pet, AVC has a cancellation/no-show policy. Out of consideration for our patients, staff and our Doctors, we ask that you notify us 24 business hours in advance should you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. Our business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. Messages left on Fridays or on weekends for Monday appointments do not qualify as advanced notice because we do not retrieve those messages until Monday morning.
A missed appointment is when you fail to show up for an appointment without a phone call or cancel without at least 24-hour notice (48-hour notice for scheduled surgery).
A veterinary/client relationship is built on mutual trust and respect. As such, we strive to be on time for your scheduled appointment and ask that you give us the courtesy of a call when you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment. As a courtesy, AVC has email and voice reminder capability to help remind you about your appointment date and time; however, it does remain the client’s ultimate responsibility to keep track of their scheduled appointments.
Late Arrival Policy: We make every effort to be on time for all of our appointments. Unfortunately, when even one patient arrives late for their appointment, it can alter the entire schedule for the day. Therefore, a client that arrives 10 minutes or more late for their scheduled appointment may need to be rescheduled depending on doctor availability. Priority is to patients that arrive on time. If you choose to wait to be seen, the wait time may be considerable and unpredictable.
Appointment No-Show Policy:
A “no-show” is when a client misses a scheduled appointment without cancelling it or providing 24 business hours notice of cancellation. In order to reschedule a missed appointment, you will be charged a missed appointment fee and be required to leave a NON-REFUNDABLE RETAINER equal to the amount of the initial consultation ($490) will be required ($224 for missed recheck appointments). This retainer amount will be credited toward the next appointment if that appointment is kept.
Surgery Appointment No-Show Policy: A surgery “no-show: appointment is when a client misses a scheduled surgery appointment without providing 48 business hours notice of cancellation. In order to reschedule a missed surgery appointment, a NON-REFUNDABLE RETAINER equal to the half the amount of the surgery estimate will be required. This retainer amount will be credited toward the surgery appointment if that appointment is kept.
We do understand that unanticipated events happen occasionally; emergency cancellations are handled on an individual basis. We thank you in advance for abiding by these policies and helping us keep our patients, clients, and staff on schedule and safe!