Veterinary Ophthalmology

If your regular vet has diagnosed or suspects an eye condition in your pet, they may recommend referral. We are the only dedicated veterinary ophthalmology practice in the south east, accepting referrals for all types of eye and eyelid disease, injury or abnormality. Focussing purely on ophthalmology means that we can provide an extremely high level of medicine and surgery, with a small dedicated team providing the very best standards of care for your pet. We are available 24 hours a day for emergencies.

What to expect on your first visit

The first time you come to us will usually be an hour-long appointment. The vet will talk to you about your pet's history and current eye problem, examine the eyes in detail using sophisticated equipment, and perform a variety of tests including measuring eye pressure, tear production, and others. It may be necessary to dilate your pet's pupils, in which case drops will be applied and the examination will restart after around 20 minutes.

What to expect if your pet has surgery

We will usually ask you to bring your pet in at 8.40am if they are being admitted for surgery. Download our pre-operative instructions here.

Follow-up appointments

Re-examinations are usually 30 minutes long. We keep in very close contact with your primary vet throughout treatment and can arrange for some follow-up appointments to be done locally if appropriate.

Payments and pet insurance

Payment must be made at the time of consultation, or when your pet goes home if they are admitted to the clinic.

We routinely deal with pet insurance companies - bring a claim form with you and we will ensure it is submitted promptly to reclaim the cost for you. If major surgery is planned, we can sometimes arrange for payment to be made directly to us for a modest administration fee.

We accept all major credit cards including American Express.

Download our Standard Terms of Business here.

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Repeat Prescription Protocol

Any client who has previously been seen at EVR may contact us for a repeat prescription BUT please do not leave your requests to the last minute. All prescriptions must be checked by the medical staff and in some cases may need to ordered in specially. Therefore please allow at least 48 hours (working days only) for each repeat prescription but please be assured that we will do our best to process them more speedily if we can realistically do so.

The following information will be required:

Client’s and patient’s full names
Client’s address
Client’s telephone number
When EVR last checked the animal
Medication requested

Name
Strength
Form (tablet/liquid/eye drop)
Current dosage instructions

The policy of EVR and of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is to re-assess animals requiring repeat prescriptions as a minimum every six months BUT this may vary according to the specific needs of the patient. Any such case must be discussed with the vet and agreed by them. It may be necessary to see your pet more frequently. These checks enable us to be sure that the requested prescription is still the most appropriate drug for your pet.

Reception staff will contact you to let you know when the prescribed medication/prescription is ready for collection. All medication must be paid for in full on collection.

If clients are unable to collect their medication we can send it by post as a registered item. Clients will be required to pay for such a service and we will contact you to inform you of the total cost prior to sending it out.

To cover our administration costs, clients requiring a prescription and choosing to source their medication elsewhere will incur a £12 charge.

Elham Valley Referrals

Owner Information Sheets

Caring for your Blind Cat

Caring for your Blind Dog

Cataract Surgery - What to Expect

Printable eye medication dosing chart

Cataract Surgery

Useful products

www.ocuglo.com - Ocu-GLO is a nutritional supplement which can be helpful in cases of retinal disease.

www.optivizor.co.uk - Manufacturers of face and eye protection for dogs and cats following eye surgery, can be used instead of a buster collar/"cone".

External links

www.blinddog.com - an American site for owners of blind and visually-impaired dogs. Good for ideas for toys and games to play with your dog, emphasising sounds and smells.

www.blinddogrescue.com - American again, with a section of tips on caring for a blind dog and lots of owners' stories.

www.blinddogsupport.com - Set up by an owner to provide information about caring for blind dogs, now has a busy discussion forum and extensive resources.

These links are provided as a general guide only - we are not responsible for the content of external websites.