New Patient Guide

What is a veterinary ophthalmologist? When would my pet need one?

Veterinary Ophthalmology is a specialization of veterinary medicine that addresses eye health, eye disease, and vision in animals. A veterinary ophthalmologist is involved in all phases of animal eye care, working with general practice veterinarians and other veterinary specialists to help diagnose and treat animal eye problems such as cataracts, glaucoma, vision loss, eye infections, eye cancers, corneal ulcers, dry eye problems, eyelid abnormalities, diseases of the retina, and genetic eye problems. Treatment options and recommendations are made to help return your pet’s health and improve their quality of life.

Make an Appointment

• Fill out our New Patient Form online
• Referring veterinarians, please submit a Referral Form

To schedule your appointment, please call our office at (615) 690-9399 and speak with a staff member. Certain conditions, such as cataracts and vision loss, may require extra time for additional testing, so we try to schedule these patients in the mornings. We prefer to schedule all initial evaluations before 3 o’clock. See our office calendar for our operating hours and travel days.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need a referral from my regular veterinarian?

  Veterinary Ophthalmology Services is a referral specialty practice. We work intimately with local veterinarians and serve as a resource for your veterinarian. Most routine eye problems can be diagnosed and treated successfully at your veterinarian’s office. We prefer that your pet be evaluated by his or her veterinarian for eye problems that may require our services and encourage referral when appropriate. However, a referral is not mandatory. Important historical information from your veterinarian is usually helpful in determining response to previous therapy and to guide our future treatment options. On some occasions, referral may not be necessary, as in eye screening examinations and ECR (Eye Certification Registry) exams.

• What do I need to bring to an initial exam?

  1. All medications and instructions that are currently being used.
  2. Contact information for your regular veterinarian.
  3. Payment method. (Payment is expected in full upon completion of the exam.)
  4. Although not required, it is helpful to have a referral form sent over from your regular veterinarian. It should include recent blood work, if available, and information about chronic conditions.

• How much does an exam cost?

  This varies based on your pet’s condition. We will provide you with a written estimate for any procedure done outside of a standard ophthalmic examination before any work is performed. Please feel free to contact our office with specific questions.

• What forms of payment do you accept?

  We accept all major credit cards, CareCredit, personal checks, and cash. Payment is due in full upon completion of the exam.

• Are there any discounts?

  We do offer discounts to registered rescue groups who provide a yearly 501c3 as proof of their non-profit status. We also provide discounted eye examinations (not including additional procedures and medications) for registered service animals throughout the year. We offer free examinations only to service animals during the month of May for those who register through the ACVO. We cannot offer discounts to equine patients.

• 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 anticipated. We are also open for emergency cases throughout the day, and while we give scheduled clients top priority, some of these animals may need to be seen immediately.

  To be safe, please set aside an hour to an hour and a half for initial exams and 30 minutes to an hour for follow up appointments. We have complimentary Wi-Fi available while you wait.

• Do I have to stay for the appointment?

  Yes, all patients need to be attended by their owners or a designated guardian. Unfortunately, we are not able to dayboard pets needing exams because our limited kennel space is reserved for patients undergoing surgery or diagnostic testing. If there is no way for you or someone else to bring your pet in for your appointment, please let us know and we’ll do what we can to make special arrangements.

• Can the doctors do farm calls?

  Unfortunately, our doctors are not able to perform farm calls under any circumstances. Equine and other large animal patients must be seen at a designated large animal clinic. Currently, our ophthalmologists see horses at Equine Performax Veterinary Services at the Jaeckle Centre in Thompsons Station, Tennessee Equine Hospital in Thompsons Station, and Franklin Equine Services in Franklin by special arrangement with our office.

• 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:

  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, slightly irritating the eye and absorbing the tears that are generated in response. 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.

  Intraocular Pressure Check (Tonometry): Our ophthalmologists can use several different tonometry devices to measure the pressure of the fluid inside your pet’s eye. 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.

  Fluorescein stain: This test helps our ophthalmologists visualize ulcerations on the surface of the eye. A fluorescent green stain is put on the eye and then washed out. The stain lingers in bright green on any scratches, punctures, or other abnormalities so they can be easily seen with magnification.

More Questions?

Please contact us! We are here to help in any way we can. Feel free to call us at (615) 690-9399 or toll free (877) 551-9399 or send an email to newclients@vostn.com