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Are your pet's eyes healthy? Here are the warning signs you need to know

It might be time for your dog or cat to have an eye exam.

We are learning so much about service dogs as we watch the growth in our own Wags 4 Warriors puppy-in-training. Roxy is in great health and hitting all those milestones, just as she should.

We recently learned that there is a nationwide effort to make sure all registered service animals have good vision. This month, the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists Stokes Rx National Service Animal Exam is providing free eye screenings to registered service animals.

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VCA Great Lakes Veterinary Specialists in Warrensville Heights is one of hundreds of clinics taking part nationwide. VCA Great Lakes held their exam on May 8.

“What we do is a dilated eye exam," said Dr. Emily Conway. "We are looking at all the different parts of the eye to make sure we don’t see any abnormalities."

14-year-old Jennifer Kasunick wants to make sure her guide dog, Rowdy, has no vision problems.

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“I am blind, and he is my guide dog. He makes sure that I don’t fall down stairs or step into the street. He takes me into the doorway without running into the door frame and takes me around obstacles."

Rowdy was raised and trained in Quebec, and Jennifer gives him commands in French.

"Asseoir," she demonstrated. This means "sit."

Eye screenings are a good idea, not just for working animals, but for pets, too. Pet owners can do their part by watching for signs that their pet’s eye health may be suffering.

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Some things to look for:

  • Eyes should be open
  • Squinting or excessive rubbing
  • Watch for redness or cloudiness to the eye
  • Increased discharge or pulling away if pet near their eye

These are all signs that something may be amiss.

"They may have changes if the lights are dim," Dr. Conway said. "They might be having difficulty with stairs or finding doorways, getting lost in the house. Any of those might be a sign that there could be a problem and seeing your veterinarian, who might recommend seeing a veterinary ophthalmologist."

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Rowdy got a clean bill of health, which was good news for Jennifer. Rowdy seemed to take the drops and exam all in stride, a good sign for a service dog.

“He enjoyed all the attention,” Jennifer noted.  

Registration for this year’s event has ended, but to learn more about the work ACVO/StokesRx does, click here.

RELATED: Look at her go! Roxy takes on agility course in Wags 4 Warriors service dog training

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