Peteyevet.ie

04/04/2026

Systemic hypertension is common in older cats — but often clinically silent until target organ damage occurs.

The eye is one of the few places you can directly visualise vascular damage.

Hypertensive retinopathy can present with:
• Retinal haemorrhages
• Retinal oedema
• Vessel tortuosity
• Serous retinal detachment

Sustained high blood pressure →
➡️ Damage to retinal vessels
➡️ Breakdown of blood-retinal barrier
➡️ Fluid accumulation → detachment

Often acute and alarming for owners:
• Sudden blindness
• Mydriasis
• Reduced/absent PLR
• Behavioural changes

Don’t Forget the Cause
Always investigate underlying disease:
• Chronic kidney disease
• Hyperthyroidism
• Idiopathic hypertension

What To Do
✔️ Measure blood pressure
✔️ Perform fundoscopy (even basic)
✔️ Start antihypertensive therapy promptly
✔️ Refer if retinal changes or vision loss present

Acting in the early stages:
⚠️ Retinal detachments can reattach if treated early
⚠️ Delay = permanent vision loss

We’re happy to help with:
• Detailed fundic exams
• Ocular imaging
• Case management advice

📞 Peteyevet : 021 4632586
📧 [email protected]
🛜 www.peteyevet.ie

29/03/2026

In dogs with Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), cataract formation is a well-recognised secondary phenomenon, frequently associated with degenerative changes in lens fibre architecture, including vacuolation.

Lens vacuolation represents intracellular and extracellular fluid accumulation within lens fibres, resulting from disruption of normal lens homeostasis. The canine lens relies on tightly regulated microcirculation, ion gradients, and crystallin protein stability to maintain transparency.

• Disruption of fibre cell membranes leads to osmotic imbalance and water influx, producing vacuoles
• Progressive fibre swelling and rupture results in light scattering interfaces
• These structural changes propagate through adjacent fibres, leading to cortical cataract formation

This mechanism aligns with broader models of cataractogenesis, where hydration changes and protein aggregation drive lens opacity.

PRA is an inherited photoreceptor degeneration that indirectly alters the intraocular environment:
• Retinal degeneration leads to reduced metabolic demand and altered vitreous biochemistry
• Secondary changes in oxygen tension and nutrient diffusion affect the lens
• This promotes oxidative stress and lens fibre degeneration, predisposing to vacuole formation

Clinically, PRA is strongly associated with secondary cataract development in dogs.

The sequence typically observed:
1. Early vacuolation – small cortical clefts or fluid-filled spaces
2. Coalescence of vacuoles – increased light scatter
3. Cortical opacity formation – immature cataract
4. Complete fibre disruption – mature cataract

These changes reflect the broader principle that cataracts arise from loss of the highly ordered arrangement of lens fibres and crystallins.

22/02/2026

Corneal Sequestrum : Dog vs Cat

Sequestrum-like corneal necrosis in a dog

Important distinction
• True sequestrum is rare in dogs
• Most cases = chronic ulceration → stromal necrosis ± pigmentation

Common contributors
• Exposure keratopathy(brachycephalics)
• KCS / tear film deficiency
• Chronic non-healing ulcer
• Eyelid conformational disease

Management approach
• Treat as chronic ulcerative keratitis
• Optimise tear film + surface protection
• Surgical debridement/keratectomy if non-healing or deep

If it looks like a feline sequestrum in a dog — search hard for the underlying cause.

Feline corneal sequestrum — this is a bilateral case

What you’re seeing
• Dense brown–black corneal plaques
• Surrounding vascularisation ± oedema
• Chronic keratitis changes

Key clinical points
• True corneal sequestrum = feline disease
• Often linked to chronic irritation, brachycephaly, tear film issues
• Herpesvirus may contribute
• Can be unilateral or bilateral (less common but important)

Management
• Superficial keratectomy ± graft = treatment of choice
• Medical therapy mainly supportive
• Address underlying surface disease to reduce recurrence

Bilateral disease → strongly consider chronic surface irritation or tear film dysfunction.

21/02/2026

Just a couple of hours after cataract surgery and Ollie already navigating like a pro 🚀

Early visual behaviour in young dogs after uncomplicated phacoemulsification can be dramatic. Once the opaque lens is removed and the visual axis is clear, many patients demonstrate rapid functional vision — even while still adapting to altered optics.

Clinical notes:
• Behavioural vision may return within 24 hours
• Depth perception and accommodation take time to adapt
• Temporary glare sensitivity is common
• Mild corneal oedema or aqueous flare does not preclude useful vision
• Strict activity restriction is still essential despite the enthusiasm

Owner guidance is critical:
✔ lead walks only
✔ no jumping or rough play
✔ Elizabethan collar compliance
✔ adhere to intensive topical protocol
✔ monitor for blepharospasm, discharge, vision change

Take-home: rapid visual improvement ≠ healed eye. Protect the surgical result.

Peteyevet

19/02/2026

Fluorescein doesn’t always come out of the nose in cats 👀

In feline patients, a negative Jones test at the nostril does not automatically mean nasolacrimal obstruction.

Tear drainage pathway:
Puncta → canaliculi → lacrimal sac → nasolacrimal duct → nasal cavity

The feline nasolacrimal duct opens ventrally within the nasal cavity. From there, fluorescein can travel caudally toward the nasopharynx and be swallowed rather than exiting the external nares.

What this means clinically:
• No nasal fluorescence ≠ blocked duct
• Dye may be swallowed or removed by grooming
• Small tear volume can limit visible nasal staining

If patency is in question:
✔ check the oropharynx for fluorescence
✔ look for green staining in saliva
✔ consider nasolacrimal flushing

Take-home: absence of dye at the nostril alone is not diagnostic of obstruction in cats.

14/02/2026

Loss of palpebral blink with preserved third eyelid mobility.

This patient demonstrates facial nerve dysfunction affecting orbicularis oculi function, resulting in absent blink and reduced corneal protection. Notably, third eyelid movement remains intact, indicating preserved sympathetic and oculomotor pathways.

These cases are at high risk of exposure keratitis, tear film instability, and secondary corneal ulceration. Early lubrication, corneal monitoring, and investigation of the underlying neurological cause are essential to protect vision.

Referral is recommended for ocular surface assessment, tear film evaluation, and guidance on long-term corneal protection strategies.

09/02/2026

Today’s case: surgical removal of a diabetic cataract followed by IOL placement from to restore functional vision. Early referral and careful diabetic control make all the difference in surgical success.

07/02/2026

Sustained or recurrent elevation of IOP can lead to secondary lens luxation due to zonular compromise (as seen), further complicating medical and surgical management.

💡 Consider prophylactic monitoring and client education for the contralateral eye in predisposed breeds.

06/02/2026

Primary Glaucoma in Dogs 👁️

Glaucoma is a painful, sight-threatening condition caused by a sudden rise in pressure inside the eye (IOP).

🔹 Primary glaucoma is usually inherited and most often affects both eyes (even if one looks normal at first).
🔹 The increased pressure can damage the optic nerve very quickly.
🔹 If pressure stays high, it can lead to complications — like lens luxation, shown in one of these images, where the lens shifts position after prolonged elevation of IOP.

🚨 Signs to watch for:
• Red or cloudy eye
• Squinting or excessive tearing
• A visibly enlarged eye
• Sudden vision loss or behaviour changes

⏰ Glaucoma is an emergency. Early diagnosis and rapid treatment are critical to relieve pain and preserve vision.

If your dog has a breed predisposition or you notice any of these signs, please seek veterinary attention urgently.

30/12/2025

✨ Happy New Year from Peteyevet! ✨
Wishing all our wonderful clients, their pets, and our referring vets a bright, healthy and happy 2025. 👁🐾💛

Thank you for trusting us with your patients’ ophthalmic care this year. Your support means so much to our small, independent, women-led service. It’s a privilege to work alongside such dedicated colleagues and to care for the pets who mean the world to their families.

Here’s to a new year filled with clearer vision, successful outcomes, and healthy, happy eyes. ✨
We look forward to supporting you and your patients throughout 2025.

— The Peteyevet Team 🩺💛

23/12/2025