The Ophthalmology service is run by Dr Mark Billson. As a veterinary ophthalmologist, Mark specialises in diseases of the eye in a wide range of animal species. Eye diseases can affect the tissues around the eyes, including the eyelids and muscles that move the eye as well as the tissues of the eye itself. The majority of diagnostic and surgical equipment used in veterinary ophthalmology have similar counterparts in human medicine. While your veterinarian will deal with many eye diseases, the range of equipment and training necessary for treating more complex animal eye diseases means that some cases need to be referred to an ophthalmologist. At SASH we are always communicating with your veterinarian and often animals will return to your veterinarian for management in the longer term once diagnosis and treatment have been established.

There is a wide range of eye diseases in animals, some of which can lead to blindness and prompt treatment may be necessary to restore vision. One of the more common causes of blindness in dogs is the development of cataracts. Many advances made in the human world have helped our ability to perform cataract surgery in dogs and improve success rates. Our cataract patients are treated with state of the art equipment using surgical techniques similar to those in human ophthalmology known as phacoemulsification. In addition, as in people, technology now enables us to place an artificial lens during cataract surgery so that vision may be restored to levels similar to when there was no cataract.

While many eye conditions affect only the eye, a number of systemic diseases can affect the eye secondarily. Therefore some conditions such as infection or neoplasia may present as an eye complaint although other parts of the body also need to be treated. At SASH we have brought together a dedicated team of specialists covering a variety of different fields of veterinary specialisation. This team approach means your pet benefits from input from other specialists to help reach a diagnosis and give specific treatment to address any underlying problems.

In addition to treating eye disease, Mark is also a panel member of the Australian Canine Eye Scheme (ACES). This scheme has been set up to enable screening of animals for recognised hereditary eye diseases specific to certain breeds. Any animal can be tested under the scheme and issued with a certificate, which is recognised nationally.