Did You Know Your Pet Can Wear Contact Lenses?
It might seem a little out of the ordinary to imagine your beloved pet wearing contact lenses, but it is not as uncommon as you might think. Many vets often have a well-stocked supply of animal-friendly contacts on hand which can be used on domesticated animals like dogs, cats, and horses to even wilder breeds. For the most part, veterinarians apply these seeing aids more for healing purposes than to correct vision, although there are many cases where family pets have been prescribed corrective lenses to make life easier for the poor souls.
The fact of the matter is that technology and medical science has become so advanced that our animals can, in fact, wearing silicone hydrogel contact lenses. While we do not recommend applying lenses to your pet’s eyes without the consent from a professional vet, you might be interested to know that a soft lens has the following benefits and uses.
It Can Help Their Eyes to Heal
If a pet damages its eyes, then a soft and therapeutic contact lens placed over the injured cornea will give the wound time to heal. In essence, a lens can act as a bandage that protects the abrasion from further damage. It also gives the animals a certain amount of comfort during the healing process by acting as a smooth covering to protect against discomfort caused by the movement of the eyelids. Contact lens placement could help to prevent the scenario where a complex surgery is required.
They Can Improve Your Pet’s Sight
Just like a lens has corrective vision properties for humans, it can help to better the sight of our pets too. The eye structure of most animals is similar to that of humans and apart from the size, adjustments to astigmatism contact lenses so that that they are suitable for animal use are actually quite minimal. Surgery to fix eye impairments is not always an option and this is why many veterinarians are prescribing the use of contact lenses to give our beloved pets good vision and a happy life.
They Can Be Used for Cosmetic Purposes
We’re not talking about turning your pet into a purple-eyed fashionista here. Instead, many vets are relying on animal-friendly contact lenses to rebuild eyes and reinstate vision. Let’s look at cataracts, for instance. Just like humans, our furrier counterparts can develop cataracts. This is an eye disease that prevents light from passing through to the retina and can cause vision to deteriorate. In a worst-case scenario, cataracts can lead to blindness. Currently, one of the only effective treatments for cataracts is a surgical procedure where the cloudy natural lens is removed and replaced with a synthetic clear lens. This replacement can allow both people and animals to see. Since dogs and cats (and other pets) are often considered as honorable family members, many vets suggest or recommend this operation to enable our furrier friends to see again.
Further to this, pet owners can also use cosmetically tinted lenses on their domesticated animals to help hide or compliment eye damage.
Are Contact Lenses Safe for Pets?
Contact lenses that have been prescribed to you by your vet are safe for animal use. They are comfortable, easy to fit (your vet or optometrist will show you how), and they will stay in place all day long without fuss or irritation. Contact lenses that have been specifically designed for dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals will fit the unique shape and size of your pet’s eyes, with options available to fit many breeds and sizes. These soft discs will not hurt or harm your pet in any way. Please note, however, that applying human contacts to the eyes of animals is not recommended without the advice of a suitably trained vet or optometrist.
