Sudden Vision Loss: What Do I Do Now?

Joshua Broadwater, DVM, DACVO

Joshua Broadwater, DVM, DACVO, was born and raised in the small coal mining town of Lonaconing, Maryland. He attended the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he studied biology and graduated with highest honors. Dr. Broadwater then attended veterinary medical school at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, Dr. Broadwater completed a one- year rotating medicine/surgery internship at Florida Veterinary Specialist in Tampa, FL. He then completed his 3-year ophthalmology residency at the Animal Eye Specialty Clinics of South Florida. Dr. Broadwater is currently an ophthalmologist and part owner at the Charlotte Animal Referral & Emergency, where he has a special interest in corneal disease/surgery, cataract surgery, and glaucoma surgery. In his spare time, Dr. Broadwater enjoys playing baseball, playing piano, and traveling.

Overview:

Sudden blindness in dogs and cats is a common occurrence in veterinary ophthalmology. Diseases with the cornea, lens, retina, optic nerve, and brain can all lead to clinical signs of sudden vision loss. Trying to determine the underlying diagnosis for the blindness issue can be a challenging and intimidating task. The purpose of this lecture is to review the structures of the eye and brain responsible for vision, discuss underlying causes for sudden vision loss in dog/cats, and explain the diagnostics necessary to determine the cause for the vision loss.

Learning Objectives:

Learn common diseases that can lead to sudden blindness in both eyes
Understand how to identify the diseases responsible for vision with a proper ophthalmic exam
Understand the principles of neuro-ophthalmology and how this can help identify the location of the lesion responsible for vision loss
Learn proper technique to perform ocular diagnostics

This course is RACE-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits hours in jurisdictions that accept RACE-approval.