Nice to see you again! I never thought that would take such a different meaning in our world now that Covid is not as prevalent or disastrous as it was early in the course of the pandemic. Most have shed their masks and are living un-tethered after months of limitations and tons of hesitations interacting with others we know and hadn’t met before. Hopefully we have learned something about ourselves and others to help us navigate our future.

I want to take a minute to again thank you all for trusting in us the last couple of years. We, like many, had our curbside protocols to try and keep each other safe while still providing the care that your pets needed. Doing that sight unseen, with sometimes only a phone call and a pass-off to a masked staff member, was difficult for many. We tried our best to make this comfortable for you knowing that you could not see our smile or watch us handle your dog or cat without you in the room. Well, I think we did OK, as most pets are quite comfortable in our office and my staff is fabulous at handling even the most nervous or critters….and owners! And now, months later, we are finally seeing some of you face-to-face now that we are back to business as usual. It feels odd to have potentially seen a pet multiple times and had never seen the owner! We have had lots of introductions recently which has been great. And honestly, I have missed the side conversations that make interacting in person more enjoyable and fun. Give me a smile, a handshake and a face-to-face conversation over a Zoom call any day! Thanks for patience and understanding!

In addition, I want to thank may staff (Colleen, Francine and Mariah) as well as my office manager (LisaMarie) for their hard work during this time. Like the postman of old, no bad weather would slow them down from going outside to get your pet or bringing your discharge instructions after a visit. They, as always, are the first line of communication and your first impression as to how we operate here at the AEC. Our goal to make you and your pet feel comfortable during the visit and educated at the conclusion so you can make good decisions starts with them the moment you call to make an appointment and continues until you pull away. I appreciate all they do and similarly appreciate the respect that you show them as part of the team. And their patience in times when clients temporarily forget their manners, as can happen when we are worried or nervous, is a credit to their professionalism and caring personalities. They make this place go so say “thank you” if you get the chance!

Back to work we go….SEE you later!

Once again it has been a year since I changed this main page as Covid continued to affect our lives and businesses with the introduction of new variants. The realty of this situation changing from pandemic to endemic is upon us and many have chosen to accept the risk of minor infections to regain our lives without masks and quarantines. Clearly, there is still risk for significant disease and many at-risk individuals will rightly continue to take a conservative approach to this issue.

I have taken a conservative approach up to now due to at-risk relatives, travel, friends with lingering cases, and the significant impact to our team if anyone is infected. However, I believe it is time to open our doors once again as we continue to provide excellent and personal care for your pets and their ocular issues. I truly appreciate the patience and respect those who have come our way have shown me and my staff during this time. I truly understand that taking your pet away from you, into an unfamiliar space with a doctor they, and you, have not met has been trying for many. Alas, I think our communications have tempered those fears and most have had a good experience. And truth be told, many of your pets are better behaved and calmer for the exam without you around!

So starting today, we will go back to business as normal (mostly!) allowing an individual to come in for the exam without a mask if willing. Feel free to wear a mask or ask me and the staff to if you are uncomfortable. And we can certainly bring your pet in while you relax in the car if you prefer. Clearly, stay in your car if you have any symptoms or risk so as to not infect the staff. Simply call from the parking lot once you arrive as prior. We will try to limit our time in the rooms which are small and have suboptimal air circulation to prevent viral infection.

Covid is not over, but we are adjusting to the changes as time moves forward. Hopefully, like the last time I wrote a similar note, we won’t regress back to a stricter protocol. Be well and see you soon!

I am amazed…it has been over a year since our last update on this site due to the need for our Covid-19 messaging and instructions for those bringing their pets to the AEC for treatment. First and foremost, thank you to all for tolerating all the changes in protocol here and with your referring DVM. We appreciate that many were uncomfortable with the process of curbside medicine, the shuttling back and forth, phone call conversations, lack of face time with the doctor and leaving your critters in our good hands. Truly understandable but amazingly all seemed to go just fine.

Continue reading A light at the end of the tunnel?

First and foremost, we hope you and yours are doing well. Normal life has certainly changed for all of us and the staff at the AEC wish you, your family and pets well. Hunker down, be smart and this, too, shall pass.

In the meantime, we are open. Veterinary medicine is considered an “essential business” which allows us some latitude to work and care for your friends. If your pet has an eye problem that we are following or are a new patient referred to our practice, we will be here during normal business hours to attend to the problem. Using

Continue reading The AEC and COVID-19

Surface disease is very common in veterinary ophthalmology as our critters have a tendency to scratch, poke, gouge, lacerate and abrade the cornea on a regular basis. The cornea is the clear windshield in the front of our eye and is often affected directly or indirectly by these insults. Other primary disease processes, such as degenerative or inflammatory change, can also affect the clarity and integrity of the cornea. Throw in some infectious agents like bacteria and viruses and this can create a host of problems that we as veterinarians need to address either medically and/or surgically.

A clear cornea

Continue reading The medical approach to healing corneal ulcers

The staff, spouses, friends and party crashers of the Animal Eye Clinic want to wish you and your pets a wonderful holiday season filled with joy and love! May 2020 be the best year yet!

Each year the AEC, along with many other ophthalmologists across the country, will examine animals with an active service job for free! It is part of our way of giving back to these wonderful animals that help us in so many facets of our daily lives. This occurs every May so if you missed this year, you can try again next by going to www.acvo.org and searching for the Service Animal Event.

THE CRITTERS OF THE AEC!!!

Why are we here and why do we do what we do? That’s always a good question to ask one’s self and one that has

Continue reading Service Dog Exams and AEC Critters!

Tired of the rain yet? The grass is soaked, basements are flooded, rivers are swollen. Where is the summer sun? And the humidity hasn’t been much fun either. With the non-stop rain here in Connecticut, everything seems to be dripping. That includes lots of our canine patients as they run in from the parking lot! We also see lots of “weepy” eyes where the complaint is primarily a clear, sometimes colored, discharge. Let’s take a look to see what may be behind the scenes with this presentation.

When our patients present with clear discharge, my first question is whether we are

Continue reading It is Dripping Wet!

After a long and cold winter (is it over yet?), the verdicts are back for our winter fashion award winners here at the Animal Eye Clinic. Contestants included any dog that came in wearing anything to keep them warm and chic! This spontaneously concocted event was prompted by all the different clothes we saw this year along with our endless supply of cold days. Award winners will get extra scratches at their next visit. Many owners of these fashion forward critters commented on the numerous choices they had at home, be it costume or functional in nature, that they could

Continue reading WINTER FASHION AWARDS!

Glaucoma is a painful, blinding disease that by definition is an increase in the pressure inside the eye. It is a bummer of a disease, probably the worst one we see. Why? Because no matter what approach is taken to attack this disease, our goal is usually to delay, not prevent, vision loss. This doesn’t paint a real rosy picture. But as long as this is understood, then together we can make educated decisions on how we want to manage the problem. Let’s talk a little about this entity and see if I can make it a little easier to

Continue reading The Pressure is Rising