It might sound like the plot of a cartoon, but contact lenses for pets are very real and often medically necessary. From dogs with cataracts to horses with eye injuries, vets are increasingly using lenses to protect and treat animal eyes. While your furry friend may not be browsing the web to buy contact lenses online, it does highlight just how versatile and effective lenses can be. For humans, it’s never been easier to order contact lenses online with fast delivery and expert advice. At Vision Direct, we’re proud to be a trusted source for contact lenses UK customers rely on. Whether you're looking to order contact lenses for the first time or buy contacts online as a regular wearer, we’ve got everything you need to keep your vision in tip top shape.
Did you know pets can wear contact lenses?
Contact lenses for cats made the news a while ago when the Daily Mail reported on Ernest, a 15 year old cat that was fitted with contact lenses to correct his vision. Ernest was finding life difficult living with an entropion, a medical condition caused when the eyelid folds in toward the eye, impairing sight and causing discomfort. Due to his age it would have been a risk to allow him to undergo a procedure to fix the entropion, instead vets opted to fit him with contact lenses.
His owners at the Godshill RSPCA rescue centre in the Isle of Wight were pleased with the results. Paula Sadler, Centre Manager said: “'Before Earnest was given the contact lenses he was quite squinty and had trouble seeing where he was going. Now his eyes have opened up and he has a new lease of life.”
Just like humans, animals can develop a cataract. This is an eye disease that obstructs light from passing through to the retina causing vision to deteriorate, often leading to blindness. The only effective treatment for cataracts is a surgical operation where the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with a synthetic clear lens that allows the person to see. As pets are often considered one of the family it is not surprising that many vets now carry out this same operation on our pets to enable them to see again.
Recently headlines were made when a Lanner Falcon named Banner was the first falcon ever to undergo successful cataract surgery at Fisherville Animal Hospital in Concord in America.
Doggie Glasses
Now you know contact lenses can be used on animals, you won’t be as surprised to learn that glasses are popular too! An American company, called “Doggles” has developed protective eye wear for dogs to ensure their eyes receive 100% UV protection when they're out in the sun. Rather than resembling human shades, they look more like a pair of tinted goggles; owners can even customise the colour of their pet’s sunglasses to fit their style.
