Conjunctivitis communication: Set clients up to succeed

Amy Hunkeler, DVM, DACVO, MBA, of Eye Care for Animals, recognizes that eye issues can be frustrating to clients when it seems like their pets aren't making any progress, which can lead to a lack of compliance to your treatment recommendations. She offered these tips for helping clients and patients get through conjunctivitis issues, in a recent CVC session.

Dr. Hunkeler recommends an aqueous solution for tear stimulants over an oil-based solution. This formulation provides tidier administration for clients and encourages better compliance with administration, she says. Listen to her full recommendation below.

Administration of tear stimulant is ideally the last thing clients do before they go to bed and again before they go to work, but the lacrimomimetic would ideally be applied as many times as a client is willing and able to do so, Dr. Hunkeler says. This isn't always doable with the client's schedule. For the best outcome, communication is key. Set clients up for success by talking through their schedule and seeing when they can administer the medication to their pets. Since dry eye can be frustrating when it seems like the pet isn't making any progress, Dr. Hunkeler notes that the veterinarian needs to be the “cheerleader” to help the owner stay compliant.