Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Can I trust telediagnosis for my pet's eye emergency?
By Phélip, Marion et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2026·É, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Accuracy and Reliability of Telediagnosis Approach for Canine and Feline Ophthalmological Emergencies: A Retrospective Study of 100 Cases.
Plain-English summary
A group of 65 dogs and 35 cats with eye emergencies were evaluated to see how well veterinarians could diagnose ocular pain through email. The study found that including photos in emails improved the accuracy of the diagnosis significantly. Overall, the email diagnoses were reliable, especially for detecting pain, but were less accurate for specific corneal issues. This suggests that emailing your vet about eye problems can be helpful, particularly if you send clear pictures of your pet's eyes.
People also search for: dog eye pain email diagnosis · cat eye emergency photos · veterinary telemedicine for pets
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the sensitivity of ocular pain detection by email, as well as the concordance between telediagnosis by email and the diagnosis established in consultation for canine or feline ophthalmological emergencies. ANIMALS STUDIED: 65 dogs and 35 cats. PROCEDURES: Retrospective study of 100 ophthalmological emergencies with a contact by email before being examined by a specialized ophthalmology department. Telediagnoses from one European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ECVO) diplomate and three ECVO residents retrospectively derived from the email communications were compared to clinical diagnoses following consultations. Analysis was focused on signs of ocular pain and ocular disease diagnosis. RESULTS: Sensitivity of detecting ocular pain by email was 79%. This sensitivity significantly improved in emails with photographs attached (89%; p < 0.01). Inter-operator reproducibility of remote email diagnosis was satisfactory when diagnosis was possible (K = 0.82). Concordance between remote email diagnosis and diagnosis made in consultation was satisfactory for the four clinicians for all ocular conditions (K = 0.85 ± 0.08), but unsatisfactory when restricted to corneal conditions (K = 0.66 ± 0.16). There was also a significant positive association between excellent photograph quality and diagnostic concordance (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study represents the first description of the use of veterinary teleophthalmology for email triage and telediagnosis of canine and feline ophthalmological emergencies. In our study, emails were a reliable tool for detecting ocular pain and giving a diagnostic orientation, especially when photographs were attached.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41332305/