physical examination stress: an overlooked factor for increasing intraocular pressure in cats

Intraocular pressure (iop) is essential for eyeball health, and abnormal values may cause detrimental effects on ocular structures. the reliable measurement of iop provides high diagnostic value, as each mmhg increase in iop is associated with a 10% greater risk of glaucoma development and progression. this study evaluated the effects of physical examination stress on short-term variations in iop in 42 healthy intact cats. iop was measured with a schiotz tonometer before and after physical pre-vaccination examinations. physical examination stress significantly increased iop in the left and right eyes of male and female cats. also, in both measurement steps, the mean iop in male cats was significantly higher than in females (p < 0.05). based on these results, measuring iop at the beginning of physical examinations is recommended, and it is necessary to consider the effects of stress in the interpretation of tonometry results.