Equine Ophthalmology Service

Welcome to the Equine Ophthalmology Service at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Our team of ophthalmology specialists are dedicated to providing the highest level of equine eye care. The Service provides advanced diagnostics, as well as routine, complex and emergency medical and surgical care to horses with a variety of ocular disorders, including corneal ulcers, corneal and eyelid cancer, equine recurrent uveitis, cataracts, and glaucoma. Whether you are a horse owner, a referring equine veterinarian, or an ophthalmology specialist yourself, our Service is here to help you with procedures ranging from a routine eye examination to a complex surgery.

Clinical Activities and Procedures

The Equine Ophthalmology Service provides advanced diagnostics, as well as routine, complex and emergency medical and surgical care to horses with a variety of ocular disorders, including:

Corneal ulcers
Corneal and eyelid cancer
Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU)
Cataracts
Glaucoma

Specialized tests and diagnostics include:

Slit lamp biomicroscopy
Tonometry (measurement of intraocular pressure)
Corneal culture and cytology
Electroretinogram or ERG (a specialized test of retinal function)
High-frequency ultrasound
Computed tomography (CT)
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Surgical and microsurgical procedures include:

Corneal grafting procedures for deep corneal ulcers
Cyclosporine Implants for ERU
Cataract surgery
Excision and cryotherapy or radiation therapy for tumors of the eye and eyelids

Our service of faculty, residents, and technicians provide a team approach to each patient’s care, and provides 24/7 emergency coverage for equine patients.

Faculty

Kathryn Good, DVM, DACVO
Chief of Service

Steven Hollingsworth, DVM, DACVO

David J. Maggs, BVSc (hons), DACVO

Christopher Murphy, DVM, PhD, DACVO

Sara M. Thomasy, DVM, PhD, DACVO

Brian Leonard, DVM, PhD, DACVO

Residents

Soohyun Kim, DVM

Kelly Knickelbein, VMD

Andrea Minella, DVM, PhD

Bret Moore, DVM, PhD

Elyse Salpeter, DVM