Ophthalmology

UF Large Animal Ophthalmology
Ophthalmic issues require thorough examination, accurate diagnosis and effective treatment to prevent loss of vision, loss of coordination or additional problems.

The board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists at the University of Florida in Gainesville provide a full range of diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic treatment of horse and large animal eye disorders. Contact us to schedule an appointment.

Large Animal Eye Care at UF

The UF Large Animal Ophthalmology service is one of the busiest in the world. This group accepts referrals from the nearby horse community of Ocala in Marion County as well as from the entire state of Florida, parts of southern Georgia and Alabama. Our service even sees horses from as far as Kentucky, Texas, Minnesota, Oregon, New Hampshire and Vermont. Our ophthalmology group accepts the difficult horse eye cases that are turned away elsewhere, and consistently achieves impressive outcomes in horses with very serious eye problems.

Ophthalmic Medical Care

Regardless of the problem, each horse gets the same level of attention and degree of clinical oversight. This synergy of collaboration has often resulted in innovative treatment options for many horses with severe eye diseases. Referring veterinarians are contacted by phone during the examination, and updated on the case and treatment plan. Discharge instructions are detailed. If a recheck is needed, the appointment is generally made before discharge. We maintain a friendly atmosphere in order to give the clients top-level professional and personal treatment for their horses. We are also very sensitive to managing complex problems within the constraints of the parent hospital or farm.

Ophthalmic Microsurgery

Ocular Rehabilitation
Each horse that has complex eye surgery is generally hospitalized for several days and has a subpalpebral lavage system installed in the eyelid of the operated eye.

Serious eye problems like infected ulcers, stromal abscesses, and periocular tumors require hospitalization, and the University of Florida has a very large facility to deal with horses with severe types of eye problems. Each patient is examined daily in the same manner as the outpatients. Inpatient exams are a group effort involving our senior clinicians, residents, and the fleet of technical staff on the service that day.

Deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (partial thickness corneal transplants) is an innovative microsurgery technique developed at UF for horses with corneal stromal abscesses. Corneal stromal abscesses were a common cause of blindness in horses prior to development of this surgery. Penetrating keratoplasty (full thickness corneal transplant) is utilized for deep corneal ulcers in horses.

The equine ophthalmology group at UF has pioneered the use of double amnionic membrane transplants for successfully treating horses with catastrophic corneal disease. Cataract and glaucoma surgery in foals and adult horses is also being performed. The corneal, glaucoma and cataract surgeries are performed by the board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists and are assisted by their team of residents. Each procedure requires a marvel of skill, technology and experienced surgical judgment and economy. The most involved procedures can take up to four hours to complete.

Each horse that has complex eye surgery is generally hospitalized for several days and has a subpalpebral lavage system installed in the eyelid of the operated eye. Each lavage treatment involves injection of a small quantity of topical drug into the tube followed by a bolus of air to propel the medication onto the globe. The next medication is administered in a similar fashion a few minutes later. Postoperative patients and intense medical cases receive up to six sight saving medications through the lavage tube at a frequency of six to 12 times a day.

Equine Recurrent Uveitis Research (ERU)

Researchers from UF/IFAS and the UF College of Veterinary Medicine are teaming up to find a treatment for the most common cause of blindness in horses.

Equine & Large Animal Ophthalmology Veterinary Services

  • Medical and surgical treatment of corneal ulcers and other disorders
  • Corneal transplants
  • Diagnostic ophthalmology
  • Equine cataract diagnosis and surgery
  • Ophthalmic surgery
  • Recurrent uveitis diagnosis and therapy
  • Early glaucoma diagnosis and therapy including endolaser
  • Latest therapy for squamous cell carcinoma and sarcoid

Our Team

Bret A Moore

Bret A Moore DVM, PhD, DACVO

AST PROF
Caryn E Plummer

Caryn E Plummer

Associate Chair & Professor
Eric T Alexopoulos

Eric T Alexopoulos DVM

RESIDENT
Colleen E Dwyer

Colleen E Dwyer DVM

MS:Resident
Jacob M Morris

Jacob M Morris DVM

Resident, Comparative Ophthalmology
Danielle Marsh

Danielle Marsh BGS, CVT

Veterinary Technician Manager
Holly Kitchen

Holly Kitchen BS, CVT, VTS

Veterinary Tech Specialist
Michelle Wilhelmy

Michelle Wilhelmy

Veterinary Technician II

More Information

The UF Large Animal Hospital veterinarians treat equine and large animal patients from the Gainesville, Ocala and Jacksonville areas, including Alachua and Marion Counties in Florida, and our clients come from all over the United States. Contact us to speak to one of our specialists or to make an appointment.

University of Florida

IFAS

As part of both the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and UF Health, Veterinary Medicine is dedicated to advancing animal, human and environmental health through teaching, research, extension and patient care.

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University of Florida

Animal Hospitals

Need animal care? Visit the UF Small Animal and Large Animal Hospitals. From dogs, cats, birds and exotics to horses, cattle, llamas, pigs and many other large farm or food animals, our experienced veterinary staff is ready to assist.

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Animal Airwaves is a daily radio series that features one-minute segments relating to animal health, ranging from insights into animal behavior to veterinary patient care breakthroughs and trends.

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