Ophthalmology for Animals

07/25/2025

We are now enrolling patients for a KCS (dry eye) clinical trial with ! The updated protocols include a longer study duration, less frequent office visits, and a very generous visa gift card upon study completion. If you are interested in more information or a screening to see if your pet is a candidate please contact our office. 🖤 👀

07/23/2025

Sometimes you just need to snuggle a Sphynx ♥️
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Sphynx cat eyes are large and beautiful but are also more susceptible to certain eye conditions such as and . Weeping and squinting are common indicators so if your Sphynx is winking at you, bring them to us for an eye exam and of course lots of snuggles!
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07/16/2025

*Graphic Warning- Surgical Video*
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Yesterday, we met Scarlett the who came to us with a large piece of a metal foreign body in the lateral orbit of her right eye. Dr. Horikawa was able to remove the object in once piece and based on examination and ultrasound, the eye itself appears unaffected other than a minor corneal ulcer. Our team is happy and grateful to report that she will retain vision and full function of her right eye.
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07/11/2025

If your pet has an eye condition or you notice changes in your pet’s eye(s), we may ask you to text or email us a photo to help guide treatment recommendations. It can be difficult to photograph the eye because the animal is moving and because the surface of the eye (the cornea) is very reflective. Follow the steps above to capture those beautiful corneas!
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Note: Photos can be helpful tools but cannot replace a full eye examination and there will be conditions that we cannot diagnose on a picture alone.
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If your hands are full, pets may be trained to take selfies (swipe left) 😉
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06/23/2025

Otie can’t decide if he’s a unicorn or a punk rocker. So happy Magical Moshpit Monday! 🦄 🎸
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06/10/2025

Last month OforA participated in the Service Animal Volunteer Eye Screening Event sponsored by . These service animals work hard to provide necessary emotional and physical support to their human companions. We are so proud to be a part of this event annually and are grateful to have met so many wonderful and inspirational new friends and pups this year!
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06/09/2025

Thank you Native Animal Rescue of Santa Cruz County for all you do. We were so pleased to be able to provide a positive prognosis for this adorable little one.

This beautiful little fox was found in Scotts Valley and brought to Native Animal Rescue of Santa Cruz County. She was taken this afternoon to the wonderful friends at Opthalmology for Animals, and was told that she can, surprisingly, see just fine!

She will be on anti-inflammatory eyedrops for several weeks so that her eyes can return to normal, then back to the wild she goes.

Thanks to everyone who calls Native Animal Rescue and is willing to help our wild friends here, we truly appreciate you!

If you find wildlife in distress, please call their hotline at 831-462-0726.

05/19/2025

Vito came to see Dr. Lavallée today for his eye exam. He works as a high cortisol alert dog for anxiety and PTSD and was placed with his owner through . Thank you Vito for all your hard work and for all the smiles and kisses you brought to our staff today! Also a big thank you to Epicur Pharma for sponsoring this years event 🐾
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05/16/2025

This week Dr. Lavallée and Dr. Gunsalus performed eye surgery on Dave the Miniature Mediterranean Donkey. Dave was attacked by a mountain lion which resulted in needing an emergency enucleation (eye removal). This sweet boy was such a trooper and had his sister (last photo) nearby for emotional support.
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05/02/2025

Happy Birthday to Dr. Kerry Gunsalus (May 3rd) and her adorable pup Lacey (May 17th)! 💕
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We are also excited to share that Dr. Gunsalus will be finishing her internship and starting residency with OforA this summer. So much to celebrate!
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04/23/2025

We are halfway through and wanted to give a shout out to our bright, caring, and always multitasking CSR Rachel! We are so thankful to have had her as an integral part of our OforA team for the past five years. Thank you Rachel for all you do for our staff, clients, and patients!
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04/01/2025

Registration is now open for the 2025 Service Animal Volunteer Eye Screening. We look forward to this wonderful event every year and enjoy reuniting with old friends and meeting new members of our community. Thank you for sponsoring another year of free eye exams for service animals!
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