After a two-year break due to the COVID pandemic, the ACVO/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam Event is back this May! As the namesake sponsor of the event, this is one of the Epicur team’s favorite events. It truly shows the compassion and heart of the veterinary community with veterinary ophthalmologists and their staff volunteering their time the entire month to give free eye exams to service animals. We’ve had the privilege of being at some of the clinics during these exams to see firsthand how much this event means to the pet, the owner, and the veterinary clinics.
Dr. Christine Lim, DVM, DACVO is an ophthalmologist at Eye Care for Animals and has volunteered for the ACVO/Epicur event for years. We recently sat down with her to learn more about why she chose veterinary ophthalmology and what this philanthropic event means to her.
Thanks for sharing your perspective on the event with us, Dr. Lim! Can you tell us more about your background and how you ended up in the veterinary field?
Like most kids, I loved animals. I did pet sitting and worked at various clinics and the Humane Society when I was younger. That led me to veterinary medicine. During school I developed an interest in ophthalmology, probably because it was both surgery and medicine rather than just one or the other, I got to do both.
After vet school in Ontario, I did a one-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery. Then I did one year in small animal general practice where I also spent time with an ophthalmologist on my days off to see how an ophthalmology practice worked. Following that, I went to UC Davis for a three-year residency in ophthalmology.
My first job as an ophthalmologist was in Saskatchewan at the university for a couple of years before joining the faculty in Minnesota for about seven years. Then we moved to Chicago, which is when I joined Eye Care for Animals.
What is it that’s so special about the ophthalmology specialty to you?
I think Ophthalmology is very cool because you can take someone who is blind and scared and give them their vision back; you’re helping them enjoy life again. Even in the sad cases where they’re permanently blind and they’re in pain, you can at least take away the pain and make them feel better.
I think the surgeries are very cool and a nice challenge. A lot of them are quite intricate and artistic, which makes them interesting. But it’s also a mix of surgery and medicine. So, I think it’s just a nice specialty because you get to do a lot of different things with different species. We do eyes so it doesn’t matter what animal you’re working with; you get a lot of variety.
Help your pet owners stay up to date with their pet’s eye health!
Check out our animal eye health page, which includes our new handout—Eyes on Health!
Do you specialize in a particular surgery or area of ophthalmology?
Veterinary ophthalmology specialties are less developed than they are in human physician medicine where you have retinal specialists, corneal specialists, etc. There are several veterinary retinal specialists in North America.
Personally, I like all ophthalmology surgeries because I like the mix, but I do enjoy intraocular surgery a little more than the others. It’s very intricate and more of a challenge. The area you’re working on is very small and all right in front of you. It was very hard for me as a general practitioner to enjoy things like abdominal surgery because it was less intricate and clean.
Ophthalmology definitely sounds like an interesting area of veterinary medicine! Let’s talk about the ACVO/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam Event – how long have you been participating?
For more than a decade – I’ve been volunteering since I started as an ophthalmologist in 2008. The clinic I was practicing in at the time would sign up, so that’s how I got into it.
There was a lot of promotion around it and it’s a fun event to do. I think everyone in ophthalmology is interested and willing to do it.
And your clinic does the exams for the police dogs, correct? How did you get connected with such an important group of service dogs?
Most practices I’ve worked at have police dogs as patients. For Chicago that was the case before I joined the practice. Working with them for the service animal event grew out of those connections.
For the event this year, one of my vet techs and I are going to drive down to the department’s canine training facility to do a bunch of exams back-to-back to make things easier for them this year.
Roy, a Chicago Police K-9, with Dr. Lim after completing his exam this year!
Are there any unique stories that you have from the event? Or a favorite animal that you’ve examined?
I think a lot of times it’s not just about the pet or the animal that you’re seeing. It’s just the whole relationship with the owner and how special their service animal is to them. It’s really nice to see the bond between the person and the service animal, a dog in most of these cases, and how much these dogs help these people in life.
Have any of the exams ever resulted in a big medical catch or impact on the service animal?
We did have one police dog, not in Chicago but somewhere else, and it turned out he was nearly blind from hereditary retinal degeneration. The police department and handler didn’t know that. Unfortunately, there was no way to save his sight or change the outcome but knowing that information is important because it impacts the dog’s ability to do its job.
Besides dogs, what other types of animals have you seen?
For the event, it’s mostly dogs. There are many service animals that aren’t dogs, but that’s the most common one I see during May exams.
Outside of the event, I think any of the zoo animals must be the most interesting. There was a Galapagos tortoise that was really happy to see me the first time but on the second visit she remembered why I was there, so she pulled her head in as soon as I walked into her area.
It’s been years, but I did cataract surgery on a bald eagle once. I used to see a lot of raptors when I was on faculty in Minnesota. Weekly we did eye exams at their raptor center where they treated injured raptors. That was a lot of fun. During zoo visits, I’ve had the opportunity to examine a whole bunch of different species.
That sounds like it makes for interesting workdays! Before we wrap up, what would you say the ACVO/Epicur Service Animal Eye Exam Event means to you and the impact that it has?
I think it’s just nice to be reminded that there is something special and good in what you do, that you can help people. It’s special in your job to be able to do things that you can see are making people happy. But not just that, you get to see how it can make a difference.
It really is a fun event and most of us like participating in it because we get something out of it. We get to see the impact. And after two years of not having it, I’m really looking forward to it!
Thanks, Dr. Lim! Check back in for more highlights from the ACVO/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam Event!
Check out some of our recent posts or visit our blog for the complete list:
Meet Marylu Ernsting: Championing Equine Health with Passion and Purpose
Epicur’s newest Equine Key Account Specialist is Marylu Ernsting, and she brings a rich background in the equine industry with her to the team! Get to know her more below as she shares her thoughts on ethical representation as a sales rep, the innovative injectable omeprazole our team released, and how she stays busy when she isn’t working. We’re excited to have you join us today, Marylu! Tell us a bit about your role at Epicur and the region you cover. I cover what I like to call the “Midwest corridor”—everything from Wisconsin down to Florida. It’s a big territory, but I love it. I live in Kentucky, which is perfect because it’s right in the heart of horse country. I’m an Equine Key Account Specialist. My role is all about connecting with veterinarians, understanding their needs, and helping them find solutions that make their jobs easier and their patients healthier. What’s your background? How did you get into this field? I’ve been involved in equine care and management for over 20 years. It’s kind of a funny story. I didn’t grow up in an equine family, but I’ve always loved horses and bought my first horse at 15. I realized early on that if I wanted to keep up my “horse habit,” I needed a career that could support it. That led me to work at a boarding facility, where I met a trainer and an exercise rider for racing quarter horses. I started galloping and ponying racehorses, then moved into hunter-jumper work, and eventually ran my own boarding facility. I even became a 4-H leader for 10 years, which was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I’ve had a lot of different roles in the equine space though. I was a vet tech for an equine reproduction vet where I was very hands on. I did everything from bookkeeping to holding horses for the farrier. I was also an inside sales rep for nine years. COVID displaced me from equine for a little while. I ended up taking a job that gave me the opportunity to work with zoo accounts, which was new for me, and it was so fun but I’m super glad to be back in equine. You’ve held so many different roles! Would you say any of them were your favorite? Honestly, being a 4-H leader was one of my absolute favorite things I’ve ever done. I didn’t have kids of my own, but I ended up with 35 of everyone else’s! We had the largest equine-only 4-H club in Florida at the time. Some kids wanted to show, others just wanted to trail ride or learn about horses. I got to learn right alongside them. I didn’t get to be in 4-H when I was a child, I got to do it as an adult, which was even better. It was a really fun time in life, and now with social media I’ve been able to connect with all my 4H kids as adults. It’s cool to keep in touch and watch them grow and have their own families. One of them actually tried to be a 4H leader, and she reached out me to say, “I don’t know how you did this!” which was funny. It was such a special time. With every job I’ve had though, truthfully, I have found that it’s just been my next journey. I love everything about all the roles I’ve ever had. I don’t have a job for one or two years. I have jobs for seven years, nine years, 10 years. So, I’m extremely excited to see where my next journey is with Epicur for sure. What excites you most about being part of the Epicur team? Honestly, it’s the innovation and the integrity. I’ve always prided myself on representing products I believe in—and as a horse owner, I trust what Epicur is doing. They’re bringing science-backed, data-driven medications to market, like the injectable omeprazole. It’s exciting to be part of something that’s modernizing equine medicine. Plus, the team is just incredible. Everyone is genuinely committed to making a difference in animal health. Speaking of omeprazole, how do you explain the benefits of Epicur’s injectable version to veterinarians? Great question. I usually start with discovery—asking vets how many ulcer cases they see, whether they’re scoping, and what their treatment protocols are. One of the biggest surprises for me was how many aren’t scoping and are treating based on symptoms alone. That’s where education comes in. I’ve learned from endoscopy reps that 95% of horses scoped have ulcers, and 75% of those are glandular. Most traditional treatments aren’t proven for glandular ulcers, but Epicur’s injectable omeprazole is. It’s faster, more effective, and ultimately more economical for clients. Plus, it works for squamous ulcers too! What’s your perspective on how GFI 256 and 503B manufacturing impacts equine vets? There’s a lot of confusion out there. Many vets don’t fully understand GFI #256, USP, or the nuances of compounding. I try to simplify it for them and connect the dots. I believe—and I think Epicur does too—that we need to have critical medications available when vets need them. That’s why I’m advocating for certain life-saving drugs to be manufactured under 503B. It’s not about duplicating what’s already out there; it’s about making sure vets have access to what they need, when they need it. Sometimes drugs that are only available through 503A can end up on long-term backorder. That’s not acceptable in emergency situations. I’m hoping we can continue to develop these critical drugs through 503B manufacturing so they can be stocked and ready when they’re needed most. Epicur’s omeprazole injection suspension is especially helpful in maintaining a horse’s peak performance. How does your experience in horse racing shape your approach to equine care? Horse racing adds another layer of complexity—especially with regulations like HISA. Vets have to be extra cautious about what they carry and prescribe. I try to help them navigate that. For
Controlled Substances 101: How & Why You Must Comply! Parts 1 and 2
December 4 | 7 p.m. ET RACE-Approved CE Credit Hours: 2Free to attend Learn the practical strategies for achieving compliance, managing inventory, handling waste and transfers, and protecting their staff, practice, and profits. Save My Seat
Can Vets Still Give Chemotherapy? Why or Why Not?
November 12 | 7 p.m. ET RACE-Approved CE Credit Hours: 1Free to attend Learn the basics of chemotherapy, including safety risks, handling guidelines, and clinic protocols. We’ll also cover oral chemotherapy options, common medications, and how to communicate effectively with pet owners. Watch It Now
