The Epicur team is so excited to have the ACVO/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam Event back this year! It’s such an important and impactful event, and it is fully philanthropic. Veterinary ophthalmologists and their staff volunteer their time during the month of May to provide free ocular exams for registered service animals. This event highlights the compassion and care of the veterinary community, which is why we’re proud to be the namesake sponsor again this year!
To highlight just how much this event means to not only the pet owners but also the participating clinics, we asked some of the ophthalmologists to share why they volunteer. Dr. Micki Armour, VMD, DACVO, owner of Armour Veterinary Ophthalmology at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C. shares more about her work in ophthalmology and the impact the ACVO event has on her each year.
What led you to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?
I always grew up with a lot of animals. It’s a big part of who I am. On the first day that I was in a veterinary hospital as an assistant a dog was hit by a car. It was really traumatizing to see this dog needing help so desperately. Once he had been resuscitated, he was able to walk out the front door. It was amazing to see how a veterinary team can support a dog that was so critical.
And then what ultimately led to your specialty in ophthalmology?
I completed a small animal rotating internship at Red Bank Animal Hospital. The ophthalmologist was really a wonderful mentor for me, showing me how you can blend both medicine and surgery into a fantastic career.
The eyes are so detailed and very intricate. They can tell you about changes in the rest of the body. Just a quick evaluation can really change a lot about your knowledge of the dog or cat systemically.
It’s really interesting that you still collaborate with human ophthalmologists. How does that influence your own work? Has it influenced any patient cases?
One of the biggest things that’s important to me is staying at the forefront of excellent patient care and up to date on the literature, as well as the connectivity with the human field and how the veterinary and the human fields can benefit one another in terms of knowledge and technology. I often go to human ophthalmology meetings and conferences to look at our cases from a different perspective.
Through that connection, I was able to forge a friendship with human ophthalmologists at Johns Hopkins University. We have been working and collaborating to find solutions for corneal endothelial disease, which is like Fuchs disease in humans where you might need a corneal transplant. That is one area of interest for me.
We also have been working on trying to localize an area within the eye for the placement of a glaucoma sensor device. It would be like a Bluetooth-connected device to your phone that lets you know a dog’s eye pressure.
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You stay highly involved in the veterinary ophthalmology community—regularly attending the ACVO conferences and being an Associate Member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, as well as volunteering for the eye exam event.
How long have you been participating in the event?
I’ve participated every year since 2012 that has been available. ACVO, or the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, connects with us once we become boarded. A big reason most people go into veterinary medicine is because of their compassion for animals. One of the things that I personally very much enjoy is being able to give back to my community in different ways. This service is so beneficial to the members of the community.
It’s obvious that this event has a huge impact on you as well as the patients. What is it about the event that is so special to you?
It’s wonderful, in my opinion, to connect with the clients and to be able to see what a huge impact these animal companions can have in just everyday routines and lifestyles. Their service is such a gift, so it’s nice to be able to return that gift.
I love the personal stories – hearing about the diabetic alert dog who, when its human partner was a mile down the road, ran down the road to alert the partner that they were having a crisis; the search and rescue service dog who can detect a lost child; the dog whose owner has MS so the dog will wake her up in the morning and hand her slippers, her keys, will even open the door to her bedroom and will pull out drawers so that she can get dressed.
Those are things that you do not expect to hear. It’s incredible how these dogs are such an integral part of the day-to-day lives of their human partners.
Those are amazing stories! You must meet so many incredible owners who bring their companions in for exams.
It’s also the whole family. For the diabetic alert dog, the child is diabetic, but the mother had such a sense of relief knowing that the dog will be able to alert both the child but also the whole family if there is something not quite right. And the same happens with seizure alert dogs. They treat the dog as a complete member of the family and with the utmost respect.
The typical thought when someone hears ‘service animal’ is to think of a dog, which sounds like you see a lot of but are there any other types of service animals you’ve treated during the event?
Oh, for sure! I had a service alpaca who would go and visit people in the hospital and the alpaca itself was visually impaired. There are search and rescue horses who ride into the wilderness to search for missing people.
Do you have any favorite cases that you’ve seen through the years of the event?
It’s hard to choose but the main exams that I like to do are for the dogs that serve our country. We set up whole days to evaluate explosive detection canines. We also make sure that the dogs that are going abroad to serve our country are healthy so that they can complete their tasks.
In the past, we used to incorporate cardiology with the ophthalmology exams so that when patients came in, they got cardiac screens at the same time. We don’t have a cardiologist on staff currently, but hopefully, in the future, we will be able to provide this service again.
That’s a great example of your true compassion and why you’re in the veterinary industry. The professionals in this field go above and beyond for their patients.
It’s fun to be able to do things like that and branch out beyond my day-to-day which is caring for dogs and cats. On my days off, I’m able to will work with the National Aquarium and the National Zoo. I enjoy donating time to ophthalmic exams for Owl Moon Raptor Rescue and ensuring the birds of prey can be released when they’re rehabilitated.
What a great way to spend your days off! Any last thoughts on the event?
I’m just very happy that Epicur Pharma is promoting this event. Epicur’s customer service is an excellent resource for my clinic and clients.
Thanks, Dr. Armour! We’re thankful for your time today and your dedication to veterinary ophthalmology!
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Beyond the Ulcer: Understanding Equine Gastric Disease with Camilla Jamieson
Expert Veterinary Insights on ESGD, EGGD, and Modern Treatment Approaches Dr. Camilla Jamieson always knew she wanted to be a horse vet. Growing up around horses, she started learning about equine medicine as a kid and her passion for a career in the field was reinforced when a few equine veterinarians took her under their wing. Today, she is an internationally trained equine internal medicine specialist and trusted leader in the field, gaining expertise from her work in demanding equine medical environments all across the globe. We’ve been lucky enough to partner with her for several educational webinars, and now we’ve sat down with her to talk one-on-one about the intricacies of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) and why effective diagnosis and management require more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Watch her September webinar! What are some of the biggest misconceptions about Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome you see among horse owners and veterinary professionals? 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I also encourage veterinarians and owners to think about equine gastric disease as a long-term management condition. In many horses, especially performance horses, it’s not a matter of treating once and never dealing with it again. Managing the underlying risk factors is often just as important as treating the active disease. How has vets’ understanding of EGUS changed since you started in the field, and how has that impacted diagnosis and treatment? Fifteen years ago, most discussions around EGUS centered on acid suppression and oral omeprazole therapy. Today, our understanding is much broader. We know much more about how stress affects gastric health, how feeding practices influence acid production, and how horses’ natural grazing behavior impacts the stomach environment. That expanded understanding has changed how we approach equine gastric disease management. We now recognize that diet, forage availability, stress reduction, turnout, and overall management are critical components of successful long-term care. At the same time, veterinarians have more therapeutic options available, including different proton pump inhibitors and treatment approaches tailored to individual cases. While the fundamentals of diagnosis remain the same, access to gastroscopy has improved significantly. More practitioners have access to endoscopy equipment, making definitive diagnosis of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome more accessible than ever before. How do treatment approaches differ between Equine Squamous Gastric Disease (ESGD) and Equine Glandular Gastric Disease (EGGD)? Understanding the difference between ESGD and EGGD directly impacts treatment selection, expected healing time, client communication, and long-term management. For example, many squamous ulcers respond well to omeprazole and may improve within a few weeks. More severe glandular or pyloric lesions often require much longer treatment periods and significantly different expectations. In those cases, I prepare owners for the possibility of months of therapy rather than weeks. A definitive diagnosis also helps build client confidence and compliance. When owners can see endoscopic images and understand exactly what is being treated, it becomes much easier to explain why a particular treatment plan is necessary, why healing takes time, and why follow-up evaluations may be required. You’ve had experience working with extended-release injectable omeprazole before its introduction in the United States. What first drew your attention to this treatment approach? I went to vet school in England, and the Bova product was already on the market then, so I was aware that it was available. I got hands-on experience with the injectable omeprazole and used it a lot when I worked in the Middle East for four years after my residency. Our medication supply was all Australian products, so we had the Bova products through our Australian supplier. I worked with large stud farms that managed large horse herds, and daily oral medication administration wasn’t always practical. Injectable therapy offered a convenient alternative because multiple horses could be treated on a weekly schedule rather than requiring daily dosing. That convenience factor stood out immediately. Instead of coordinating daily administration, treatments could often be incorporated into routine veterinary visits. While management practices and owner preferences vary considerably from one region to another, injectable therapy provided a valuable option in situations where consistent oral administration was challenging. Based on the research and clinical cases you’ve seen, what types of horses seem to benefit most from injectable omeprazole therapy? I don’t think benefit is necessarily tied to breed or discipline. Instead, it’s often related to management and practicality. Some horses simply aren’t ideal candidates for daily oral medication because of feeding schedules, travel demands, owner availability, or difficulty maintaining fasting protocols. Every case is different. Treatment decisions should be individualized based on the horse, the owner, and the management environment. One of the advantages veterinarians have today is a growing range of therapeutic options that can be matched to the specific needs of each patient. Injectable Omeprazole for Horses See all the benefits of our omeprazole and discover why over 200,000 doses have sold globally! Product Benefits & Advantages What does current research suggest about the role of injectable omeprazole in managing equine glandular gastric disease? One area that continues to generate interest is how different formulations can help address some of the challenges associated with oral therapy. For example, one of the limitations of traditional oral omeprazole is that efficacy can be influenced
Controlled Substances 101: How & Why You Must Comply! Parts 1 and 2
December 8 | 7 p.m. ET RACE-Approved CE Credit Hours: 2Free to attend Attendees will learn how to improve security, prevent theft per DEA regulations and proactively prepare for a DEA audit and best practice time saving suggestions from a previous veterinary practice owner, consultant & public speaker/educator, who has worked with Veterinarians cited by the DEA. Save My Seat
Smooth Delivery: A Novel Extended-Release Buprenorphine for Use in Laboratory Rodents
November 19 | 8 p.m. ET RACE-Approved CE Credit Hours: 1Free to attend Attendees will gain practical insight into how improved flow characteristics enhance both the ease of administration and animal well-being, while ensuring compliance with regulatory and quality standards. In addition, attendees will learn optimal administration techniques and best practices for post-administration monitoring. Save My Seat