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AboutCAES

Charleston Animal Eye Specialtists aims to bring Charleston and the surrounding area state-of-the-art veterinary eye services with care and compassion.

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Charleston Animal Eye Specialists

About Us

Our fully renovated 2,200 square foot hospital is equipped with cutting edge equipment and a specially trained team ready to provide exceptional service to your pet. We believe that specialty care should be accessible to all pet owners in an environment which is both warm and inviting. Bringing your pet to an ophthalmologist can be stressful, therefore, our goal is to make your visit as positive an experience as possible.

Dr. Hannah Visser Highlight

Dr. Hannah Visser is the owner and medical director of CAES. She was born and raised in Charleston, SC, and has always dreamed of establishing a practice in the city she loves. A graduate of the College of Charleston with honors, Dr. Visser attended veterinary school at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Following veterinary school, she completed both a rotating small animal internship and a specialty internship in ophthalmology at a large multi-specialty hospital in Fishers, IN. Dr.Visser then performed her residency training with Dr. Nicholas Millichamp in Houston, TX to become a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist.

Following residency, Dr. Visser returned to the southeast and has practiced in the Charleston area as well as in West Palm Beach, FL. Dr. Visser established CAES to offer state-of-the-art care with a compassionate touch. Her clinical interests include corneal disease, corrective eyelid procedures, and cataract surgery.

Dr. Visser is Recover CPR certified in both basic and advanced life support. She currently serves on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. You will likely find Dr. Visser enjoying her free time at the beach with her daughter Emma and her English setter Hunley.

Publications

  • Visser HE, Dees DD, Millichamp NJ, Vallone LV, and Scott EM (2019), Effects of orally administered melatonin on intraocular pressure of ophthalmologically normal dogs. AJVR. doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.80.4.410
  • Visser HE, Tofflemire KL, Love-Myers KR, Allbaugh RA, Ellinwood NM, Dees DD, Ben-Shlomo G, and Whitley RD (2017), Schirmer tear test I in dogs: results comparing placement in the ventral vs. dorsal conjunctival fornix. Vet Ophthalmol. doi:10.1111/vop.12462
  • Visser HE, Diehl KA, Whitley RD, and Myrna KE (2016), Effect of auriculopalpebral nerve block on Schirmer tear test I values in normal horses. Vet Ophthalmol. doi:10.1111/vop.12419
Dr. Hannah Visser
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Dr. Hannah Visser
Sarah | Veterinary Technician
Sarah Hankins moved her family from Las Vegas, NV to Charleston, SC in 2012. Growing up in Connecticut, she started volunteering her at an early age to raise abandoned wildlife and horseback riding. After an equine management internship in Vermont, she moved cross country to a Colorado horse and cattle ranch in Colorado before acquiring an Associates of Science and studying Veterinary Technology through Purdue University. She has continued to build a diverse veterinary nursing background that includes wildlife rescue/rehabilitation, livestock health, equine medicine, small animal dermatology, emergency, oncology and workplace safety programs. She and her husband spend their free time with wildlife rehabilitation work from their Ravenel property. Her two daughters help keep the constantly changing number of dogs, cats, horses and wild animals corralled. It is not unusual to find her carrying around a basket of baby possums and re arranging her hand painted garden gnomes.
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Dr. Hannah Visser
Nathan | Veterinary Technician
Nathan is a Florida native that moved to Charleston in 2018 after completing an active duty contract with the U.S. Navy, where he spent time stationed in Pensacola, FL, and along the Baltic in Poland. Being enamored with animals and the natural world since a young age, he has volunteered for the Tallahassee Humane Society, and assisted with caring for other’s pets. Nathan started his career in animal medicine as a veterinary assistant for Veterinary Specialty Care in 2018. He rapidly advanced to the role of veterinary technician spending time in both the emergency and surgical departments in the then multi-specialty practice Bluepearl Pet Hospital. While working full time in veterinary medicine, he pursued and graduated with an Associates of Science from Trident Technical College, and subsequently pursued and graduated with a B.S. in Biology from The College of Charleston. In the future Nathan plans to attend a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. He has three cats: Rajah, Cousteau, and Ginger, and a dog named Cole. In his spare time Nathan can be found playing Yu-gi-oh at card shops, hunting for shark teeth, and spending time with his son Sammy and wife Kelsey.
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Dr. Hannah Visser
Trask | Veterinary Assistant
Trask was born and raised in Moncks corner, SC. He has always had a love and passion for helping animals, and is currently studying as a pre vet student. Trask started his career working as a kennel technician at Berkeley county animal center and he is excited to expanded his knowledge by joining Charleston Animal Eye Specialists under Dr. Visser. In the future Trask plans on attending Clemson’s new college of veterinary medicine. He currently has three dogs: two basset hounds named LuLu and Cowboy and a foxhound named Chance. In his spare time, Trask enjoys going to the gym, and hanging out with friends and family.
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Erin
Erin | Client care representative
Erin is a native of James Island. She has spent 21 years working in human Ophthalmology and was excited to take that experience in a new direction to work with animals! In her spare time, she spends time with her husband Steve and son Alex boating and attending football and hockey games or just hanging out at home with our dog Denim and cat Kitty Craig.