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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 husband, 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

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Lori Hopper | Lead Veterinary Technician

Lori Hopper is CAES Lead Veterinary Technician. She received her Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology in 2005 at Argosy University in Minnesota, where she grew up. She moved to California in 2005, where she started working as a specialty surgery anesthesia technician. Lori moved to Charleston in 2010, where she has worked as a surgery technician for the last 12 years. She has 21 years of veterinary technician experience and 16 years of critical and routine anesthesia experience. She was previously a Head Anesthesia Technician at a local specialty hospital, where she really enjoyed training her coworkers and improving overall patient care. Lori also loves connecting with clients and getting to know them and their pets. Lori spends her free time with her husband, two sons, four dogs, two cats, two guinea pigs, and tortoise. They enjoy traveling, spending time outside, and going to music concerts. She also enjoys gardening, watching sports, and working on house projects.

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Amy | Client Care Representative

Amy is a Charlestonian who attended high school at the School Of the Arts, majoring in Dance. She has been a part of the veterinary community for over 10 years, starting as a kennel technician. In 2017, Amy attended the Bridge to Clemson program and returned home after her freshman year. Before realizing she missed working in veterinary medicine, she was a Starbucks Barista and Barista Trainer. She was a receptionist at a local emergency hospital and a local veterinary group. Amy is now pursuing a degree in Graphic Design at Arizona State University-Online. She and her boyfriend enjoy catching up on shows like the Mandalorian and riding their e-bikes around town. They have 3 cats- Milo, Maverick, and the newest addition, Margo. She enjoys throwing pottery and making pasta from scratch in her free time. Besides our front desk, you can find her grabbing brunch at Early Bird Diner or perusing the aisles of a local bookshop.

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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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Averie | Veterinary Assistant

Averie Zamagni moved to Charleston in 2018 from Dallas, TX. Growing up in Webster, MA she has been in the pet care industry since the beginning of her working career in many roles including Pet groomer and kennel and daycare manager for one of the largest kennels in the Dallas area. She and her husband have four dogs and two cats at home and she frequently tries to expand her pack…. no dog, cat, or goat left behind. She enjoys reading and walking with her dogs and is constantly learning; She is excited to strengthen her knowledge in pet care as she dives into her new role here at CAES!

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