Registration opens soon for 2023 ACVO and Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam Event

 

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is proud to announce that it is participating in the 2023 ACVO/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam event. Service and Working Animal owners and handlers across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico can register their animal to receive a free eye exam from one of 300+ veterinary ophthalmologists participating in the program, including LSU Vet Med ophthalmologists. Registration and appointments are made April 1-30, 2023, at www.acvoeyeexam.org. Eligible, registered service animals with scheduled appointments will be examined during the month of May as part of this event. 

Once registration has ended, more than 8,000 Service and Working Animals are expected to receive free sight-saving eye exams during the month of May. The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists developed the annual ACVO/StokesRx National Service Animal Eye Exam event in 2008 as a national platform to address eye health, which is critical for the safety of the animals and their handlers. Since its inception, the program has provided more than 68,000 free eye exams.

Approximately 300 board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists will donate their time and resources to provide free screening exams to qualified service animals. The ACVO/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam event will provide a free screening-wellness eye exam to qualified Service and Working Animals including those providing the following services: guide, hearing assistance, drug detection, police/military, search and rescue, therapy, and those assisting people with disabilities other than blindness. Service and Working animals can be registered through the month of April at www.ACVOeyeexam.org. 

The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists is an approved veterinary specialty organization of the American Board of Veterinary Specialties that board certifies veterinarians as ophthalmologists. This year’s event is sponsored by ACVO® and Epicur Pharma (a division of Stokes Healthcare), as well as several generous industry sponsors.

How to Register

Owners/agents for the animal(s) must FIRST register the animal via an online registration form from April 1-30, 2023, at www.ACVOeyeexam.org.

To qualify, Service and Working Animals must be “active working animals” that have been trained through a formal training program or organization or are currently enrolled in a formal training program. The training organization could be national, regional or local in nature.

Once registered online, the owner/agent will receive a registration number and will be allowed access to a list of participating ophthalmologists, including LSU Vet Med in Baton Rouge. Then, they may contact a specialist to schedule an appointment, which will take place during the month of May. Times may vary depending on the facility and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so owners/agents are encouraged to register and make appointments early. The owner/agent must bring written proof of the animal’s training paperwork along with a copy of this program’s confirmation to the appointment. 

After registering online, owners and handlers must then call the LSU Vet Med Veterinary Teaching Hospital to make a scheduled appointment. To schedule your appointment with our Ophthalmology Service, please call 225-578-9600.

About LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Teaching Hospital Ophthalmology Service

The LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital Ophthalmology Service provides referral appointments and full-time referral emergency services for animals with eye diseases and injuries. Each patient presented to the Ophthalmology Service has their care overseen by a veterinary ophthalmologist. Residents, interns, and veterinary students participate in the evaluation of each animal as part of the LSU Vet Med curriculum. The Veterinary Teaching Hospital strives to always provide the latest in veterinary patient care, diagnostics, and treatment.

About the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists®

The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists® (ACVO®) is an approved veterinary specialty organization of the American Board of Veterinary Specialties and is recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Its mission is “to advance the quality of veterinary medicine through certification of veterinarians who demonstrate excellence as specialists in veterinary ophthalmology.” To become board certified, a candidate must successfully complete a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, a one-year internship, a three-year ACVO® approved residency and pass a series of credentials and examinations. For more information, please visit www.ACVO.org.

About Epicur Pharma

Epicur Pharma is proud to be the name-sake sponsor of the ACVO/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam. Epicur is a division of Stokes Healthcare (founded in 1975) and Stokes Pharmacy is a sister division that has been a dedicated ACVO supporter for many years. Adding a unique new offering to the veterinary industry, Epicur is a manufacturer, producing drugs such as Tacrolimus Eyedrops, Buprenorphine Injection and Gabapentin Tablets. Epicur is overseen by the FDA and is considered a 503B Registered Outsourcing Facility. Epicur follows Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) which are the same rules and regulations as the pharmaceutical companies. Epicur Pharma is proud to be a pioneer in animal drug standards, offering the largest selection of manufactured drugs that are traditionally compounded.

About LSU Vet Med: Bettering lives through education, public service, and discovery

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 33 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. LSU Vet Med is dedicated to improving and protecting the lives of animals and people through superior education, transformational research, and compassionate care. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.