Animal Eye Specialty Clinic

What Animal Eye Specialty Clinic does

Animal Eye Specialty Clinic is a private veterinary ophthalmology specialty practice operating across south Florida, founded in April 1996 by Dr. Susan Carastro under the parent entity Veterinary Investments, Inc. The clinic provides specialty eye care exclusively for companion animals (dogs, cats) and horses, with a staff of four DACVO board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists (Dr. Susan Carastro, Julie Hempstead, Erica Bono, and Simone Schechtmann) supported by technical staff across five clinical locations in West Palm Beach, Deerfield Beach, North Miami, Melbourne, and Stuart/Fort Lauderdale. The practice is purely specialty-focused, with no general veterinary services, and operates 24/7 emergency on-call services with a dedicated hotline.

The service portfolio spans diagnostic imaging (slit lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, ocular ultrasound, electroretinography, tonometry/gonioscopy, Doppler blood pressure, diagnostic staining) and advanced surgical procedures (phacoemulsification cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery including Ahmed Valve placement, retinal treatment and surgery, ocular cancer treatment, eyelid surgery, corneal grafting, parotid duct transposition for dry eye, and enucleation). The clinic also performs OFA genetic screening exams for purebred dogs. Revenue is generated through professional service fees billed at the time of examination under a pay-as-you-go model, accepting all forms of pet insurance and major credit cards.

The go-to-market motion is sales-led and referral-driven, with primary family veterinarians across south Florida serving as the principal referral channel, supplemented by direct self-referred appointments and self-pay consumers. Community engagement through partnerships with the Humane Society of Broward County and sponsorship of events like Paws in the Park (powered by Schumacher Subaru) supports top-of-funnel awareness. The clinic operates as a stable, owner-operated specialty practice with no external funding, no acquisitions, and no public-facing digital platform beyond a content website and social media presence.

Name

Animal Eye Specialty Clinic

Legal name

Veterinary Investments, Inc.

Website

https://animaleyespecialtyclinic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Animal Eye Specialty Clinic is a private veterinary ophthalmology specialty practice operating five locations across south Florida, staffed by four DACVO board-certified ophthalmologists providing diagnostic and surgical eye care for companion animals and horses, supported by 24/7 emergency services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Ophthalmology Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAMACAG

Veterinary Ophthalmology Specialty Centers

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Emergency & Specialty Veterinary Hospitals

SECONDARYAFAEANAG

Veterinary Imaging, Surgery & Specialty Referral Centers

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Production & Aquaculture/Animal Health & Veterinary Services

Keywords

• Veterinary ophthalmology services
• Pet eye care
• Veterinary specialty clinic
• Animal eye surgery
• Companion animal ophthalmology

Headquarters

HQ city

West Palm Beach, Florida

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Veterinary Specialty Services: Revenue generated from providing specialty veterinary ophthalmology services including examinations, diagnostic testing, and surgical procedures. Payment is due in full at the time of examination. They accept all forms of pet insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Animal Eye Specialty Clinic provides specialty veterinary ophthalmology diagnosis and treatment for companion animals and horses across five South Florida locations. The practice offers comprehensive eye examinations, advanced diagnostics (slit lamp biomicroscopy, ocular ultrasound, electroretinography, tonometry), and surgical procedures including cataract surgery (phacoemulsification), glaucoma surgery, retinal surgery, corneal grafting, eyelid surgery, ocular cancer treatment, and extraocular surgery. Board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists (DACVO) deliver care with 24/7 emergency on-call coverage.

Product overview

Animal Eye Specialty Clinic operates as a veterinary ophthalmology specialty practice offering a comprehensive portfolio of eye care services for pets and animals. The practice, founded by Dr. Susan Carastro in 1996 in Florida, provides both diagnostic and surgical services across five locations. The core offering is veterinary ophthalmology consultations and treatments, with specialized services including Slit Lamp Biomicroscopy, Indirect Ophthalmoscopy, Ocular Ultrasound, Diagnostic Staining, Tonometry/Gonioscopy, Electroretinography, Phacoemulsification (Cataract Surgery), Eyelid Surgery, Grafting Techniques for Corneal Disease, Glaucoma Surgery, Retinal Treatment and Surgery, Ocular Cancer Treatment, Genetic Screening for Purebred Dogs, Extraocular Surgery including Eye Removal, and Dry Eye Surgery. Emergency eye services are available 24/7. The practice is staffed by Board Certified Veterinary Ophthalmologists using state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Veterinary Eye Examinations Complete ophthalmic diagnostic workups for dogs, cats, and other companion animals, using slit lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, tonometry, diagnostic staining, Schirmer Tear Test, fluorescein staining, and intraocular pressure measurement to identify eye diseases.
• Cataract Surgery (Phacoemulsification) Phacoemulsification cataract surgery using ultrasound technology to break up and remove the cloudy lens, restoring vision in dogs, cats, and other companion animals with cataracts.
• Glaucoma Treatment and Surgery Medical and surgical management of glaucoma in pets, including Ahmed Valve placement and other surgical interventions to control intraocular pressure and preserve vision.
• Retinal Treatment and Surgery Diagnostic evaluation and surgical treatment of retinal conditions and diseases in companion animals, supported by electroretinography (ERG) testing.
• Eyelid Surgery Surgical correction of eyelid abnormalities and conditions in pets, addressing functional and cosmetic eyelid problems.
• Corneal Disease Treatment and Grafting Corneal repair procedures including conjunctival grafts and other grafting techniques for treatment of corneal ulcers and disease in companion animals.
• Ocular Cancer Treatment and Surgery Diagnosis and surgical treatment of cancer affecting the eyelids, conjunctiva, cornea, uveal tract, retina, and optic nerve in companion animals.
• Dry Eye Treatment and Surgery Medical and surgical treatment for keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye) in pets, including parotid duct transposition and tear-stimulating implants.
• Extraocular Surgery Including Eye Removal Enucleation (eye removal) and intraorbital/intraocular prosthesis procedures for companion animals when eye preservation is not feasible.
• Genetic Screening Exams for Purebred Dogs (OFA) Ophthalmic examinations completed by Board Certified Ophthalmologists to screen for hereditary eye diseases in purebred dogs, registered with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
• 24/7 Emergency Eye Care Services 24-hour emergency veterinary ophthalmology services available 7 days per week with Board Certified Veterinary Ophthalmologists on-call, reachable via dedicated emergency hotline (1-877-205-2537).
• Equine Ophthalmology Services Specialty eye care for horses including glaucoma treatment, corneal surgery, cataract surgery, retinal surgery, and other equine-specific ophthalmic conditions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24/7 emergency veterinary ophthalmology services available

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe clinic is affiliated with ACVO, the professional organization for veterinary ophthalmologists. All veterinary ophthalmologists at the clinic are board certified through ACVO after completing rigorous residency and examination requirements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG): VEG is a fast-growing veterinary emergency hospital chain that has begun adding specialty services. It represents an emerging format competing for the same after-hours and referral emergency caseload that Animal Eye Specialty Clinic services 24/7.

Direct peers

• Eye Care for Animals: Eye Care for Animals is a multi-location veterinary ophthalmology-only specialty practice operating across multiple U.S. states. It is the most direct comparable to Animal Eye Specialty Clinic, offering the same DACVO-staffed ophthalmology-only referral model with surgical and emergency services.
• Animal Ophthalmology Clinic (various): Independent veterinary ophthalmology specialty practices (e.g., Animal Ophthalmology Clinic in Dallas, Veterinary Ophthalmic Specialists) operate the same single-specialty referral model. They illustrate the competitive landscape of standalone ophthalmology referral clinics across the U.S.

Broad incumbents

• MedVet: MedVet is a multi-specialty and emergency veterinary hospital network with ophthalmology services among its specialties. It competes for the same primary-care veterinary referral base in overlapping regions, albeit from a larger, multi-specialty footprint.
• VCA Animal Hospitals: VCA (owned by Mars) operates a national network of general and specialty veterinary hospitals, including ophthalmology services. It is a broad incumbent whose specialty hospitals intersect with the Animal Eye Specialty Clinic referral market.
• BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital: BluePearl is a large multi-specialty veterinary hospital chain (owned by Mars Veterinary Health) offering emergency and specialty services including ophthalmology. It overlaps with Animal Eye Specialty Clinic on ophthalmology referrals but competes from a broader multi-specialty position.

Regional players

• NC State Veterinary Hospital: A university teaching hospital with a veterinary ophthalmology service that competes for specialty ophthalmology referrals in the Southeast. Comparable as a specialty referral center with board-certified ophthalmologists, though operating in a different geography.
• University of Florida Veterinary Hospitals: UF's small animal hospital includes an ophthalmology service and is a regional teaching institution that competes for specialty ophthalmology cases in Florida. It functions as both a referral destination and a source of DACVO talent / competitors.
• Pet Emergency & Specialty Hospital (various): Independent emergency and specialty veterinary hospitals frequently include ophthalmology as a department. They are regional competitors operating outside Florida but with the same referral-and-emergency model for ophthalmology cases.
• Southwest Florida Veterinary Specialists: A multi-specialty veterinary hospital in the Bonita Springs/Naples area of Florida offering specialty services including ophthalmology. It is a regional competitor for veterinary referrals within the broader Florida market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BroadwaterDVM
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMZ-AdxxxA_fOJ3WXlbbfXw
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Animal-Eye-Specialty-Clinic/1406159649645415
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/animal-eye-specialty-clinic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Animal Eye Specialty Clinic