Polar Eyes Veterinary Ophthalmology

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Polar Eyes Veterinary Ophthalmology Providing Alaska’s animals specialty eye care from a local board certified veterinary ophthalmologist

We will be out of office to attend the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists Annual Conference 10/1- 10/9. We ...
09/29/2026

We will be out of office to attend the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists Annual Conference 10/1- 10/9. We will be excited to see all of our Alaska patients when we get back Monday, October 12th, 2026!

We were able to save this eye after a nasty dust-up with Devil’s club left multiple thorns stuck full thickness through ...
09/29/2026

We were able to save this eye after a nasty dust-up with Devil’s club left multiple thorns stuck full thickness through the cornea. If your dog is squinting after a hike or run through the brush outside, come see us ASAP. Quick treatment could save your dog’s vision!

Yesterday we took a quick trip to Cantwell to meet some of the superstars from Squid Acres Kennel. They were perfect pa...
09/05/2026

Yesterday we took a quick trip to Cantwell to meet some of the superstars from Squid Acres Kennel. They were perfect patients and very interested in learning how to use the exam equipment. Happy trails this winter! 🔬👀🐕🛷

We are seeing appointments at North Pole Veterinary Hospital in Fairbanks on September 16th. If your pet needs an eye e...
09/03/2026

We are seeing appointments at North Pole Veterinary Hospital in Fairbanks on September 16th. If your pet needs an eye exam, call 907-488-2335 to get on Dr. Snyder's schedule. You do not need a referral from your primary vet to schedule an appointment! See you soon!

Using a technique called indirect ophthalmoscopy, we are able to examine the back of the eye (the retina and optic nerve...
09/01/2026

Using a technique called indirect ophthalmoscopy, we are able to examine the back of the eye (the retina and optic nerve). In this cat we identified signs of retinal bleeding consistent with high blood pressure, systolic readings were over 200mmHg, and we started blood pressure lowering medication immediately. Interestingly, the use of this lens, offers roughly a 2.3x magnified view of the retina - great for scanning for abnormalities - but also inverts and flips the image (up is actually down, down is up, left is right, right is left). Do all this while the eyeball moves around (and sometimes the patient too!). Ophthalmologists typically get multiple 2-3 second glimpses to evaluate and scan the retina and optic nerve. Tens of thousands of retinas examined allows us to see the retina efficiently while knowing what is normal variation versus disease. This cat coming to see us saved its vision and life by getting an appropriate diagnosis!

Kinley has her confidence and pep back in her step after undergoing cataract surgery to regain vision. Hearing that “sh...
08/07/2026

Kinley has her confidence and pep back in her step after undergoing cataract surgery to regain vision. Hearing that “she is a new dog” is why we do this surgery. More confidence, less anxious, more tail wags, a clear eye view…she has come a long way in two weeks. Striving to give dogs and their owners quality of life back one surgery at a time.

With the help of Dr Spotts and AK WildBird Rehab Center, Dr Snyder performed surgery on this tiny 100gram (0.2 pounds!!)...
05/16/2026

With the help of Dr Spotts and AK WildBird Rehab Center, Dr Snyder performed surgery on this tiny 100gram (0.2 pounds!!) saw-whet owl. The owl had sustained trauma to his left eye that even after medical treatment caused permanent blindness and discomfort.

With the owl still able to successfully hunt, Dr Snyder performed a specialized modified surgery to remove part of the damaged eye while keeping the owls facial disc intact. The facial disc, the concentric ring of feathers around the eyes, functions to amplify sound and allows sound directionality. After surgery, his eye pain will be resolved and his facial symmetry will be minimally changed…keeping his ability to hunt intact.

This gives him another chance at life and makes a future release to the wild possible. This is one of the smallest birds this procedure has ever been performed in!! 👏🦉👀🏥

Making sure the UAF-CSU Veterinary Students get to see their first glimpse of a feline retina during our annual ophtho e...
04/24/2026

Making sure the UAF-CSU Veterinary Students get to see their first glimpse of a feline retina during our annual ophtho exam laboratory in Fairbanks. While we start to teach the basics of a retinal exam, there is a mirror on the front of Dr Snyder’s headset that allows students to see exactly what Dr Snyder is viewing. This usually leads to many “Woah!” reactions when the colorful tapetum and retina come into focus!

We examined this little Saw-whet owl to make a treatment plan and get him on the mend. One of the smallest owls in North...
04/18/2026

We examined this little Saw-whet owl to make a treatment plan and get him on the mend. One of the smallest owls in North America but big in personality!

Tooty had been blind for years before the owner contacted us for a cataract evaluation to see what was possible. One mo...
04/16/2026

Tooty had been blind for years before the owner contacted us for a cataract evaluation to see what was possible. One month after surgery Tooty is ready for summer with vision and a new summer haircut to match!

Address

1150 S. Colony Way Ste. 3 PMB 383
Palmer, AK
99645

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm

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