MS, DACVIM, DACVO OPHTHALMOLOGY

Dr. Heather Kaese

Dr. Kaese is a board-certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist and was born in Portland Oregon (but raised in Minnesota). She completed her veterinary degree at the University of Minnesota in 1999. She then focused on her equine interest through an internship in Large Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph Canada. This was followed by a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Her keen interest in ophthalmology led to a Master’s degree in Comparative Immunology with an emphasis on the genetic influences on the development of uveitis in the Appaloosa horse. Heather then completed an Ophthalmology residency with Eye Care for Animals in Chicago, Illinois. Since 2004, she has been a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Large Animal) and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists since 2008.

​​The majority of Dr. Kaese’s time is spent providing care for cats, dogs, and horses, but she will see almost any animal eye that needs attention. She has enjoyed volunteering her time for zoos and wildlife rehabilitation centers. Her research and practice interests include corneal disease in dogs and cats as well as how immune and infectious diseases of the body can seriously impact eye health. She has served on the Examination and Residency Committees of the American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and looks forward to another year on the Board of the Vision for Animals Foundation.

Outside of work, Dr, Kaese enjoys everything that is outdoors. She lived for two years in Australia and explored the diverse Australian landscapes with her husband and their Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Piper. They are now enjoying exploring the American West as they have lived longest as flatlanders in the land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota.