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Animal Tales: Animal eye doctor helps all kinds of animals see Dr. Cassandra Bliss, veterinary ophthalmologist, examines a blind spotted owl from Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center at Bliss Animal Eye Care in Central Point. [Mail Tribune / Jamie Lusch] Friday Dec 29, 2017 at 3:42 PM Dec 29, 2017 at 3:43 PM Nick Morgan Mail Tribune @mtcrimebeat Be it an endangered species that can't see or a pet with painful vision problems, a Central Point veterinary eye doctor knows what she's looking for. For Dr. Cassandra Bliss, Southern Oregon's sole veterinary ophthalmologist, every day is as different as the animal species she helps. Last week, her patients included an injured spotted owl unable to see and a rescued dog with painful lashes growing inside its eyelids. Other days, it's house calls to farm animals or follow-up research on a flamingo in captivity that had surgery for cataracts. Jen Osburn Eliot, an animal care technician with Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center, brought a male spotted owl to Bliss' clinic Tuesday for a follow-up appointment. The owl has been in the care of the Merlin-area nonprofit since Nov. 26, after he had apparently been struck by a vehicle in rural Douglas County. "It became pretty clear he wasn't able to see," Osburn Eliot said. When a rescued animal has vision problems, Wildlife Images turns to Bliss. Such cases are rare; of the roughly 1,000 rescues Wildlife Images performed this year, the only other animal Bliss saw was a squirrel, according to Osburn Eliot. In 2016, Bliss performed cataract surgery for an eagle at Wildlife Images. Bliss said the owl had torn retinas. Tuesday's checkup was partly to determine whether a week of steroid eye drops had helped his healing. His prognosis was good. Using electroretinography, a process involving a special contact lens and electrodes, one eye was electrically active. He could have sight for the holidays, Bliss said last week. Bliss said roughly 80 percent of the animals she sees are dogs and cats with eye injuries, often caused by other animals. Primary care veterinarians typically send clients her way. There are no other veterinarians in Southern Oregon who specialize in eyes within 150 miles, though there are three veterinary ophthalmologists in the Portland area. She often travels to Gold Beach, Brookings and Northern California. She recently checked on a flamingo at Wildlife Safari in Winston, where she's monitoring the animal's progress and participating in a research project. Other times, Bliss helps dogs and cats with unusual eye-related birth defects. Last Wednesday, the Rogue River-based nonprofit Miss Gabriel Foundation sought Bliss for surgery on a Labrador-mix shelter dog named Miss Charlie, who had distichia, a condition in which hair follicles grow inside the eyelid and cause pain. Treatment involves freezing the hair follicles, which has a 90-percent success rate in permanently removing the hairs, according to Bliss. Two years ago, Bliss donated surgeries to two shelter kittens born with eyelid defects at Committed Alliance to Strays (C.A.T.S) in Medford. Bliss grafted lip tissue to a female kitten's eyelids to help it see better. The female serves as a "seeing-eye cat" for her blind brother. Marilyn Kimm, who nursed the pair after the surgery, said the cats found a happy home with woman who's now a personal friend of theirs. The cats go by Moe and Joe. "Moe and Joe do not realize they are blind," Kimm said. "Joe is a character, Moe is a shy young lady." — Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat.