Ophthalmic team
Peter Renwick
MA VetMB DVOphthal MRCVS
RCVS Diplomate in Veterinary Ophthalmology
Peter graduated from Cambridge University in 1980 and spent the following year as an intern at Glasgow University Veterinary School. He then worked for a number of years in a large veterinary hospital in London, and subsequently in the ophthalmology department at London University's Royal Veterinary College. Peter gained his Diploma in Veterinary Ophthalmology in 1992, the same year that he became a partner with Malcolm McKee at Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service. He was subsequently awarded the status of 'RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology'. Peter is a member of the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Panel which helps to identify hereditary eye diseases in dogs, and of the Eye Panel Working Party which acts to steer the work of the main Eye Panel. He is also a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Ophthalmology Board which helps to regulate further education standards in Veterinary Ophthalmology in the UK. His clinical interests include reconstructive eyelid surgery, ocular inflammatory disease, glaucoma, and the surgical management of cataract.
From early in his career it was Peter's wish to specialise in ophthalmology and to help to develop one of the country's foremost private multi-disciplinary specialist referral practices. Since moving into Willows' new state-of-the-art facility, that wish is coming to fruition.
Peter sees the success of Willows as being due primarily to great team work - "Our practice philosophy is that we are 'Committed to excellence', and we do not take that commitment lightly. We are very fortunate to have been able to build up a fantastic team of veterinary surgeons and support staff who all strive to do their very best for every patient, and every patient's owner, every day. I am very proud not only of what our staff currently achieve, but also of their constant desire to improve the service we offer to our clients, their pets and their referring veterinary surgeons."
Christine Heinrich
DVOphthal DipECVO MRCVS
RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology
Christine received her degree in 1995 from Munich Veterinary School in Germany. She then moved to the UK where she first completed an Internship followed by a Residency in Comparative Veterinary Ophthalmology at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. Christine holds both the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVO) Diplomas in Veterinary Ophthalmology and has been an RCVS Specialist in her discipline since 2001. She is a member of the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Panel which helps in the identification of hereditary eye disease in purebred dogs and she is also a member of the Eye Panel Working Party, which acts as a steering group to the main Eye Panel. Christine also is an active committee member of the British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (BrAVO) and has been the chairwoman of the organisation since 2007.
Christine is dedicated to the teaching of Veterinary Ophthalmology to post-graduate veterinary surgeons and together with her colleagues at Willows Referral Service she supervises two out of a current total of five ECVO residency programmes within the UK. Christine is also active within the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, being a member of the RCVS Ophthalmology Board also having repeatedly acted as an examiner for the RCVS Certificate and Diploma in Veterinary Ophthalmology. In addition, Christine has also been a member of the ECVO examination committee since 2007.
"I joined the ophthalmic department of Willows Referral Service in 2000 and have found our team's commitment to provide the best possible service at all times to referring veterinary surgeons, clients and patients to be unparalleled. Being a keen dog and cat owner myself, I feel re-assured that we always strive to extend the level of treatment and care that we would wish for our own pets to all our patients - nothing less would do for me. The move to our new state-of-the-art facilities, together with the inclusion of a more encompassing range of referral disciplines should help to optimise our patients' care and I am truly excited about these new opportunities".
Heidi Featherstone
BVetMed DVOphthal DipECVO MRCVS
RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology
Heidi graduated from London University's Royal Veterinary College in 1991. She worked in general practice for seven years - three years in mixed veterinary practice in the New Forest followed by four years in small animal practice in Hong Kong. Heidi returned to England in 1998 to start a three year residency in ophthalmology at the Animal Health Trust, Newmarket. Heidi gained her RCVS Diploma in Veterinary Ophthalmology in 2001, and her European Diploma in Veterinary Ophthalmology in 2005. Heidi co-started the ophthalmology service at Davies Veterinary Specialists in 2003, before joining the ophthalmology team at Willows Referral Service in 2006. She is a member of the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Panel which helps to identify hereditary eye diseases in dogs. She has an active role in the supervision and examination of candidates for the RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Ophthalmology. Heidi was the secretary of the British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (BrAVO) for several years and remains an active committee member. Together with Christine Heinrich, Heidi runs a residency programme for the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ECVO). Her clinical interests include corneal disease and surgery and the surgical management of cataract.
She has published on several aspects of veterinary ophthalmology and is a regular speaker at conferences both in the UK and overseas.
Heidi has three dogs, two of which have ocular problems, making her especially sympathetic to owners seeking advice for their own animals' eye disorders.
Mike Rhodes
BVM&S CertVOphthal DipECVO MRCVS
European Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology
Mike graduated from Edinburgh University in 2004 and spent the next three and half years working in small animal practice in Peterborough and Suffolk. During this time he developed a keen interest in veterinary ophthalmology and completed the RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Ophthalmology in 2008. Having undertaken the ophthalmology residency training programme at Willows, Mike was recently awarded the European Diploma in Veterinary Ophthalmology, and is now a recognised European Specialist in the field. Since joining Willows in 2008, Mike has become an integral part of the ophthalmology team and works in close co-operation with the other specialist disciplines in the practice. Mike is a member of the British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and his clinical interests include all aspects of microsurgery, most especially cataract surgery.
Away from work, Mike likes to keep active and spend time with his two young children, Sophie and William, and when he gets time he enjoys running, skiing, windsurfing, scuba diving and fell walking.
Mike says of working at Willows Referral Service, 'It is really great to work as part of a team of like-minded individuals offering the best standards of veterinary care in a state-of-the-art facility.'
Carolin Chiwitt
Dr.med.vet. MRCVS
Resident in Veterinary Ophthalmology
Carolin graduated in 2008 from the University of Giessen, Germany. She then spent nearly three years at the Institute of Experimental Ophthalmology in Muenster (Germany) preparing a doctoral thesis about the regeneration of retinal ganglion cells, a work she received several awards for. Afterwards, she completed a small animal internship at a referral clinic in Germany. In 2012 she moved to UK to undertake an ophthalmology internship at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket.
Carolin joined Willows as a Resident in Ophthalmology in March 2013. During her Residency, she will be working towards a European Diploma in Veterinary Ophthalmology. Carolin always had a huge fascination for ophthalmology and is extremely happy to deepen her interest in this field.
Carolin loves her very loyal 15 years old rescued crossbreed dog Willi. In her spare time she enjoys horse riding and being outside with her horses.
