top of page

Equine Eye Emergencies

Anytime a horse shows discomfort in one or both eyes, it is considered an emergency. Signs of discomfort includes squinting, excessive tearing, and/or swelling of the eyelid. Sometimes, the eye can be treated easily with an ointment, but other times, it may require intensive therapy. Common equine eye emergencies include:

1. Ulcers/abrasions to the eye

2. Puncture wound to the eye

3. Abscess of the eye

4. Blunt trauma to the eye

5. Uveitis (inflammation of the anterior or posterior chamber of the eye)

In simple traumatic corneal injuries, healing is generally rapid when appropriate treatment is initiated. When superficial ulcers or abrasions are not treated, they can grow in size and depth which can make treating them very difficult. Starting treatment rapidly for any kind of eye injury is critical to improving the outcome.

In the muggy, humid south, a simple corneal ulcer can quickly progress to a melting corneal ulcer. This occurs when bacteria and fungus grow rapidly on the eye. The resulting inflammatory process can cause the cornea to dissolve or melt. When this occurs, treatment is expensive and sometimes fails.

It is always best to treat every eye injury as an emergency to have the best chance of a positive outcome. Treatment is aimed at killing the inciting germs and stopping the inflammatory process. This can be achieved through a combination of oral and ocular medications. Depending on the severity of the injury, the medications will need to be applied once or multiple time per day. It is very important that ocular injuries are examined by a veterinarian as some medications can make ulcers worse. The right combination of medications can be prescribed ONLY after appropriate examination and staining of the eye.

In this horse, a superficial corneal ulcer rapidly developed into a melting corneal ulcer. A subpalpebral lavage system was placed to allow the owner to give eye medications every 4 hours. This was done around the clock for 1 month at which point the melting ulcer had good vascularity and appeared to be shrinking. The medications were decreased to every 6 hrs for another couple of weeks. The lavage system was then removed and ointments were applied twice daily for another couple of weeks. Lucky for this little mare, the eye (and her vision) were saved!


Featured Posts
Recent Posts
Archive
Search By Tags
No tags yet.
bottom of page