EYE INJURIES

Injuries to the eye are relatively common in horses and any injury to the eye is painful. An injured eye usually shows an increase in tear production and the conjunctiva (pink fleshy tissue surrounding eye) becomes inflamed. The eye may be held tightly closed and may appear cloudy (oedema) or contain fibrin and inflammatory debris. The pupil will tightly constrict in a painful eye.

Most eye injuries should be regarded as an emergency and advice should be sought from us promptly (even minor cuts to the eyelids should be examined and sutured if at all possible as an irregular margin is a source of ongoing irritation and damage to the cornea).

We will sometimes apply a green fluorescein dye to visualise the damage to the cornea. The eye can also be examined with an ophthalmoscope. To look into a horse’s eye thoroughly, we need the horse to be co-operative and preferably in a darkened area. Sedation may be administered, and sometimes a nerve block is used to temporarily stop the horse blinking.

In most cases treatment will involve the use of antibiotic eye ointment or drops in combination with anti-inflammatory medication and atropine to dilate the pupil. Do not use eye drops or ointments prescribed for another horse as they might contain the wrong medication or may spread infection.

Eye ointments and drops usually need to be applied several times a day. In some cases this treatment must be continued for several weeks. It is important that medication goes into the eye rather than onto the eyelids and lashes. Ask for help if necessary. The use of a twitch may help to keep the horse’s head still, but be careful doing this if you are inexperienced in using a twitch. If you continue to have trouble administering the treatment, speak to us about alternative methods or the possibility of hospitalisation. Do not just stop treating the horse because it is too difficult. It is possible to surgically place an indwelling tube through the eyelid or nostril, allowing repeated treatments to be made remotely from the eye.

Some serious injuries require suturing of the eye itself, which is performed under general anaesthesia, using specialised surgical equipment. Some corneal injuries require tissue grafts or temporary surgical closure of the eyelids, to protect the wound until it heals. Rupture of or extreme trauma to the eyeball usually necessitates removal of the eye. Most horses cope very well with one eye but may require extra sensitivity and thoughtfulness when being handled.