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<\/strong>In order to know abnormal, we must first know normal anatomy.\u00a0 Vision in the horse is unique and the field of vision is often limited and restricted.\u00a0 It has been noted that a horse, due to eye positioning, cannot see directly 2-3 feet in front of them or behind them.\u00a0 This helps to explain why some horses become spooked at times when people or objects approach.\u00a0 The eyes are positioned on the side of the head and have both an upper, lower and third eyelid, which sweeps across the eye from the inside corner.\u00a0 The eye or globe itself is filled with fluid to maintain pressure and provide nutrients to the internal tissues.\u00a0 It can be viewed almost as a water balloon of sorts.\u00a0 When viewing the eye grossly, we see the white part or sclera which is covered by a transparent membrane or conjunctiva.\u00a0 The conjunctiva can be more pink on the undersides of the eyelids, but in general is clear. The sclera normally has a light pink or even yellow type of coloration to it and often it is common to see various blood vessels positioned about.\u00a0 The cornea is the clear part of the eye located centrally which when looking through this structure, we can see the iris or pupil area.\u00a0 The cornea is normally clear and has to be clear in order for vision to take place. Any coloration or cloudiness to the cornea is considered abnormal. At the top of the iris, we can often see what looks like is a darker lumpy growth, which is the corpora nigrans, and considered a normal structure.\u00a0 If we look through the dilated pupil with special instruments, we can then see the back of the eye which is the fundus, which contains the optic nerve ,the retina as well as several blood vessels. In general, both eyes should be open, minimal to no drainage and no obvious redness or swelling.<\/p>\r\n
Corneal Ulcerations<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Corneal ulcerations are very common in the horse and are essentially a scratch across the cornea.\u00a0 The source of the scratch is often debris, pollen or foreign material picked up from the environment, but can sometimes be associated with trauma due to an external object or kick.\u00a0 When the scratch first occurs, pain is very common as well as squinting, contraction of the pupil due to pain and increased tearing or drainage from the eye.\u00a0 Usually, the owner notes the closed eye with increased tearing as the initial indications that there is a problem.\u00a0 The cornea is tissue paper thin and in these questions, the concern is how deep the scratch penetrates.\u00a0 In most situations, the scratch is superficial and can be managed readily.\u00a0 In other cases, the scratch penetrates deeper and creates concern about tissue integrating and potential rupture of the globe.\u00a0 Scratches or ulcerations can become infected not only with bacteria but also with fungi from the environment.\u00a0 General therapy for superficial ulcers is administration of anti-inflammatory medications to control pain, topical medications to dilate the pupil and relieve pain and topical antibiotics to prevent infection.\u00a0 In those scratches that go deeper, surgery is often employed to help provide a patch of sorts to cover the defect or to encourage healing.\u00a0 One of the biggest concerns with corneal ulcerations is fungal infections which can be very serious.\u00a0 These are not that common in general practice, but can be secondary to deep wounds or bacterial infections.<\/p>\r\n Here is an image of a simple corneal ulceration in a horse.\u00a0 What we see clinically is not only squinting with increased tearing, but upon evaluation of the eye, we see cloudiness to the cornea itself as well as migration of blood vessels across the surface, attempting to heal the defect.\u00a0 Remember again that the cornea is generally clear and discoloration and intrusion of blood vessels indicates that there is a problem.\u00a0 We often cannot see the defect or scratch grossly, but have to apply stains to the cornea to help highlight the problem. Here is an image of a horse that developed a superficial corneal ulcer, but quickly became infected with a fungi.\u00a0 As the fungi develops and the ulcer progresses, it moves into a stage of ‘melting’ in which the tissue essentially degrades quickly and almost appears like slime on the surface of the cornea.\u00a0 This is a very serious situation and often results in enucleation or removal of the eye. \u00a0Eye Lid Lacerations<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Here is a photo of a young horse with an upper right eyelid laceration which was repaired successfully. Conjunctivitis<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Conjunctivitis is by definition, inflammation of the conjunctiva or clear membrane covering the sclera.\u00a0 In most cases, the clinical signs include swelling of the eye and eyelids, squinting and discharge.\u00a0 When opening the eye, which can be difficult in some cases, we often see a red, irritated and swollen conjunctiva.\u00a0 It resembles ‘pink eye’ in people and pets.\u00a0 The cause of the irritation is generally a virus, bacteria, allergies or just foreign material from the environment such as dust.\u00a0 It can affect one eye or both.\u00a0 In most cases of conjunctivitis, it is common to evaluate the cornea as well to rule out a corneal ulceration as this can change the course of therapy.\u00a0 If there is no corneal ulceration, the standard treatment includes systemic anti-inflammatories, topical antibiotics, topical steroids and dilators if needed.\u00a0 If a corneal ulceration is present, steroids are not utilized due to potential interference with healing and the immune response, which could make a fungal infection more likely.<\/p>\r\n Here is a picture of conjunctivitis in a horse complicated by other problems.<\/p>\r\n Recurrent Uveitis<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Equine recurrent uveitis or moonblindness is also unfortunately a common problem in some horses, with paints and Appaloosas being more predominantly affected.\u00a0 What happens in these patients is an immune response or attack of the internal structures of the eye.\u00a0 This attack creates massive amounts of inflammation and pain, resulting in deterioration of tissue and deposition of inflammatory byproducts within the eye.\u00a0 Clinically, the presentation is very similar to other problems with squinting, possible swelling, discharge and pain.\u00a0 Nerve blocks are often employed in order to open the eyelids for further examination.\u00a0 The damage presented is really dependent on the severity of the uveitis and how long it has progressed.\u00a0 Often we will see conjunctivitis, cloudiness of the corneal, corneal ulcerations and blood vessel infiltration.\u00a0 In other cases, we just have evident pain with cloudiness inside of the cornea (flare) with no other evident issues.\u00a0 An examination of the back of the eye is often performed as is an ultrasound exam in order to determine the integrity of the fundic region, looking for debris floating around.\u00a0 The amount of damage can be extensive and result in complete blindness due to cataract formation, glaucoma and tissue deterioration.\u00a0 The condition can be very painful and hard to manage at times with frequent relapses.\u00a0 The exact cause of the condition is immune mediated and in some cases linked with bacterial infections such as leptospirosis or even strangles.\u00a0 Treatment of uveitis is through the use of systemic as well as topical anti-inflammatories, antibiotics as well as in some cases immunosuppressant type medications such as Cyclosporine.\u00a0 The prognosis is guarded with vision loss a reality in many cases.\u00a0 As a side note, we have noted a good response to our Cur-OST\u00ae Anti-inflammatory equine supplements in addition to our Immune formulas in these cases.\u00a0 I feel that the combination of these formulas often helps us to manage the inflammation at a much higher level, yielding more complete results in longer cases of remission. In many cases that we have seen, the condition is more chronic in nature and normal therapies have been exhausted. \u00a0Adding our Cur-OST\u00ae EQ Plus\u00ae <\/a>\u00a0or the EQ Total Support<\/a> to their regimen, has helped us to manage the inflammatory response and provide antioxidant support, providing a nice response in many of these patients. \u00a0Considering that ERU is also a condition in which there is immune dysfunction, adding in the EQ Immune & Repair formula may help to balance out the immune response and also aid in further management. One has to keep in mind that often, the damage that has occurred to the cornea or other ocular structures is permanent, with no reversal possible, despite the therapy. \u00a0That being said, I do find that many of these patients become far more comfortable with an improved quality of life and reduced incidence of flare ups. \u00a0For more information on Recurrent Uveitis, click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Cancers\/Neoplasias<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Cancer of the eye is a not so common problem in the horse but seems to be more prevalent in Paints and Appaloosa breeds.\u00a0 The two main types of cancer that we see are melanomas and squamous cell carcinomas.\u00a0 Melanomas often appear as black growths appearing on or around the eye themselves, while squamous cell carcinoma lesions generally appear as a red, irritated ulcer type growth on the third eyelid, upper or lower lid or even on the cornea itself.\u00a0 Treatment of these types of conditions can be tricky and prognosis guarded, especially for squamous cell carcinomas.\u00a0 Surgery is often employed if the growth can be removed.\u00a0 In other cases, lasers have been employed for removal or topical chemotherapies applied.\u00a0 I have found that by approaching the conditions from an inflammation and immune dysfunction standpoint, we can often get better results with longer remissions in these cases.\u00a0 We have to remember that often in cases of cancer, inflammation is an underlying cause of cellular mutation and growth, but immune dysfunction also plays a major role.<\/p>\r\n Squamous cell lesions are not always presented on the surface of the eye and visually apparent.\u00a0 Here is a case in which the horse had a squamous cell carcinoma which was actually associated with the conjunctiva, but spread to the surrounding tissue and bone, resulting in severe facial swelling.\u00a0 The swelling actually inhibited proper movement of the eyelids, which then led to secondary problems such as ulceration and conjunctivitis, not to mention uveitis.<\/p>\r\n Again, as in many instances, with many forms of cancer, there is a strong inflammatory response, which is aiding in cellular changes and alteration of the cellular environment. \u00a0Utilizing methods to aid in promoting a more normal or balanced inflammatory response may help in some cases, especially those of early stage. \u00a0Curcumin, Boswellia and even Dandelion have all been shown to have moderate anti-inflammatory properties and anti-cancer properties which may be beneficial. \u00a0Modifying and promoting a healthy immune response is also critical as often, the immune response is dyfunctional in many of these instances.<\/p>\r\n In our cases, we will often use a combination of our EQ Plus<\/a> or EQ Total Support<\/a> with our EQ Immune & Repair formula to help support a healthy inflammatory and immune response, plus or minus traditional therapies.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n This is a general overview of ocular conditions that I have found to be most common in the horse.\u00a0 I feel that owners should be informed not only about clinical signs that a problem is evident, but also be exposed to the conditions themselves, as well as prognosis for each condition.\u00a0 Overall, ocular problems in the horse are of high importance and time is of essence often.\u00a0 If you believe there is a problem, call your veterinarian and seek attention.<\/p>\r\n All our best,<\/p>\r\n Tom Schell, D.V.M.<\/p>\r\n Nouvelle Research, Inc.<\/p>\r\n www.curost.com<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Eye conditions in the horse are extremely common, unfortunately, with many of them being traumatic in origin. The majority of equine eye or opthalmic conditions are considered emergencies not only due to potential loss of eye sight, but also due to potential secondary complications. Let’s review the most common conditions affecting the horse as well as some not so common situations, as well as discuss treatment options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2524,"featured_media":607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":null,"stick-header-meta":null,"header-above-stick-meta":null,"header-main-stick-meta":null,"header-below-stick-meta":null,"astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[211,519,524,523,205,518,522,517,515,516,207,210,525,204,520,521,501],"class_list":["post-235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equine-articles","tag-cancer","tag-cancer-eye","tag-conjunctivitis","tag-corneal-ulceration","tag-cur-ost","tag-equine-recurrent-uveitis","tag-equine-supplements","tag-eru","tag-eye","tag-eye-problems-in-horse","tag-horse","tag-inflammation","tag-laceration","tag-nouvelle-research","tag-squamous-cell-carcinoma-horse","tag-supplement-for-horse-eye","tag-tom-schell-d-v-m"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nouvelleresearch.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/images_eye%20image%206.jpg\")
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<\/strong>\u00a0Eye lid lacerations are also fairly common in the horse due to running into objects or being kicked by another horse.\u00a0 The upper eyelid\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 seems to be the most common location of injury in my experience and the most common source of injury is bucket hooks or cross ties in the barn.\u00a0 Any time we are dealing with a laceration, we have a golden period of time to repair that defect.\u00a0 In most instances the time period is 6 hours or less.\u00a0 The reason is due to bacterial contamination to the tissue and complications upon closure.\u00a0 The problem with eyelid lacerations is that they often occur overnight and the owner discovers in the morning, which creates a time issue in terms of closure, but also increases the risk for bacterial infection and tissue integrity.\u00a0 Closure of these defects is almost always performed primarily through the use of sutures and close approximation or restoration of normal anatomy is paramount due to the main function of the eyelids to cover and lubricate the eyes.\u00a0 After most wound closures, it is common to have the patients on topical and systemic antibiotics with anti-inflammatory medications as well as making sure the tetanus status is current.<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nouvelleresearch.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/images_Eye%20image%204.jpg\")
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