The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
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20 TheHorse.com THE HORSE October 2015 of trauma, veterinarians might also pre- scribe topical and/or systemic antibiotics and routine flushing of the eye. If the foreign body has impaled the eyeball, the horse typically requires surgery, and postoperative care becomes much more extensive. Recovery Time to healing varies greatly, depending on both the object's loca- tion and the injury's severity. For minor foreign bodies that have not caused any auxiliary damage (an ulcer, for instance) signs of recovery might be apparent the instant you remove the object. For more complicated cases, such as those requir- ing surgery, the recovery period can be as long as several months. 3 Eyelid lacerations Both the upper and lower eyelid can sustain lacerations, or tears. Bourne says horses like to rub their heads on objects around them, including bucket handles, stall walls, and fences, which sometimes have sharp edges that can eas- ily tear eyelids. "These injuries almost always are the result of the eyelid getting trapped in something like a bucket handle, then the horse pulls back and rips the tissue," Dwyer says. Clinical signs "An eyelid laceration is much easier for the owner to identify than a corneal ulcer or foreign body," Bourne says. "Owners will typically see an obvious defect of the upper or lower eyelid, accompanied by blood, pain, and/ or swelling." What to do Even if the tear is old or small, still call your veterinarian. Bourne says eyelid lacerations typically heal very well, even if they are not found imme- diately, because there is a great amount of blood flow in the horse's head. But a laceration in the eyelid margin can create an area of the cornea that is no longer covered if not properly stitched. In such a case, the horse will not be able to protect that area of his eye when he blinks, resulting in long-term damage and problems, so it is important to have your veterinarian assess the wound and treat accordingly. Also check the globe itself for damage, says Dwyer. Diagnosis Most veterinarians sedate the horse, clean the wound, and then deter- mine whether sutures are needed. Treatment Ideally, a veterinarian should suture any laceration within four to six hours, says Bourne. Suturing requires precise alignment and the use of very thin sutures—it is essentially plastic surgery to repair an eyelid," says Dwyer. "Owners can help by providing a well-lit space and a stack of shavings bales or other prop that can be used as a table to support the horse's head during the repair," she adds. After suturing, most horses receive topical and systemic antibiotics to prevent infection and non-steroidal anti- inflammatories for pain. Bourne also recommends using a fly mask to keep the wound clean and avoid insect irritation during healing. Recovery Bourne says most uncom- plicated lacerations heal well in 10 to 14 days and leave minimal scarring. 4 Orbital fractures These fractures to the bone surrounding the eye are caused by trauma, such as a kick by another horse. Clinical signs Typically owners see a lot of swelling, possibly accompanied by a laceration. What to do Remove the horse from the herd, and keep him calm and quiet until your veterinarian can arrive and assess the damage. If there is a laceration as well, a fly mask might help protect the wound and keep it clean. Diagnosis Most orbital fractures require some kind of advanced imaging, such as radiography, ultrasound, and/or computed tomography for diagnosis. Treatment "If the fracture is simple (and nondisplaced), we might just treat with anti-inflammatory pain medication," Bourne says. "If the fracture is more com- plex ... surgery is often required to plate the complex or displaced fracture. The function of the orbit is to protect the eye, so if a fracture occurs to the structure, our goal is to repair it as close to its nor- mal shape as possible, for both functional and aesthetic reasons." Recovery Bourne says you have to assume any fracture will take four to six months to heal completely. Your veteri- narian can give you the best estimate for the horse's necessary recovery period; depending on severity, she says, the horse can typically ease back into work once the pain and swelling subsides. 5 Unknown/Other Because so many eye injuries cause the same clinical signs, most owners cannot distinguish the difference between an allergic reaction, bee sting, acute uveitis (inflammation in the eye) flare-up, hyphema (hemorrhage within the anterior—or front—chamber of the eye), corneal ulcer, foreign body, etc. Bourne advises owners take caution and call their veterinarian anytime they see an eye problem in their horses. "The eye is one of the most beautiful (and functional!) assets of the horse's body, and it should be maintained and protected accordingly," she says. h 5 Common EYE Injuries If an eyelid laceration needs suturing, the veterinarian should ideally do so within four to six hours. COURTESY DR. DIANE HENDRIX ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lindsay Keller is an equine freelance journalist and consultant based out of Northwest Oklahoma. She also is an avid barrel racer who enjoys starting and training her own horses on the barrel rac- ing pattern.