What is equine eye disease?
Equine eye diseases/problems include conditions (heritable, age-related, immune mediated, or infectious) or post-traumatic injuries related to any structure of the eye, the eyelids, or surrounding tissue. Oftentimes, discomfort and/or a loss of vision can accompany these issues, subsequently interfering with your horse’s normal activities and impairing quality of life. Ocular issues can occur at any stage of a horse’s life. While certain breeds of horses have a higher predisposition to develop certain conditions, no breed is immune to the possibility of an ocular issue. For many equine conditions, early diagnosis and treatment are key for maintaining comfortable, cosmetic and visual eyes.
What are common equine eye conditions?
- Equine Recurrent Uveitis
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Eyelid/third eyelid tumors to include SCC
- Entropion in foals
- Sarcoid
- Melanoma
- Corneal stromal abscess
- Fungal keratopathy
- Corneal ulceration
- Traumatic injuries (i.e. of the eyelids and cornea)
When should I take my horse to Eye Specialists for Animals for an evaluation?
Eye diseases can present in varying degrees of visible symptoms depending on the type of condition and severity of the issue. Common signs of an ocular problem include the following: squinting, excessive tearing/discharge, redness, swelling, cloudiness, or a loss of vision. If you notice any of these symptoms or suffers an injury to the eye, we recommend immediate attention.
We are no longer seeing Equine patients at Eye Specialist for Animals, however if your horse has an ocular condition or emergency, we recommend Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.