Page 4 - NagMag November 2014

Q & A ❘ Paula Broadhurst BSc., BVMS, Cert EM (Stud Med), MRCVS
My horse has developed a slight mucous type discharge from one of her eyes, it is not affecting her sight or behaviour. Should I get this checked out? Debbie from Crawley
Inflammation of the eye
By Paula Broadhurst
Eyes are extremely fragile
and simple problems left untreated, can become vision endangering issues therefore, any discharge from the eye needs to be considered carefully and discussed with your vet. The most common cause for a discharge from the eye is conjunctivitis.
Conjunctivitis is the medical term for inflammation of the conjunctiva (the delicate membrane covering the inside of the eyelids and part of the eyeball). Conjunctivitis can be caused by a number of different reasons including foreign material in the eye such as grass seeds shavings or dirt, allergy, irritation from flies, trauma, immune mediated reactions or infection. Infection can be caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites.
If your horse has a discharge from the eye there are important points to consider. Firstly, does the
eye in anyway seem uncomfortable
or painful? Signs of discomfort in horses might include the eyelids being partially or fully closed, watering of
the eye down the side of the horses face, itching the eye, any change in
the colouring of the eye (such as the clear cornea becoming milky looking), blinking a lot and sensitivity to sunlight. If your horse is showing signs of discomfort or pain then veterinary advice should be sort as a more serious eye injury or condition could be involved that requires immediate veterinary attention.
If the eye does not appear
painful then you should then assess the colour of the discharge – a clear watery appearance would be less concerning than a purulent discharge. If the discharge is excessive, thick, yellow, and accumulating quickly
again after being washed away then veterinary advice should be sort. Other points to note prior to calling your
vet is noting whether the condition involves one or both eyes, how long it has been present and if other horses in contact have a similar discharge.
Prior to seeking veterinary advice the best thing to clean your horses’
eye with is clean water, ideally using cooled boiled water. Occasionally adding a small amount of salt (1/4 teaspoon to a cup) might also be appropriate. You should never use previous prescribed eye ointments
or drops without specific veterinary instruction as some products can make certain conditions much worse if used incorrectly.
If in any doubt always discuss
the situation with your vet as serious eye injuries can result if correct and appropriate management of eye conditions is not instituted quickly. N M
04 ❘ NagMag November 2014
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