27 August 2008 14:04
My mare has an ulcer in her eye. The vet has been several times but the ulcer, which has rounded edges, is no better.
He tried irritating its surface to stimulate the eye to heal, but vascularisation (the development of blood vessels) hasn’t begun.
If there’s no sign of improvement, he’ll need to sew the third eyelid across, sew the eye closed or use a contact lens.
Answer
By Your Horse
Vet Malene Jørgensen advises:
Corneal ulcers or ulcerative keratitis is common in horses because of their large eyeball and physical activity. More severe ulcers cause ingrowth of vessels from the edge of the cornea, which nourish the ulcer and aid the healing process – this takes about 14 days in straightforward cases. Rubbing the edges of the ulcer lifts loose layers off and can sometimes prevent it from healing.
An ulcer like this, that doesn’t heal in around 14 days, might be down to a few complicating factors:
● A foreign body such as a grass seed or dirt can lodge behind the third eyelid and rub against the eyeball. To examine it, the horse is sedated, the eye flushed with saline, and eye drops are used.
● Eyelids can become deformed and the edges turn inwards (entropion), which rubs the cornea.
● The ulcer progresses to become a melting ulcer, which is an emergency as there’s
a risk of collapse of the eyeball. Removal of the eye is the only option in this case.
You can use homeopathic remedies that are given into the mouth (systemically). As the ulcer has rounded edges, you can try Kali-bich 30C, or Silica 30C four times a day, for chronic ulcers where perforation is imminent.