Keep a close watch

It is not only ocular disease that manifests in the eyes; early signs of systemic illness can be seen via ophthalmic checks. Karen Coumbe MRCVS explains

- Karen Coumbe

THE horse's eyes are positioned prominently either side of the on head, and so are prone to injury. It is usually obvious when something goes wrong.

The eye is one of the few parts of the body that can provide an idea of what is happening internally, from the outside. A thorough ophthalmic examination can aid in diagnosis of systemic abnormalities in horses and can easily be performed in the home stable.

It is often assumed that changes in or around the eye are due to something wrong within the eye itself, but in fact ocular changes may be a sign of disease elsewhere.

Do not look only at the eyes themselves. The inside of the eyelids is normally a good place to check the colour of the tissues, which should be a healthy salmon-pink. Looking in the mouth is less reliable, as the gums may be black due to natural pigmentation or otherwise discoloured, depending on what the horse is eating.

If a horse is anaemic, the conjunctiva (the pink mucus membranes) may look paler than normal, whereas a horse that is ill for instance, with liver disease may have yellow discolouration of the tissues due to jaundice.

If you don't look, you don't find, and it can be easy to miss subtle signs, especially if your horse's eyes are often hidden behind a fly mask. It might sound obvious, but it is important to check both eyes at least once a day. Vets are trained to spot subtle signs of ill health, so contact your vet if you have any concerns.

SIGNS OF TROUBLE

A VARIETY of diseases can cause signs in and around the eyes, including bacterial, fungal, viral and protozoal diseases, as well as parasites and endocrine abnormalities.