Treatment of a painful eye is classed as a veterinary emergency. Swollen, half shut eyes with excessive tearing and blinking are very painful. Occasionally there will be an obvious problem, perhaps a foreign body such as a thorn stuck in the eye. Horses have a strong blink refl ex so local anaesthetic or sedation may be required to fully examine the eye. Th e upper, lower and third eyelids can be examined for hay seeds and obvious wounds. Th e eye surface can be examined for cloudiness or problems at the back of

the eye, using a good torch and an ophthalmoscope. A fl uorescent stain is oft en applied to the eye to check

for areas of damage on the cornea, any staining with green shows ulceration.

Corneal ulcers can be treated and should heal in a short time. Th ey should be treated urgently to stop severe infection.

Infl ammation of the eyeball (uveitis) is treatable but can result in repeated fl are ups and occasionally even a permanently painful, blind eye.

If a foreign body is stuck in the eye, or there is a deep ulcer, urgent surgical treatment may be required.

For more information, contact our equine team.

Lifelong care for animals providing clinical excellence, knowledge and experience.

NEWS July 2013

Contact us:

CALDEW

VETERINARY HOSPITAL Carlisle House, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle CA5 7JF Tel: 01228 710208 vets@paragonvet.com

TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE Newbiggin, Stainton, Penrith, CA11 0HT Tel: 01768 483789 townhead@paragonvet.com

LONDON ROAD SURGERY 87 London Road Carlisle CA1 2LG Tel: 01228 591005

Acute eye diseasesby

Sam HardingBVSc Cert VA MRCVS

24 hour

emergency service

PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP Visit us at: www.paragonvet.com and please ‘like’ our FACEBOOK page www.facebook.com/ParagonVets.Equine

CONGRATULATIONS......to Paragon equine nurse Lucy Shaw and husband Dale on the birth of their fi rst child Joshua.

It’s great to welcome a new member to the Paragon family.

Protect your horse this summer -

see overleaf for top ti ps.

Summer Protection by

Kelly Smith

BSc (hons) Equine Sports Science

NURSE CLINIC

MICROCHIPPING OFFER – JULY

During July we are running a micro-chipping offer. It’s a great opportunity

to get foals done or older horses who have not been microchipped before.

To have a microchip inserted will be

£12 (including VAT) To have microchip inserted, passport generated + horse identified & drawn will be

£35 (including VAT)

PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP Visit us at: www.paragonvet.com and please ‘like’ our FACEBOOK page www.facebook.com/ParagonVets.Equine

For love of a pony... 14 year old Erin Campbell got Shetland Pony Billy Boy as a Christmas present in 2011 and the two have been inseparable ever since. So when he fell very ill with colic, Erin was distraught. Paragon Vet Jemma Reed went to see him, and Erin’s Mum Tina says Jemma was ‘superb - so efficient and calm, even though she had to prepare us for the worst.’ Jemma said

if there was no improvement, he’d have to be put to sleep. For the next two hours Erin sat on the stable floor, talking to Billy Boy and stroking him. Then he stood up. He was still in a lot of pain, but Erin walked him very slowly round the barn - and when Jemma returned she was stunned to see him greatly improved. Erin refused to leave him alone overnight, so she and her Dad spent the night in the open air barn, keeping an eagle eye on the patient. Tina says Billy Boy had been on his last legs but refused to give up. She’s convinced he fought bravely to recover just for Erin.

Warmer weather can bring extra concerns for horse-owners.

• Fly protection – applying fly repellents e.g. sprays or salves containing Permethrin and Citronella will provide most effective protection. However some horses will need extra precautions such as fly masks to prevent eye irritation and specialist rugs which should reduce fly contact and conditions such as sweet itch.• Bee and Wasp stings can cause painful swellings. We have had cases where horses have had these in their mouths causing problems when bridling and ridden. These tend to only be a problem for a few days but veterinary treatment may be required.• Skin sensitivity can be caused by various insects and types of grass only seen during the summer months. Horses can display hive type lumps all over their bodies which often resolve without treatment but may require veterinary intervention if they persist or are severe.

• Sun burn – horses are prone to sunburn on sensitive/pink areas of skin such as on the end of noses and heels of white socks. Applying sun or barrier cream should help. There are specialist equine products or human products with high protection e.g. factor 50 or sun cream for children can be applied. If using human products it is important to try a test patch in case a skin reaction occurs.

• Heat stroke –horses can easily develop sun stroke/dehydration. This generally occurs during or following strenuous exercise but can also happen during turnout. It is important to have shade for your horse to retreat to in hot weather and access to plenty of water.

This can be a particular problem in young foals as excessive heat will reduce their appetite to suckle and lead to rapid dehydration.