Tips for Treating an Equine Eye Ulcer

unique medical treatment is autologous serum. Interestingly some studies have shown that administering a horses own blood serum to the eye further encourages corneal healing. Your veterinarian may draw a tube or two of your horses blood and give you vials containing the serum if she assesses that this will help.
Sometimes depending on the extent of the ulcer and the horses temperament it can be challenging to safely administer medications in the eye multiple times a day. If your horse is resistant to repeated application of an eye ointment a subpalpebral lavage system may be set up.
This system uses a soft flexible catheter inserted in the upper eyelid. Thin tubing is then extended back along the horses neck so the handler can be away from the horses head and deliver the medication without upsetting him. This system is very handy but it requires a horse to be stallbound during healing and watched closely.
Horses requiring a subpalpebral lavage system should be hospitalized for adequate observation and management. If youre having problems administering your horses medications let your veterinarian know right away.
For uncomplicated equine eye ulcers treatment typically extends for a week or two. During this time keep a fly mask on your horse and make sure he has the ability to stay out of the sun. For the first few days it may be beneficial to keep your horse in a dim stall. As the eye heals you will see the cornea clear up and the horse will experience less pain.
Complications
Depending on the depth of the equines eye ulcer the inciting cause and how long it took to initiate treatment this condition can become infected or deepen. Bacteria and fungi can easily invade a damaged cornea
When this happens the ulcer wont heal and it is called an indolent ulcer. In these

cases topical medications may not be strong enough. Either systemic drugs will need to be prescribed or in some circumstances a horse may become a candidate for eye surgery.
Corneal stromal abscesses occur when a bacterial infection seeds within the corneal tissue and these sometimes need to be scraped away. Secondary infections within the eye tissue can be stubborn and may require referral to an equine ophthalmologist for further evaluation and management.
Depending on how large and deep the equine eye ulcer is a scar may result. These typically dont impinge on a horses eyesight to a great extent but do 
as a permanent white mark on the surface of the eye.
Preventing an Eye Ulcer
Corneal ulcers in horses are typically accidental so they can be hard to prevent. However there are a couple good practices to keep in mind.
First try to avoid having any hooks or sharp points in the stall. This includes handles on water buckets and hooks for hanging halters. Second keep fences in good repair and remove broken tree branches when necessary. This also helps prevent those annoying scrapes and nicks that plague our horses at any time of year.