"JACKIE"
Dr. Fenn got an emergency page early one morning about a horse who had one eye that was swollen shut. It seemed to have been fine the night before.
When she arrived, Dr. Fenn found that the horse, Jackie, had punctured her eyeball on something sharp. It was painful and swollen, and Jackie was resistant to having it handled. There didn't seem to be any foreign bodies in the eye, and since the horse was turned out overnight, they could not find exactly what she had injured it on. The barnyard wasn't an unsafe one. As all horse people know, sometimes you're never sure how they hurt themselves when no one is looking! After a thorough examination, it was determined that they eye was not salvageable. It would have to come out.
To minimize swelling and pain, Jackie was started on anti-inflammatory drugs. To prevent infection, she was started on antibiotics, and a surgery to remove the eye was scheduled for late the next afternoon. (This also gave the anti-inflammatories and antibiotics a chance to do some work.)
Dr. Fenn and Dr. Barrow both scrubbed in for surgery (because they both enjoy it). Jackie was laid down under general anesthesia without complications. As seen in the pictures below, her right eyeball was enucleated (removed), along with the tear duct & third eyelid. The edges of the eyelids were also resected, and then sewn together to form a permanent seal. (Story continued below pictures)
When she arrived, Dr. Fenn found that the horse, Jackie, had punctured her eyeball on something sharp. It was painful and swollen, and Jackie was resistant to having it handled. There didn't seem to be any foreign bodies in the eye, and since the horse was turned out overnight, they could not find exactly what she had injured it on. The barnyard wasn't an unsafe one. As all horse people know, sometimes you're never sure how they hurt themselves when no one is looking! After a thorough examination, it was determined that they eye was not salvageable. It would have to come out.
To minimize swelling and pain, Jackie was started on anti-inflammatory drugs. To prevent infection, she was started on antibiotics, and a surgery to remove the eye was scheduled for late the next afternoon. (This also gave the anti-inflammatories and antibiotics a chance to do some work.)
Dr. Fenn and Dr. Barrow both scrubbed in for surgery (because they both enjoy it). Jackie was laid down under general anesthesia without complications. As seen in the pictures below, her right eyeball was enucleated (removed), along with the tear duct & third eyelid. The edges of the eyelids were also resected, and then sewn together to form a permanent seal. (Story continued below pictures)
Jackie was recovered from anesthesia with no problems whatsoever.
The equine eye is an amazing thing. Horses can see about 350 degrees when they have both eyes. However, horses are also very adaptable when they lose an eye. Jackie seems to be no exception, and her owner reported that just a few days after surgery, she was allowing herself to be haltered, led, and given turnout with almost no spookiness on either side. We all expect Jackie to make a full and uneventful recovery. She has a lot of great years left, and there is no reason to believe that after a short period of adaptation, she can't be useful for recreational riding just like she was before. We will keep you posted on how Jackie does.
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The equine eye is an amazing thing. Horses can see about 350 degrees when they have both eyes. However, horses are also very adaptable when they lose an eye. Jackie seems to be no exception, and her owner reported that just a few days after surgery, she was allowing herself to be haltered, led, and given turnout with almost no spookiness on either side. We all expect Jackie to make a full and uneventful recovery. She has a lot of great years left, and there is no reason to believe that after a short period of adaptation, she can't be useful for recreational riding just like she was before. We will keep you posted on how Jackie does.
For more case photos, follow us on Instagram by clicking HERE.
To follow us on Facebook, click HERE.
Back to ABOUT US.