Equine eye injuries are ugly and usually become bigger problems if not quickly and correctly diagnosed and treated. That’s why it’s important your ambulatory or emergency veterinarian is properly equipped to diagnose and treat equine eye problems from the start.

At the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Anaheim, Calif., Liz Fish, DVM, a veterinarian from Shadowrock Equine Veterinary Services, in Oneonta, N.Y., reviewed management strategies for acutely swollen eyes.

While it is possible to treat the majority of ocular emergencies in the field Fish said some require clinical referral for further treatment or surgery. The practitioner must decide when referral is the best–or only–option based on initial examination