Diagnostic and treatment strategies for ophthalmic affections in farm animals: a study of 152 cases

The present study was undertaken to find out the hospital occurrence of various eye diseases of farm animals requiring surgical intervention. The study included 152 cases of large animal patients reported with eye disorders and treated surgically and/or medicinally. Diagnosis was made on the basis of history, clinical presentation and ophthalmic examination. Eye diseases had a hospital incidence of 1.54%. Cattle, buffaloes and horses were the commonly affected animal species. Among developmental eye diseases medial deviation of eye ball, cataract and entropion were treated surgically. Strabismus was treated by resection of the medial rectus muscle. Cataract was treated by producing aphakia. For entropion modified Holtz Celsus method was performed. Tumours were surgically removed in 34 animals, and squamous cell carcinomas were the most common type. Eye injuries originating from fights, penetration of sharp objects, and injuries from mangers were other common affections of eyeball. In 67 animals having badly traumatized eyes due to chronic eye injuries, enucleation or extirpation of the eye ball was performed. Iris prolapse was treated in 14 bovine. Prolapsed iris mass was amputated and haemorrhage was controlled with pressure. Surgical removal of the worms in the anterior chamber of eye was performed in 14 horses. It was concluded that eye tumours, traumatic eye injuries, strabismus and entropion were the most frequently encountered affections requiring surgical intervention in large animals.