Researchers Compare Similar Equine Eye Conditions

Corneal degeneration and calcific band keratopathy are a lot alike, but have some key differences, researchers found.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Researchers Compare Similar Equine Eye Conditions
Excessive tearing could suggest a number of potentially serious equine eye conditions. Veterinarians should examine cases carefully and then determine an appropriate treatment course. | Photo: Erica Larson
Equine corneal degeneration (CD) and calcific band keratopathy (CBK) are relatively similar conditions affecting the horse’s eyes. In both conditions, minerals and/or lipids (fats) are deposited on the cornea, potentially resulting in painful corneal ulceration.

Researchers recently took a closer look at the two conditions to compare their similarities and differences. They ultimately determined that the two ailments, despite some differences, are relatively similar and could represent a continuum of disease severity.

In the study, the team evaluated the medical records of horses diagnosed with CD or CBK at the University of California (UC), Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. One key finding was that horses diagnosed with CD or CBK were significantly older than the general hospital population, with a median age of 16 or 18 years, respectively.

“Older horses tend to have more trouble healing their corneas, and corneal sensitivity declines with age,” said study author Sara M. Thomasy, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVO, associate professor of comparative ophthalmology at UC Davis’ School of Veterinary Medicine

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Katie Navarra has worked as a freelance writer since 2001. A lifelong horse lover, she owns and enjoys competing a dun Quarter Horse mare.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
275 votes · 275 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!