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Ocular abnormalities in healthy Standardbred foals.
Abstract: To determine the prevalence and describe ocular abnormalities in healthy Standardbred foals within 48 h of birth. Methods: One hundred and two neonatal foals. Methods: All foals had an unassisted delivery. On the basis of physical examination and the results of hematological and biochemical parameters, all foals were unaffected by systemic diseases. A complete ophthalmic examination was performed within 48 h of birth. Foals with ocular hemorrhages were re-examined weekly until the abnormalities were resolved. Results: 65/102 (63.7%) foals did not show ocular abnormalities, while in 37/102 (36.3%) cases, ocular abnormalities were present. Retinal and subconjunctival hemorrhages were recorded in 19/102 (18.6%), and in 13/102 (12.7%), respectively. In 4/102 (3.9%) animals, an entropion of the lower eyelid was present. Only one foal (1%) showed a congenital nuclear unilateral cataract. No other ocular abnormalities were detected. However, all foals showed various degrees of remnants of hyaloid system. One week after the first ocular examination, retinal hemorrhages had resolved in 100% of the eyes, whereas subconjunctival hemorrhages had disappeared in all eyes by the second week following the first examination. Conclusions: The acquired ocular lesions observed with relatively high frequency in the examined healthy Standardbred foals were ocular hemorrhages, which always showed a good outcome. Although these abnormalities were present at birth, they were not considered strictly congenital but likely acquired during parturition. Instead, congenital ocular abnormalities were rarely diagnosed, and the entropion of the lower eyelid was the most common disease in the breed.
© 2012 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
Publication Date: 2012-09-03 PubMed ID: 22943566DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2012.01063.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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This research investigates the prevalence and description of ocular (eye-related) irregularities in healthy, newborn Standardbred foals (young horses) within 48 hours after birth. The study found 36.3% of studied foals had ocular abnormalities, mostly involving ocular hemorrhages (blood accumulation in the eyes), though these usually resolved without issue. Congenital ocular irregularities were infrequent, with the lower eyelid entropion being most common.
Introduction and Methodology
- The research was conducted to understand the occurrence and types of eye problems in Standardbred foals within the first 48 hours of their birth. The study involved 102 newborn foals that had been born without assistance.
- These foals were free from systemic diseases validated through a series of physical examinations and tests including hematological and biochemical parameters.
- In order to detect ocular abnormalities, a comprehensive eye examination was carried out within the defined time period. Foals detected with ocular hemorrhages went through additional examinations on a weekly basis until their conditions improved.
Results and Findings
- The findings of the study showed that 63.7% of the foals demonstrated no ocular problems, whereas 36.3% of them had some eye abnormalities.
- Among these, 18.6% of foals experienced retinal hemorrhages and 12.7% had subconjunctival hemorrhages.
- Lower eyelid entropion was found in 3.9% of the foals and a nuclear unilateral cataract was detected in a single foal (1%). All the other foals were reported to have varying degrees of hyaloid system remnants.
- A week after the first eye examination, all cases of retinal hemorrhages had resolved. Subconjunctival hemorrhages had also disappeared in all affected eyes by the second week following the first examination.
Conclusion
- The study concluded that ocular hemorrhages, though diagnosed quite frequently in these young, healthy horses, have a good prognosis as they usually resolve themselves.
- These abnormalities were not regarded as congenital, but rather they presumably occur during birth.
- Congenital ocular irregularities are quite rare, but among them, lower lid entropion was the most frequently diagnosed condition in this breed.
Cite This Article
APA
Barsotti G, Sgorbini M, Marmorini P, Corazza M.
(2012).
Ocular abnormalities in healthy Standardbred foals.
Vet Ophthalmol, 16(4), 245-250.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-5224.2012.01063.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinics, University of Pisa, 56122 San Piero a Grado, Pisa, Italy. gbarsott@vet.unipi.it
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Eye Diseases / congenital
- Eye Diseases / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / congenital
- Horses
- Male
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Ing ST, Pinard CL, James-Jenks EM, Leis ML. A retrospective survey of equine ocular diseases evaluated at a referral hospital in Ontario (2011 to 2021). Can Vet J 2025 Mar;66(3):308-317.
- Morgan J, Curtis Shaw G, Weisman J, Cecere T, Carvallo-Chaigneau FR. Bilateral intraocular choristoma in a 2-day-old foal. J Vet Diagn Invest 2025 Jul;37(4):652-656.
- Paschalis-Trela K, Cywińska A, Trela J, Czopowicz M, Kita J, Witkowski L. The prevalence of ocular diseases in polish Arabian horses. BMC Vet Res 2017 Nov 7;13(1):319.
- Somma AT, Moura CM, Lange RR, Medeiros RS, Montiani-Ferreira F. Congenital cataract associated with persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous and persistent tunica vasculosa lentis in a sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) - clinical, ultrasonographic, and histological findings. Clin Case Rep 2016 Jul;4(7):636-42.
- Valentini S, Castagnetti C, Musella V, Spinella G. Assessment of intraocular measurements in neonatal foals and association with gender, laterality, and body weight: a clinical study. PLoS One 2014;9(10):e109491.
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