NON-CONVENTIONAL REMEDIAL APPROACH TO INTRAOCULAR NEMATODIASIS IN HORSES UNDER THE FIELD CONDITIONS: THREE CASE STUDIES

Abstract

Intraocular nematodiasis is a vision-threatening disease of equine, caused by Setaria spp. This clinical presentation describes three cases of equine intraocular nematodiasis which were successfully treated with surgical and medical interventions. Upon the clinical examination, all the horses were found having moderate corneal opacities in the eyes. The swirling movements of a white thread-like worm were evident in each case in the eye. Animals were anesthetized using 10% Xylazine (1.1mg/kg) and 10% Ketamine (2.2 mg/kg) intravenously. In case number one and two, an 18G hypodermic needle connected to a 1cc syringe was inserted through the limbus to the anterior chamber of the affected eye. In case number three, an 18 G intravenous (IV) cannula was placed instead of a hypodermic needle. The needle/cannula was carefully directed towards one end of the worm and it was aspirated with a small amount of aqueous humour. Ciprofloxacin ‘eye drops’ were used thrice daily for seven days. All three cases were fully recovered within three weeks without complications. This method would provide less invasive, time-saving, costeffective, and safer techniques that can be practiced with minimum assistance and a single dose of general anesthesia even under field conditions.

Keywords

• ocular nematodiasis
• setaria spp
• equine
• nonconventional treatment