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Objective:   To describe a protocol for the examination of free-living raptors and report the ophthalmic examination findings of seven raptor species native to central Illinois, namely the barred owl, Cooper's hawk, eastern screech owl, great horned owl, American kestrel, red-tailed hawk, and turkey vulture and to determine if the findings relative to visual prognosis affected eligibility for future release., Animals Studied:   Seventy-nine free-living raptors., Procedures:   Under manual restraint, complete ophthalmic examination including slit-lamp biomicroscopy and indirect funduscopy, applanation tonometry, rebound tonometry, ocular morphometrics, B-mode ultrasound, and electroretinography (ERG) were performed on each bird. Histopathology of enucleated globes was performed after euthanasia or death in selected cases., Results:   The examination protocol was easily performed using manual restraint alone on all birds. Ocular lesions were detected in 48.1% of birds, with 47.3% affected unilaterally and 52.6% affected bilaterally. Ocular lesions were considered to be vision threatening in 29.0% of the unilaterally affected birds and 29.0% of the bilaterally affected birds. The most common case outcomes were discharge from hospital to rehabilitation facility (45.6%) followed by euthanasia (43.0%). The presence of an ocular lesion or a vision-threatening ocular lesion was not significantly associated with outcome. Reference ranges are reported for B-mode ultrasound, ocular morphometrics, and horizontal corneal diameter in all species., Conclusion:   Complete ophthalmic examination can be supplemented by the use of ocular morphometrics, ultrasound, and ERG in the manually restrained raptor. These advanced diagnostic techniques may be useful in developing more objective criteria for evaluating eligibility for release following rehabilitation of free-living birds of prey., (© 2011 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.)

Objective: To determine types and frequency of ophthalmic lesions detected in neonatal foals evaluated for nonophthalmic disease at 3 veterinary referral hospitals and to investigate associations between systemic and ophthalmic diseases in these foals., Design: Prospective cross-sectional study., Animals: 70 foals < 30 days old., Procedures: Complete ophthalmic examinations were performed. Signalment, clinical signs, mentation during ophthalmic examination, results of clinicopathologic tests, and diagnosis of systemic disease were recorded. Descriptive data analysis including a χ(2) test for associations was performed., Results: Most foals (39/70 [55.7%]) with systemic disease had ≥ 1 ophthalmic lesion detected. Of the 39 foals with ophthalmic disease, 24 (61.5%) had potentially vision-threatening lesions. Clinically important abnormalities included conjunctival hyperemia or episcleral injection (30/70 [42.9%]), uveitis (18/70 [25.7%]), ulcerative keratitis (13/70 [18.6%]), nonulcerative keratitis (10/70 [14.3%]), entropion (8/70 [11.4%]), retinal hemorrhage (8/70 [11.4%]), and cataract (6/70 [8.6%]). Foals with sepsis were significantly more likely to have uveitis than were those without sepsis. Foals with sepsis and uveitis were also significantly less likely to survive to discharge than were foals that had sepsis without uveitis. Acquired ophthalmic disease (detected in 37/70 [52.9%] foals) was significantly more common than congenital ophthalmic disease (detected in 9/70 [12.9%])., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Ophthalmic lesions were detected in 55.7% of neonatal foals with systemic disease. Acquired ophthalmic disease was more commonly detected than congenital ophthalmic disease. Foals with sepsis were more likely to have uveitis than were foals without sepsis. A complete ophthalmic examination is indicated in neonatal foals evaluated for systemic disease.

Reasons for Performing Study: There is little scientific information available about the ability of ocular disease to cause a systemic inflammatory response. Horses are frequently affected with ocular disease and ensuring their systemic health prior to performing vision saving surgery under anaesthesia is essential for the successful treatment of ophthalmic disease., Hypothesis: Ocular disease will cause elevations in the concentration of the acute phase proteins fibrinogen and serum amyloid A in peripheral blood., Methods: Whole blood and serum samples were obtained from 38 mature horses with ulcerative keratitis or uveitis and no evidence of systemic disease, 9 mature horses with no evidence of ocular or systemic disease (negative controls) and 10 mature horses with systemic inflammatory disease and no evidence of ocular disease (positive controls). Blood samples were assayed for concentrations of the acute phase proteins fibrinogen and serum amyloid A., Results: Fibrinogen and serum amyloid A were significantly different in the positive control group compared to the negative control, corneal disease and uveitis groups (P<0.126). There was no significant difference between the negative control, corneal disease and uveitis groups (P<0.001)., Conclusions: Ulcerative keratitis and anterior uveitis are not associated with elevated concentrations of the acute phase proteins fibrinogen and serum amyloid A in peripheral blood., Potential Relevance: When the clinician is presented with a patient with ocular disease and elevated plasma fibrinogen or serum amyloid A concentrations, a nonocular inflammatory focus should be suspected., (© 2011 EVJ Ltd.)

The most commonly performed feline ocular surgeries are described with emphasis on any anatomic or pathophysiologic differences that are unique to the feline eye, adnexa, and orbit.

Ophthalmic manifestations of dental disease may occur in dogs and cats because of the proximity between posterior maxillary teeth and the orbit. Ophthalmic disorders may be diagnosed promptly, but the initiating dental disease may be overlooked. Inappropriate diagnosis and treatment of dental disease may result in loss of teeth, irreversible vision-threatening ophthalmic disease, or, ultimately, loss of the globe. When ophthalmic examination results are suggestive of a primary dental disorder, thorough examination of the maxillary teeth is imperative to diagnose appropriately the underlying dental disease. Therapy should include treatment of the dental disease and secondary ophthalmic disorders.

Fibrin clots were induced in eyes of dogs by injection of autogenous citrated plasma into the anterior chamber. Twenty-four hours after clot formation, one 50-microliters drop of tissue plasminogen activator at a concentration of 5 mg/ml (group 1, n = 7) was administered topically 9 times at 5-minute intervals, or a collagen shield that was hydrated with tissue plasminogen activator at a concentration of 5 mg/ml (group 2, n = 7) was applied. The contralateral eye served as a nontreated control. Serial photographs were taken of the fibrin clots after topical application of tissue plasminogen activator. Computerized morphometric analysis was then used to evaluate changes in cross-sectional surface area of the fibrin clot. There was no significant mean percentage decrease in clot surface area of treated eyes of group-1 dogs or in treated eyes of group-2 dogs. In addition, there was no significant difference in mean percentage decrease in clot surface area between treated eyes of group-1 and group-2 dogs.

Specific details on surgical procedures, although not covered here, are available in other references. Factors enhancing the overall cosmetic appearance obtained with procedures are emphasized, providing information that should allow veterinarians to offer clients a good cosmetic appearance and effective treatment for disfiguring ocular problems in their horses. Questions regarding procedures should be addressed to your referral ophthalmologist or, in the case of a corneoscleral prosthesis, the ocularist assisting.