Equine Ophthalmology
Dr. Andrew Enders (Ophthalmologist), Dr. Jamie Willoughby & AJ.

Mount Laurel Animal Hospital is known for being on the cutting edge of medicine and continuously advancing its services to make it more convenient for clients. It recently utilized its resources to treat an ailing horse and will soon be able to offer this service for local equine patients/patrons at the hospital.

Mount Laurel Animal Hospital has proudly served the community for over 40 years. Its mission is to serve the community by providing a family-friendly environment delivering the highest level of veterinary care available, 24 hours a day. Their dedicated team of 60 highly skilled doctors and more than 300 staff members is dedicated to the best possible 24-hour general, emergency and specialty veterinary care for companion pets, including dogs, cats, birds, snakes and other exotic animals.

In one of the hospital's first equine eye care cases, ophthalmologist Andrew Enders, DVM, MS, DACVO, recently treated AJ. AJ is a pleasure riding horse battling a non-healing corneal ulcer in his right eye. He was treated by his veterinarian, and on February 25, Dr. Enders went to see him at his farm. Ulcers are common in horses, and as they age, they will often fail to heal quickly despite receiving proper medical care.

Dr. Enders treated AJ with a standing sedated diamond burr debridement and despite some improvement, the horse did not heal completely.

AJ was brought to Mount Laurel Animal Hospital in April and was treated again with a standing superficial keratectomy and placement of a subpalpebral (under the eyelid) lavage (SPL). AJ has been showing a lot of improvement, and his SPL has made his post-operative care less stressful for him and his owner.

By planning to expand into equine ophthalmic care, Mount Laurel Animal Hospital will be able to serve the community more comprehensively. "We are excited to soon offer this new service and look forward to providing the best possible ophthalmic care for all of our patients," Dr. Enders said. "It's essential to pay prompt attention to an ocular condition in an animal. For horses, eyesight is critical to their functioning, purpose, well-being, and safety of their owners. Preserving a horse's vision ensures the best quality of life for the animal."

Eye problems are common in animals, but they had traditionally been difficult to treat. Now, however, advances in treatment have enabled animals to receive care similar to that of humans. Mount Laurel now offers ocular and orbital Ultrasonography, OFA eye certification examinations, fluorescein staining of the cornea, binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy, nasolacrimal duct flushes, and slit-lamp biomicroscopy, among other services. In regards to equine cases, advances in sedation allow for many interventions to be provided painlessly "stallside" without the need for anesthesia. 

For more information, visit mlahvet.com. Email eyes@mlahvet.com to schedule an ophthalmic consultation for your horse or visit mlahvet.com/ophthalmology for a full list of ophthalmology services.