Equine: Ophthalmology

The Ophthalmology service receives elective cases 9:30AM-3:30PM Monday, Tuesday and Thursday by appointment. We perform elective surgery on Wednesday and Friday.

The EOS is also a significant resource to veterinarians who wish to consult on cases via phone and email. Veterinarians can directly contact us anytime at 919-513-6630 or submit a consult or referral here.

After the referral has been made, owners may call us to make the appointment. It is recommended by the ACVO and the EOS to have ophthalmic breeding soundness exams performed on horses yearly to screen for congenital ophthalmic disease as part of a responsible breeding program. We also recommend an ocular exam be performed as part of the pre-purchase process in order to enhance a potential owner’s knowledge about the animal prior to buying. Both of these exams can be performed by the EOS at the Equine and Farm Animal Veterinary Center.

It is not possible for us to provide advice about patient treatment over the phone or by email; however we will gladly schedule appointments and provide the owner with some general information about the problem.

1. Copy of a current negative Coggins test from within the past year.
2. Knowledge of your horses’ onset of disease, comfort level, treatments performed, medications administered, etc or the phone number of a caretaker with this information. Also helpful are daily feed instructions, vaccination status, deworming schedule, past history of surgeries, colic, laminitis and other husbandry information.
3. Any paperwork from any veterinarian about your horse’s ocular problem(s).
4. Any medications used to treat your horse.
   *please note that the NCSU Pharmacy has a policy that we must adhere to that will not allow any medication dispensed by another pharmacy to be used within the hospital.
5. Any specialty feed/hay/supplement. We also stock many different grains and hays and are more than happy to provide them to your horse at no additional charge during their stay if necessary.
6. If crossing state lines, it is required by the NC Agriculture and Consumer Services to enter NC with a current health certificate performed within 30 days prior on the horse being transported. Your local veterinarian can provide you with this form.
7. If your horse is insured, it is your responsibility to contact your insurer to discuss the situation and coverage. However, we will be happy to fill out any additional paperwork they require or provide them with copies of the discharge report if necessary.
8. We ask that you take any valuable halters, lead lines, blankets, leg wraps etc. home or keep them locked in your trailer. Do bring a wellfitting fly mask if your horse tolerates one.
9. You may leave your trailer here if your horse becomes an inpatient and you do not want to haul it back and forth. Our receptionists will have you fill out a trailer release form in the event that we would need to move the trailer in an emergency

Download our tip sheet on how to submit photos of your pets eye with your smart phone.

Please note that our Interns and Residents (aka House Officers), are fully licensed doctors with the same education and credentials as a general practitioner. There will ALWAYS be a doctor in charge of and supervising all aspects of patient care at the VH. In many cases multiple specialists may consult on a patient should their expertise be required. Typically, a fourth-year student will first collect a detailed history and present this information to the doctor in charge. You will then have an opportunity to discuss things in detail with the doctor and together you and he/she will formulate a diagnostic and treatment plan.

In addition to having access to cutting edge diagnostic tools and therapeutic alternatives, the most unique aspect of our facility is that every patient is a learning opportunity for our students. Much of this teaching is done ‘behind the scenes’ as we discuss your pets’ diagnostics and care. What this means to you, the client, is that the process may take somewhat longer than it would at a private veterinarian practice. However, this also means that we have the ability to consult with multiple doctors and a variety of specialists in complex cases.

It is important to understand that every intern or resident at the VH is a fully licensed doctor with the same education and credentials as a general practitioner. Interns and residents have chosen to pursue additional, in-depth postgraduate clinical training and were selected by us in a highly competitive international application process. We think you are in great hands!

One of our goals for our clients is that everyone leaves with detailed discharge instructions. We write our discharge instructions in as detailed manner as possible to help summarize the information covered during the visit and give you specific instructions as to medications, diet, activity restriction, and any other pertinent aspect of care. It may take us some additional time to write these for you; however, this can significantly ease the transition home and back to your regular veterinarian.

The VH is a not-for-profit health care center and receives less than 2% of operating costs from the the State of North Carolina. The majority of our operating costs are paid by client fees and donations. In fact, many of the state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment options we offer are only possible because of generous gifts from our clients. Our fees are set to cover the balance of our operating costs, and we are always looking for ways to provide better service at lower cost. Total costs are comparable to those of veterinarian specialists in private practice.