risk of compromising a fragile eye during forced eyelid opening (eg, if a deep corneal ulcer or globe penetrating injury may be present). Other perioc- ular nerve blocks may be used for additional oph- thalmic procedures or periocular surgery.4 Materials needed for equine eye exams can be
kept in a tack box or tool box for convenience and ease of transport. A preprinted ophthalmic exami- nation sheet (Fig. 1) is helpful to guide the exami- nation, to serve as a checklist, and to enable drawing of pictures to document ophthalmic lesions and al- low for evaluating progress over time. Instruments needed for ocular examination include a bright focal
146 2013 Vol. 59 AAEP PROCEEDINGS
light source (eg, Finoff transilluminator), a con- densing lens (eg, 20 diopter), and a direct ophthal- moscope. Additional supplies include fluorescein stain for corneal assessment and nasolacrimal pa- tency evaluation, 1% tropicamide for pupil dilation, topical ophthalmic anesthetic (eg, 0.5% propara- caine or tetracaine) for ocular diagnostic procedures, culturettes for infectious disease testing, cytology equipment for sample acquisition, and eyewash or saline for ocular flushing. A tonometer is advanta- geous to assess intraocular pressure, with Tono-Pen and TonoVet instruments both easily used in horses. Mean intraocular pressure values for horses are
