Page 7 - Paws and Hooves - Autumn 2021

EQUINE NEWS

The gift of sight –

Spotify the horse

ast year the ACT launched an appeal to raise funds for a brand-new ophthalmology
L microscope for the RVC’s Small Animal Referrals Hospital. The existing microscope was
still fully functioning but the new one was much more effective for smaller eyes. This meant
the RVC was able to move the older microscope to its Equine Referral Hospital enabling
them to perform delicate eye surgeries on horses for the first time.

went to see Spotify one morning After two weeks he was able to
in February, his eye was closed go home.
and incredibly painful, and the
specialist RVC ophthalmology Spotify has now fully recovered
team found a penetrating and enjoys being back in
corneal injury that required training. Maria commented,
emergency surgery.
“Spotify’s eye is
With the help of the equine comfortable and has
Internal Medicine, Anaesthesia great vision. We are
and Nursing Teams, Spotify’s
surgery was completed within incredibly grateful for the
six hours of diagnosis. He help of the whole RVC
had corneal microsurgery that team and the Animal
was only possible because of
the newly installed operating Care Trust for providing
microscope. A 2mm donor the fantastic operating
graft was placed to seal the microscope for the
defect and a conjunctival graft
to provide vascularisation Equine Hospital. Without
The microscope was installed in this amazing teamwork
the Equine Hospital in January and speed the healing
just in time to help Spotify, a process. Fortunately, Spotify Spotify would have most
beautiful 6-year-old German recovered well from the general likely lost his eye.”
Warmblood described by his anaesthetic and the RVC Equine
owner Maria as ‘an absolute Nursing Team and the students
dream dressage horse, hacking on rotation lovingly cared for
buddy and friend.’ When Maria him during his hospitalisation.

Paws & Hooves Autumn 2021 7