# Eye injury, cataracts, corneal ulcers, blindness in horses??



## dianneS (Nov 6, 2009)

I have a mare that I've had for a year now, her previous owner informed me of the "cataract" on her right eye.  She is pretty much blind on that side.  She's an older OTTB.  I've mentioned it to my vet and he's looked at it but not had much to say about it.

I've always assumed that it was a cataract.  For the past few days she's had some weeping in that eye.  It was clear and watery, up until today.  Now its a yellow discharge!  Its only in her bad eye.  Her good eye has always had a cloudy "spot" too, but its not bad at all.

I've been trying to research cataracts and I'm coming to the conclusion that its not a cataract at all!  It seems to be out closer to the surface, not behind the iris on the lens, but more on the cornea.

Now I'm wondering if she had an eye infection or injury that was perhaps left untreated in the past, causing her blindness in the right eye??  Not a cataract at all!  I'm scared that this could spread to her good eye. 

My vet didn't seem to have much knowledge of eye issues.  He never said it wasn't a cataract, but didn't say it was either!  I just wish that I could find better information right now, to help me out until I find an equine eye specialist, but I'm not having much luck!


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## ksalvagno (Nov 6, 2009)

What about a corneal ulcer? Can you put antibiotic eye meds in the horse's eye until you find an eye specialist? Maybe some type of eye anti-inflammatory?

What state are you in? Maybe someone would know a good eye vet if we know the state. If you were in Ohio, I would suggest Ohio State University. There is also Dr. Geiger of Horizon Equine Veterinary Services in Ashland, OH.


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## dianneS (Nov 6, 2009)

I thought of a corneal ulcer, but now I'm not sure??  I wish I could find good photos of both cataracts and corneal ulcers.

I'm just not sure of how superficial a corneal ulcer is?  Her spot appears closer to the surface but not ON the surface of the cornea.

Its really hard to tell if I'm dealing with a cataract or not, because her iris is very opaque and it looks like a marble! then she has this white cloudy spot right where her pupil should be, but it looks like it is just under the surface, rather than behind the iris on the lens!  

Its just really hard to tell!  I will try an antibiotic until I find a specialist.  She's not in any pain, and has no swelling, so I'm just not sure what is going on!


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## dianneS (Nov 6, 2009)

These photos make it look like a cataract, but in person, the white cloudy portion appears to be just below the surface, rather than back behind the iris on the lens.

I just wish I had some pictures to compare it too.  I've researched cataracts and from what I can tell, I think they would look slightly different than this.  Perhaps I'm wrong though.  Maybe it is a really bad cataract??  

But why is she having weeping and yellow discharge all of a sudden?  The only thing I can think is perhaps she injured it, since she can't see out of that eye??


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## dianneS (Nov 6, 2009)

Whew!!!  I just found some cataract photos that look just like her eye! Definitely not a corneal ulcer either.  What a relief!  

Now to figure out why the weeping and the discharge??  

I'm still willing to bet that she got something in it, or bumped it or scratched it, since she can't see on that side...

More research   and I'll have to start treatment and see what happens!  I'll still try to track down an eye specialist, I'd like to know how her good eye is doing.


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## ksalvagno (Nov 6, 2009)

Blocked tear duct? Hay poke? Unfortunately, so many things it could be.


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## big brown horse (Nov 7, 2009)

Do you have a fly mask on her?


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## freemotion (Nov 7, 2009)

Looks like conjunctivitis....of course, I am not a vet and I am going by a picture on a forum!  I've treated many mares back from the stud farm with conjunctivitis with an antibiotic eye cream.  Pain in the neck to put into some gals' eyes, but works great.  I always checked in with my GREAT vets (a couple of decades ago when liability wasn't such a huge issue  ) via telephone, but kept a variety of meds on hand....the vets were 60 miles away and horses always get sick/hurt at night on the weekend....


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## dianneS (Nov 8, 2009)

She had something in it.  I flushed it out really well, and its fine now.  I'll probably put some antibiotic ointment in it just in case she scratched it, but so far its been fine with just a good flushing with saline!  It was just hard to get her to stand still for all that!

Her little pasture buddy has been luring her down into the woods a lot lately since the leaves are off the trees and the brush and weeds are dying back.  She probably walked into some dead rose bushes or something, since she can't see on that side.


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## freemotion (Nov 8, 2009)

A good flymask might be protective for her, even when there are no flies.


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## dianneS (Nov 9, 2009)

I should put a flymask on her.  One without ears for this time of year!  And lots of soft fuzzies so that it doesn't rub her face!


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## dianneS (Nov 9, 2009)

Grrrr.... just when it seemed like it was going to be all better, today her eye is swollen!  

She hasn't had much discharge at all since I flushed her with saline, so I thought she was going to be fine.  She doesn't have much discharge today either, but swelling for the first time.  Pretty significant swelling, but no where near swollen shut.  

I took her temp.  She normally runs a lower temp and its a little higher than normal today, not sure if that's connected to the eye thing or not??  

I called the vet, gave the report to the receptionist and she will be calling back.  Don't know if the vet will be coming out to see her or not.  Since she's already blind in that eye, we don't have to worry about possible blindness.  But I don't want her to have something that could spread to the other eye.  So far, that eye is completely fine.  

I've been trying to track down some antibiotic ointment.  I've checked everywhere, and no one seems to have any.  Hopefully the vet will have something that I can pick up at the office.  I've read bad things about steroidal anti-inflammitories??  I'll have to read up on that some more.

Fly mask is even more necessary now, we're having Indian summer here and we actually have flies again!


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## kimmyh (Nov 9, 2009)

I would have the vet look at it, once that is done there is a series of they ointments you can used, and you really want to stay the course. One first, steriods once an injury is healed, never in the beginning. The picture you posted looks like an injury to me, but pictures are hard to read online, and I'm not a vet. The vet can better direct you.


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## dianneS (Nov 9, 2009)

I'm really thinking that it is an injury too.  Since its in her bad eye to begin with, it just makes sense that she is vulnerable to injury in that eye.

I flushed it out with more saline today while I'm waiting to hear back from the vet.  My vet doesn't work today or tomorrow, but they are able to contact him.  He won't be able to come out until Wednesday or later.  I hope they call back soon!

I did flush some more discharge out from under her eyelid.  It looks clean now, just swollen, not really red either.  The swelling seems to be diminishing somewhat too.

I had a dog with a swollen eye like this.  It was an injury.  His sister scratched his eye.  He never had any discharge though?  Just minor swelling.

Still waiting for the vet...


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## dianneS (Nov 9, 2009)

Vet just called.  They want me to start her on meds and see how she does.  If she's not better by Wednesday, the vet will come out to see her!  Off to the vets office...

Antibiotic ointment and Banamine for a few days, if its not better the vet will come out.  The vet thinks it sounds like an injury too.


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## kimmyh (Nov 9, 2009)

Excellent.


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## dianneS (Nov 16, 2009)

A few days of triple antibiotic ointment from the vet, only one dose of Banamine to reduce swelling and I would flush the eye with saline three times a day before applying antibiotic ointment.

Her eye is all better!  Yay!  Must have been an injury, I'm just glad its not related to her pre-exsisting condition, like her eye beginning to atrophy or something like that!


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## ksalvagno (Nov 16, 2009)

That is great. I bet you are relieved.


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## helmstead (Nov 16, 2009)

Yay!

I know it sounds extreme, but it's not a bad idea to have the eye permanently sewn shut or even removed.  Blind eyes are MUCH more prone to injury, obviously, because they get bumped into pretty often.  These days you can even have a prosthetic globe inserted under the lid after eye removal so there's not a gruesome hole left there. (that was always the grossest part!)

The shorter measure is the fly mask, always a great idea with any chronic eye issue like moonblindness or cataracts to offer a barrier.  Having always been an Appy lover and owner, I'm too familiar with eye issues.


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## dianneS (Nov 16, 2009)

Oh no, I couldn't have her eye sewn shut!  I'll do the fly mask.  She still has partial vision in that eye.  I think she can see light and dark.  I leave her whiskers long and of course her lashes and that helps.

I think she can see out of that eye more than she lets on.  Her previous owner really babied her and never made her use that eye.  Since I've been making her rely on what vision she has left in it, she is much better.  Much less spooky and you'd barely know she is blind in that eye.  I only have to inform visitors not to "sneak up" on her on that side.

She used to constantly tip her head to see with her good eye, now she rarely does that.  She was even really stiff on her blind side too and now she's much more supple.  

I think if I keep a fly mask on her when she's in the pasture with the wooded area, she'll be fine.  Its her little buddy that has been luring her down into the woods!  If she had lashes as long as that little mini horse, I wouldn't have to worry about her eyes at all!  His eyes are beautiful with the perpetual "what??  I didn't do it!!" look in them, no matter what mischevious thing he just did!  He's such a stinker, but so cute.


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## freemotion (Nov 16, 2009)

You can also buy a blinker hood, sold as training equipment for driving horses.  It has a plastic thing  that is like a quarter of a sphere that keeps the horse from seeing the cart he is pulling and spooking.  They also work great to protect an eye.  You can remove the plastic sphere thing from the other side of the hood.  It is something to consider if the fly mask isn't enough protection.  They are also made with a complete half-sphere that completely covers the eye.


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## kimmyh (Nov 16, 2009)

The challenge with fly masks is they can let in fine particles, and even some hay dust. When this happens the horse rubs their eye on their leg to clean the eye, making things worse, because the junk that is under the mask has no where to go. My horse scratched his lens from a fly mask, I no longer use them for this reason.


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## michel-laws (Sep 1, 2010)

Where can i buy it online


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## dianneS (Sep 1, 2010)

michel-laws said:
			
		

> Where can i buy it online


You can buy just about anything from www.horseloverz.com.  I love that site and they have great prices and sales too!

My mares eye flared up again this year.  I figured out what was causing it.  It wasn't an injury at all.  Since she's blind in that eye, I noticed that she wasn't blinking or chasing the flies away from that eye.  She allowed the flies to congregate around that eye in particular and didn't seem bothered by them.

I started putting Swat around her eyes, and that cured the problem!  I didn't use fly masks at all this season.  Just fly predators and swat and we've had no eye problems and no fly problems!


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## w c (Sep 1, 2010)

We have an 'eye guy' here and he just retired.  Now we will need to find someone else to vet for eye issues.


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