Advice re Tear Duct Infection / Blockage ....????

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draffin

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Friends gelding seems to always have runny eyes , doesnt seem to be hayfever / dust allergy etc as she has tried turning him out , so he isnt stabled on shavings or straw etc ,

his eyes always seem to have watery discharge , I suggested he may have a tear duct blockage or infection. Im not too sure how this happens or how it can checked or can be treated , etc , any thoughts , experiences, advice appreciated .

Thanks
 
Sounds like a blocked tear duct. My old cat used to have the same problem, and the vet said they could operate to open it, but it wasn't really necessary, and to keep an eye out for yellow/green discharge. Is it just clear water?
Get a vet to check, but probably say the same thing.
 
A bilateral tear duct blockage would be unusual, it normally happens on one side. Conjunctivis and other infections often affect both eyes tho. Is the inside eyelid pink, red at all? There are vet prescribed treatments for infections, and allergies too (we had a horse who got hayfever, he got piriton!) cold tea is a good home remedy for cleaning edges of the eye, might be worth a go.
 
hey , thanks for that , i had heard of this but wasnt really sure of that much about this . yes it just is watery , couple drips each day , nothing yucky or green or that , just like he is crying. I think it could be a winter thing as I dont remember her horse having this last summer , i think it could be the cold hurricane winds we have had thru the winter months , just like a bit of a draught in his eye , although 2 of my horses who live out , dont get this , but their field is more sheltered . thanks xx
 
Draffin, I'd advise your friend to take great care of her ned's eyes. If it is blocked tear ducts, then surgery to unblock them isn't always successful. If it's something else as emma69 suggests, then your friend needs to understand that, untreated, "bog standard" but chronic eye infections can flip over to something much nastier with no warning. Chronic conjunctivits is a recognised precursor to superficial keratitis and all sorts of other things that you don't want. If he was my ned, I'd get him a full examination by the best eye specialist vet you can find.

Oh and take great care with what your friend puts in the eye. Some commercial preparations might make things worse and anything you put in a horse's eye has to be done with great care or you risk damaging the eye itself if the horse jerks at the wrong moment. Eyes are so fragile and so precious, I wouldn't take any chances. It's worth the vet's fee for peace of mind and a safe ned x
 
My mare has had a blocked tear duct for the past 3-4 years (she is now 20). It is very easy to diagnose the vet just puts some (nice green) dye in the eye and waits to see if it comes out the nose.

There is an increased chance of infection with this condition so you do have to keep an "eye" on it but as yet I have never had this problem (touch wood!)

It is significantly worse in the winter rather than summer - it is the wind that causes the problem. Also yes, both eyes will water in these conditions - not just the blocked eye.

My vet also advised against unblocking - his advice was treat the symptoms ie if no infection leave alone - if infection treat with topical cream.

Becareful of wiping everyday with damp sponge - this tends to affect the skin and coat around the eye. I wipe with a clean dry soft cloth morning and night to remove tears and debri and wipe with a damp sponge around once a week.

Apparently very common in older horses (and people)
 
I'm fairly sure my Dad is told to massage under his weepy eye, and I think it has benefit, in that I'm sure it wasn't as bad last time I saw him (not seen him since before Christmas as he's abroad)
Our loan pony has a weepy eye and when we've wiped the debris with a damp cloth and allowed to dry, we put Vaseline carefully under the eye - she's good as gold and stand so still when I do this - so next time you can wipe a lot easier.
 
My gelding always has runny eyes too. I bought some eye and nose gel from my local tack shop, which keeps them clean, but it is persistant. Got the vet coming out next week to sedate him for clipping, so will get her check it out. I never thought of a blocked eye duct, I assumed (and was told by others) that it is something common in older horses....mmm food for thought.
 
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