blocked tear duct

[serena2005]

vet came up last week to try and unblock tear duct, he had no luck so put horse on a week of eye drops, came back today still blocked.

he said either to leave it blocked or there is a op that can be done to clear it but is not 100% successfull.

chances are it will have to stayed blocked. apart from vaseline to stop it makes his skin scabby, what else can i try to help his eye?

 

[Natalie_H]

Don't know if cold teabags would help in this scenario. Used to use them for weepy eyes & they worked a treat as a soother. Maybe your farrier could help?? (Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!)

 

[serena2005]

LMAO! good idea, ill ask him!

 

[GTs]

I am surprised they can not unblock it - everything is unblockable with enough force!

Seriously I would ask for a second opinion.

 

[Happy Horse]

[ QUOTE ]
everything is unblockable with enough force!

[/ QUOTE ]

GTS on behalf of horses everywhere I hope you never decide to become a vet!

 

[airedale]

got a horse in the yard with this - op is useless in many horses so save your dosh. When he came to me the whole lower eyelid was hanging outwards and red raw.

You will never get rid of the tearing but a very old remedy that I have used on this horse for 3 years and he's got a normal looking eye apart from the tearing is to make up a solution of 1 large teaspoon of boric acid powder (cheap small box from chemist lasts ages) into 1 pint of water
then bathe the eye with this twice a day - once a day in winter.

boric acid is a constituent of both animalintex (boracic lint) and Optrex. Its just cheaper to make your own solution up !!!

 

[siennamiller]

same thing has just happened to my boy, £120 and it is still weeping and yuk!!!!
It s a nuisance isn't it

 

[GTs]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
everything is unblockable with enough force!

[/ QUOTE ]

GTS on behalf of horses everywhere I hope you never decide to become a vet!

[/ QUOTE ]

That was actually a quote from a vet I knew - you can fit your arm anywhere with enough lube.

She was awesome!!!

 

[Happy Horse]

If ever you get prostate trouble you know where to go then

 

[serena2005]

hes tried to unblock it twice and all he does is gives him a nose bleed... thanks for the help, ill give the acid stuff a try!

 

[Jemayni]

I've had like 6 blocked tear ducts in my lifetime, never heard of a horse having one before though, nothing homeopathic will relieve it, (for humans anyway.) Personally I'd be scared about the boric acid thing though, the general anaesthetic sounds more appealing; but I suppose your horse will never know...

 

[picklesforme]

One of my horses always had gunky eyes. My bowen lady showed me excersises to do on his face to clear them.

He's had clean eyes all year

 

[Kezza]

I squirted optrex into my boys eye every day for a week with a syringe, tricky but you can do it. Cleared it up a treat! Then just clean them rigourously every day with baby wipes or something and keep a fly mask on when it is windy and hey presto, my boy of 20 no longer has weepy eyes after having them for 10 years with previous owner ...

Oh and he had his flushed by the vet and it lasted only a few months with the previous owner so that's not always a long term solution anyway.