Cataracts?

[Black_Horse_White]

I've had the vet out today for horses injections. I asked the vet to have a look in his eye as he has conjunctivis quite regular. I have always worried about him maybe having Uveitis. So when i mentioned this to the vet he said because it clears up within 24hrs with eye drops it won't be that. I was so relived. He had a good look in his eye and said he could see a very small cataract. Its not affecting his sight and he said its not unusual in horses his age (16). So i go on the net to research cataracts, which says is mostly caused by ERU. So now i feel sick again with worry. So my question is does anyone have a horse with cataracts that has never had any underlying eye problems. Sorry its so long thanks for reading.

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

A) that wasnt a long post

b) the vet is right, it is not uncommon for hroses to start getting cataracts at that age! I know a number of horses that have these small cataracts. They dont effect their sight at all and are totally healthy!
Id say so long as your vet is happy there is nothing wrong then be happy there is nothing wrong. If the situation changes and gets worse then obv go AHHHHHH VET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If it helps, I know a top jumping horse that has a HUGE cataract in one eye, and half the size in the other. Yet it can still jump a course of about 5ft odd without even thinking about it! and not in a rushing and leaping kind of way, as in it has its pace to a fence and jumps at the right time, so obv its eyesight is still doing fine!

 

[Black_Horse_White]

It does help, thankyou. I must stop worrying.

 

[Patches]

[ QUOTE ]
It does help, thankyou. I must stop worrying.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes you must!!!!!

 

[Black_Horse_White]

You know me so well x

 

[kerilli]

i had a mare who had never had uveitis who developed a large cataract at about age 16. never had any other eye problems.

 

[Eaglestone]

My old boy Motor who is 28, has Cateracts and the Vet says that it is like looking through steamed up glasses and should only really affect him in half light.

Initially I worried myself sick, however he seems as happy as larry and although sometimes sees 'imaginary' holes when out hacking, he is as good as he has been in the last 18 plus years

So try and not to worry too much

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Cataracts certainly do affect sight lol, ask anyone who's had surgery to remove one! Small ones though are easy for a horse to live with and having a cataract doesn't mean the horse is necessarily "ill". But do take care BHW. Poorly controlled conjunctivitis can be a precursor for more serious eye problems. And recurrent conjunctivitis can be more common in older horses as their immune systems aren't as robust as when they were younger. I went to a fabulous talk Weds night, put on by our local superb equine veterinary practice. It was all to do with older horses and the recommendation (from one of the speakers, a vet from Redwings) was to regularly bathe an older horse's eyes as a preventative measure. My friend has a TB who had a nasty knock to his face and he has developed a small cataract in one eye but it doesn't bother him in the slightest and he has no other eye problems and the pair of them still charge round the countryside at death defying speeds x

 

[Black_Horse_White]

Thank you. I do take extra care with him and always have drops in just in case and treat at the first sign of a problem. 9 times out of 10 i do have the vet out just to check the eye is not damaged. He always wears a mask when out. BOF i will try bathing his eye everyday with cool boiled water. Thanks something i.ve not done in between flare ups. He has always been a little spooky to be honest, so maybe it is affecting his sight. As long as he's healthy in every other way he will be fine. He has a home with me for life, blind or not. Just don't want him to be in pain.

 

[Porkie]

My boy has mild cataracts in both eyes. He is 28 and vet said very common in horses his age and are very slow forming at this stage if life.

Doesn't seem to bother him in the slighest - he can certainly still see a horse 'dot' on the horizon out hacking which turns him into a storming jogging monster

.......and I can't even see the damn thing it is soooo teeny way way way away !!!

The only thing I have noticed is he sometimes sees those imaginary holes out hacking on the road where he will squiggle or suddenly stop - but then sort of goes 'oh silly me, nothing there'!! I just pat him, reassure him and off we go. I make a point of never telling him off for reacting to nothing, as I know it's nothing but if he's seen a shadow he can't help it, he's such a good boy he wouldn't spook at nothing!

 

[Black_Horse_White]

Mine does exactly the same. But he also does it if they are a couple of walkers with a dog. His sight must be bad lol. When he gets closer and sees that its not another horse he slows down. Thanks again for all your replies, i'll try not to worry.