Eye eye!

[Morrigan_Lady]

About 2 months ago my 5 year old Irsih TB came in from the field with his right eye half shut and it was all swollen and weepy. I left it for about a week, so see if it cleared up, but it didnt. I called my vet out and he had a good look at his eye and said the surface of his eye is very rough and the bottom eye lid is very sore and blood shot.
He gave me some eye drops and bute and came back a week later. After about 5 or 6 visit from the vet, he stil couldnt identyfy what was causing this and wanted a second opinion so sent the top bod out to look and he was as confused as the other vet! He told me to carry on with the bute and eye drops and he referred me to a specialst. The next week we went off to Newmarket and had the best specialsit in the country look at his eye and he told us there was nothing wrong with it and he's fine. I was told to take him off all drugs and bute and see how its goes! I wasnt very happy to say the least!
The next day, my poor horse came in from the field, with his eye half shut, weepy and itchey, looking very sorry for himelf.
A t first we though it may be all the windy weather wever been having, so Id been keeping him in on bad days, but its not been too bad recently.
But when I brought him in last night, his eye was the worst it had ever been, it was completely shut, very very weepy and he couldnt stop itching it!
If theres anyone out there that has experienced anything similar or can offer any suggestions at all Id very much like to hear from you.

 

[samp]

That is terrible I am sorry to hear all his problems. Sounds like he has acute uveitis or something? An opthamologist should have detected this?? Has he had a swab taken to rule out infection etc?

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

Uveitis was mentioned at the beguining as well as concunctivitis, but was soon ruled out. The vet did a test at first to check his tear duct was working properly and it was.
It just seems to be a real mistery. Some more tests were mentioned at Newmarket if this problem carried on, but Im just abit reluctant to ring the vet again, as he's not been a great help so far and my bank balance is rapidly going down!
Not to mention all the trumour my boy boy has gone through so far.

 

[AmyMay]

Where are you based????? Who is your vet?

 

[katylee]

i was having similar problems, though not as bad as yours. she finally had an injection in her neck to take the swelling down sorry dont know the name of it but it did work. as well as some eye cream. still waiting to see how it goes over the next few weeks as a very small amount of weeping has started again but nothing like at the start. does he live in or out? if he is in make sure its all dust free. if he is out i have no idea! sorry not much help

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

Were based on the Beds / Bucks boarder and my vet is Swanspool in Wellingbourough. They are brilliant vets, but Im at a loss now!

Ps. Im looking for a 6ft Slumberdown rug!!!

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

Did your vet have any idea what was causing it or what it actually was?
An injection into his eye lid was mentioned a while ago, but it was never done, not sure what it was suppose to do, but I think it was some sort of nerve block so he could pull his 3rd eye lid out and have a better look. Sounds horrid!
He lives in at the mo, and out during the day. He's on dust free shavings and soaked hay, but it only seems to get bad out in the field, but I cant keep him in forever!

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
Ps. Im looking for a 6ft Slumberdown rug!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes I know - I've sent you a message - did you get it.

Will double check size tonight for you.

 

[katylee]

my vet also injected into the eye to have a good look and couldnt find anything. they also swabbed the eye but nothing came up. we tried 4 different eye creams b4 finally finding one that worked. strange that yours is worse in the field?
what is the field like? is there some time of bush or plant that he may be rubbing his face on? can you put him in a different field and see if that makes a difference? is it one eye or both?

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

Thats a good point, he is a baby and does tend to get himself in strange parts of the field!
The field he is in is massive and he's in with 11 others, wich Im not happy about at all, Id like to move him, but unfortunaly the yard owner is not that sensitive and all she says to everything is 'he'll learn'!!

No swabs have been taken, but I might mention it to them.
Its only in his right eye.

 

[samp]

I would get a swab as if it is a fungal infection they can be a lot harder to treat and may require a catheter attached to administer more regularly into the eye?

 

[katylee]

sorry just re read your original post and you said the surface of his eye is very rough and the bottom eye lid is very sore and blood shot.
so looks like its not an allergy i would have a good hunt in that field! maybe try and keep him out of it until his eye has healed up. hope it gets better soon!

 

[cazza]

Dear Lovely,

I had a horse come onto my yard at the beginning of this year (I knew the owner well) anyway the yard owner of the yard the horse was one before I collected it had told him to have the horse put down. Aparrently according to her vet the horse had grass sickness and was going blind. Well I collected the horse after persuading my friend not to have the horse put down but to have my vet look at it. The horse was fully clipped (who fully clips a sick horse - owner on full livery and works abroad) and indeed had a nearly fully closed weeping eye that was going a cloudy/milky colour.

Well said nothing to my vet about what the previous vet had diagnosed and he looked at the horse, said it's run down and needed some eye drops. Well after trialling different eyedrops the horses vision is now back to normal and she is all recovered from being run down and looks a picture of health.

Sorry now to what I'm trying to get at, it may be best to go for a second opinion, I'm not saying that your vet is not good, but there may be another vet that will look at your problem from a different angle or has experienced this before which will come up with the correct answer. If you would like details of my vet PM me as I'm on the Beds bucks borders as well.

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

Yourve been brilliant, thank you very much.
My vet is Swanspool in Wellingborough and they are very good, but Im starting to doubt them now!
And after being to Newmarket, Im at a lost what to do next.
Ive brought my horse back in to work and he seems very happy to working again, and he's in brilliant condotion.
Please pass on to me your vets details as I think he could really help.
My yard is in Olney, where abouts are you?

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

Thanks very much for your help. Ill be out in the field at the week end. I never though it might be someinthg in the field, we just put it down to the weather, but its been quite nice recently. Thanks again, really appriciate your input.

 

[cazza]

Hi Lovely, just PM'd you with details, I'm near Leighton Buzzard.

 

[brightmount]

I think I would be inclined to be trying to break the cycle by keeping this horse in for a few weeks. Something about "outdoors" seems to be setting it off, and I'm sure he is rubbing his eye for England out in the field, making the irritation worse.

Other than that, I can't suggest anything as you have seen the top bods in the country, so I don't see how getting a fourth, fifth, sixth opinion is going to help. I would just try a spell of staying in to see if things settle down.

 

[brighteyes]

Mine occasionally looks like he's done six rounds with Tyson, andhas either one or both eyes affected. We put it down to allergy as the swelling spontaneously goes down. Of course vet was called straight away due to eye horror stories but the essential factor seems to be - is the horse trying to open his eye or keep it shut at all costs? An allergy usually means the horse can't open his eye (although will be trying to), pain/infection/injury means he won't or doesn't want to. Mine's eyes didn't really weep

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

Hi Wildpony,

Ive put my horse in a different field today, so fingers crossed he comes in with a normal eye tonight!
Will report back tomorrow.

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

Hi Tinsel,

Thanks for your help. He does try and keep his eye open and ive recently started riding him again and he seems very happy in his work. Although, when you look at his eye, he will shut it, little devil!!

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

Hi Lynwood,

Ive kept him in for weeks and it does help, then as soon as he goes back out it flairs up again! Trouble is he's only 5 so I cant keep him in all the time!
The yard Im at is soooo expensive, otherwise Id put him out in the morning and pay the groom to bring him in at lunch, as that would help.
Ive tried him in a different field today, so Im just keeping everything crossed!

 

[Thistle]

have a look at this site www.horsemask.com and get him a mask. Turn him out in it at all times and hopefully what ever is causing it won't get into his eye, be it pollen, plant, wind or sun.

 

[Eaglestone]

This may not help but its a thought .... I was recently told about a horse where his eye complaint would not clear up and after it being checked out and various remedies being tried over a period of time, the Vet eventually found a hair stuck in the eye itself! Presumableyby looking at his eye with a magnifying glass or something! Once the hair was removed his eye healed up ok. He must have been so so sore, bless. Hope you get to the bottom or the cause.