Eye Removal (enucleation)

[P4NN]

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My girl has a bad cataract in her eye along with a couple of other issues and I've been given the options.

I'm just wondering if anyone on here has had it done. Can you share experiences?! The good bad and ugly please.

How did it look.
How long to recover before working again.
Complications

I want to know as much as I possibley can before I book it in

The vet said there is no rush as its not urgent, I just need to give them the call and she could be booked in within the week. Do I do it before a few comps I've planned start or do I wait until May and muck up the summer? I also worry if I leave it until then she will be plagued by flies and the heat making her recovery uncomfortable etc....

 

[Illusion100]

If you wish to have the eye removed, I'd move sooner rather than later for, as you say, fly issue etc. Best to minimise complications.

I would put your competition schedule aside for the interim.

This type of surgery tends to have great recovery and horses generally cope very well. As she already has significant vision loss in that eye, it should take relatively little for her to carry on as normal.

 

[Birker2020]

My friends horse had its eye removed. It was a straight forward procedure, the horse adapted well. She had to remember to approach from the good eye side or let him know she was coming my talking to him, but other than this there was little difference.

I know of a couple of one eyed horse that I have seen around the circuit and they seem to jump really well and both horse and rider have adapted really well.

 

[poiuytrewq]

We had one removed. Ours was due to Uvietis.
Its a fairly easy procedure and our pony appeared not to be in much pain (as in he was still his mischievous self!)
Looks wise- i was worried, I'm slightly cringy about eyes but in fact the vet got me to help out with unpacking it and other nastier bits which are usually done before the owner collects (due to my job i know the vets and often have to help out with procedures so it was ok)
The sinking in happend gradually and tbh we barely noticed until one day it was all done.
The socket is stitched up leaving a drain hole so we plastered his face in vasaline to prevent it making him sore. No bathing was required other than wiping his cheek and that was only for a few days.
He coped brilliantly and we could have been riding him again in no time at all.
We were "lucky" that it was heavy snow when he came home so he was allowed a bit of turnout as the risk of it getting dirty or flies were nil.
I wouldn't worry about it, Its one of those things that once its done you wonder what the fuss was about and in our case it really helped as people realised he had a problem and didn't try and approach from the wrong side.

 

[Gloi]

They made my friend's horse a 'pirate eye patch' with a skull and crossbones on which he wore when ridden Looked so cool. He got over the op well too.

 

[Red-1]

I have known 3 that have had the operation. They looked surprising if you did not now, but once you know it is no longer surprising when you catch a glimpse (!). They all coped just fine, maybe needed a bit of working round, but were all happy.

The most recent one - I was surprised how quickly it all healed up. The horse went from in constant pain (uvietis) to drugged up to not in pain within about a week. A bit longer for the scar and swelling to settle.