Friends ex racer, 12yo has a cataracts in his eye suddenly ???

[draffin]

not sure if def is catarcts ??? any advice appreciated , i dont really know a lot about cataracts in horses , my friend is very upset , she has been doing so well with him , she re schooled him all her self , has had him 2 years , doing local shows, etc with him .

he has always been a bit spooky /sharp, but recently has been really playing up with her , and when we were hacking last week, he seemed to bolt with her after a bad spook / shy , we thought just bit high on spring grass etc , but over weekend he has fallen on her while jumping at home , and today she said he was super spooky , like he couldnt see stuff , and was eating his dinner oddly , and he has a large milky patch on his eye . I am so sad for her as he is a super horse and she has got on so well with him .

she has vet coming tomoro .
can we get some vibes for her and him ,poor boy .I have not seen him in the flesh but she has sent me pic on my mobile and does look like cataracts / moon blindness etc .

What is difference between cataracts and moon blindeness??

wat is outlook for ridden work ??? treatment possible ????
why would it have appeared so suddenly ??
could it be a kick / injury ? may it go away ??
Im sure ive read somewhere a hard knock or kick to face could cause this !!
has anyone had experience of this kind of thing ? wat happens re vets fees? surgery ?? insurance for loss of use if he worsens ?? or worse still needs put to sleep ???

has made me worried for my pones ,one of mine loves to climb out field , through hedge /wall etc , is always bashing his face / cuts and lumps on it , brambles in the forelock , bits of wood etc !!!!

Thanks guys !!!

 

[LadyRascasse]

the other possiblity is ulcers, which are quite common, i would wait and see what the vets says

 

[Azabache]

My pony had a cataract fully formed in one eye and one forming in the other. Sadly the 2nd eye became ulcerated and we called it a day. The good news is, if it's just the one eye then your friends horse can continue to have a normal life, you just need to be aware of his condition. So for example if approaching him on his blind side, then talk to him, so he knows you're coming over. I rode my pony right up to the end, including galloping across fields. I remember reading that some people even jump horses with cataracts in both eyes although really not too sure about that one. I seem to recall too that there is a top event horse who has had an eye removed and still competes.

Edited to add that the tratment for the ulcer was a no go as he had cushings and it would have brought on laminitis, hence called it a day. Ulcers are treatable though usually.

 

[Swift08]

It could be a number of things, my pony suffers from equine reccurent uveitus (eru) which is or has something to do with moon blindness...from this condition he has developed a spider web like cataract due to scar tissue as he went through a stage of being under alot of stress which caused him to have mulitple flare up's (at one point were were considering having the eye removed but it never went ahead). His eye ulcerating from an injury was how he developed the condition. Cataract wise he is treated no differently to any other horse but i am always aware that certain things will cause him to spook or nap. I would wait until the vet has a look and go from there. Lots of vibes coming your friends way

 

[Dubsie]

Can't answer for horses, but a friend has a rescue dog that is totally blind, the middles of the eyes are yellowy white. The dog was badly treated they think beaten about the head, and consequently suffered detatched retinas and cannot see at all - yet manages to retrieve by sound (hears toy land) and smell (circles figures of 8 just fine to find it) and has a good quality of life - doesn't often bump into things unless you move them.
They took him to a doggie eye specialist who confirmed no sight and were told that had it recently happened the retina could often be reattached quite successfully, sadly in his case the injury was too old.
I hope your friend's horse is able to be treated.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

My friend's ex-racer was hoolying about in the field a couple of years ago and sustained a nasty kick to his head that (vets think) fractured a bone on the front of his head. He had a humungus nosebleed for hours and his face has healed with a big bony lump. In the same incident, his eye was damaged though not too badly at first. It just waters all the time now. But months after the injury, he was diagnosed with a small cataract in the damaged eye. The vets have said it will probably stay the same size for ever but if it gets more problematic, the cataract can be removed, just as they do in humans.

That said, I wonder if your friend's horse has a cataract or an ulcer. Ulcers also look like a milky patch on the cornea. A small ulcer, speedily addressed can be successfully treated. However, there are other reasons for ulceration and milky patches on the cornea and some of these aren't so easy to clear up. But tell your friend this: even if - god forbid - the worst comes to the worst, her ned will be fine with just one eye. Sunny (in my sig) lost his 6 month battle with a devastating auto-immune disease in his eye and 3 years ago he had his eye removed, at the ripe old age of 19/20. It was too painful for him to bear any longer. He is totally recovered - indeed he was a happy bunny after getting to his feet after the surgery! He takes me to dressage shows and wins ribbons, he'll pop small jumps and is one of the safest hacks on the yard.

Fingers crossed for the vet's diagnosis but if things aren't looking good, post again on the Forum as there's loads of people have experience of this and can cheer your pal up x

 

[Lippyx]

My instructors eventer had a cataracts. He was doing loads of events etc, was a real sunner, then he started refusing etc, and when she had the vet out to have a full MOT, thats when they found it!
He is now used for the more advanced riders/students at the yard, but such a shame still. He was, and still is, so talented!