Recurrent equine uveitis

[K.Marl]

Hi has anyone any recent experience of ERU? We have 16 yr old mare mare who started with it last year 2020, though looking back she did have watery eyes the summer before which could have been the start of it. On her Second bout summer 2021 had to have levage system to administer meds, recoverd, was fine through the winter then started again March 2021. After another two bouts we were resigned to having the eye removed but on the day of surgery it had cleared up with just a week on Bute. Cancelled op and decided to see how it went on prophylactic daily Bute, she been final all summer May to August & has just started with 3 rd bout this year. really don’t want to go down the eye removal route if possible so looking for suggestions / experiences.

 

[MinKo]

Is she on Bute or danilon? A frienda horse suffered with is for a few years, a guardian mask even in the stable when it's bright and daily danilon really helped, but at age 30 she was pts last month as totally blind in one eye and only 15% vision in the other

 

[K.Marl]

Bute. She has. Fly mask on all the time. She’s lost approx 10% vision in the eye so far but other eye seems ok.

 

[SibeliusMB]

A good friend's mare had it in both eyes. Blind in the right eye, believed to be mostly (if not entirely blind) in the left eye, which also had a cataract in addition to the regular flare ups. She was on 2x daily meds for years, the right eye shrunk and was completely useless, and ended up being removed eventually. The cataract detached in the left and the mare was believed to have some sight again, but a few months later the ERU flared back up and that eye was removed as well. Mare is doing fantastic, gets turned out with friends, is ridden regularly, if anything has settled and gotten quieter after the eye removals (probably because no longer in pain).

Based on what I saw with the above example, if I was in your situation I'd lean toward having the eye removed as horses usually adapt well and are fully functional with only one eye, assuming the other eye isn't affected. But you know your horse best and what is/isn't right for her. Best wishes for you in whatever you decide!

 

[poiuytrewq]

We had ours removed. He was only 6 and the most fabulous little horse, we tried for years to fight it but he’d lost the vision completely and was in pain more often than not so it seemed sensible.
Sadly In our situation he than had his first attack in the other eye which we knew had fairly limited vision anyway so we made the call to pts.
Ours was a pretty extreme one I think, a friend had one that was controlled for all the horses long life with bute, drops and a mask.

 

[RushpolePony]

Not completely sure if the horse I know of has uveitis but he started getting a cloudy eye/ becoming spooky on that side as he obviously had impaired vision.

They caught whatever it is early and used steroid drops twice daily. Not sure what they are but they used 2 different kinds. He is also turned out in a guardian mask and is in an indoor barn, so alright in the stable. But his eye majorly improved and little to no cloudiness after a few weeks.

Quite a few horses do adapt well to having an eye/eyes removed. Reccomend checking out Endo the blind for training tips/help if you do have to go down the removal route.

Hope your mare is better soon