small cataract, advice wanted !

Hoof_Prints

Hoof_Prints

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Hi,
I am selling a 5 year old Connemara pony, he was 5 stage vetted today and flew through everything but the vet picked up on a very small cataract in his left eye. He had to check about 10 times to see it was not a minor thing with the Cornea (forgot what he said) but seemed to think it was a cataract. The pony has full vision and shows absolutely no signs of it causing trouble, as the vet said it has no affect on him. The issue is that he can't say for sure whether it would change as he does not have the knowledge in that area. The people who want to buy him are gutted and are not ruling him out yet , I'm biased of course! but he is more than perfect in every, the type nearly impossible to find and it's such a lovely home, we are hoping we can sort it out. If the people decide he's not for them I will still go ahead with getting it investigated.

What experiences do people have with small cataracts in young horses? have they been known to regularly cause problems or stay the same? I've read horses having small cataracts that never change and top competition horses with them that never alter or cause an issue, but I need to get it confirmed. I have the option to take him to a specialist , but the vet recommended taking him to Newmarket which is just under 100 miles away from me (leicestershire) so wondered if anyone knew a more local specialist with the equipment required .

Any advice or stories welcome as this is a very unknown area for me.

Many Thanks
 
I had loads as my first mare had cataracts as well as moonblindness and she gradually lost most of her sight.

If they change or not depends on each individual case
 
It's a tricky one, just wish it was easier to get it looked at by an ophthalmologist. A 200 mile round trip is pushing it a bit but I guess if it comes to it, we'll have to do it. I can't find much on the internet about it, I'm hoping it will show as non-progressive as it clearly has no affect on him whatsoever at the minute, but whether that is possible or not, I can't really tell. *sigh* there's always something with horses!
 
Hoof_Prints said:
It's a tricky one, just wish it was easier to get it looked at by an ophthalmologist. A 200 mile round trip is pushing it a bit but I guess if it comes to it, we'll have to do it. I can't find much on the internet about it, I'm hoping it will show as non-progressive as it clearly has no affect on him whatsoever at the minute, but whether that is possible or not, I can't really tell. *sigh* there's always something with horses!
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I sent an email to Prof Derek Knottenbelt as I was told hespecialised in this field as well as sarcoids. He sent me a personal reply. Not guaranteeing he will do this for you but he was extremely helpful to me when I was thinking of possibly refering my horse.
 
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Thanks that's very helpful, if you don't mind me asking applecart14, what was the outcome of your horse or the issues to begin with? I have sent him an email so fingers crossed he replies, I'll be asking my vets for their opinion again. The pony's welfare is my main concern, not the sale, so whatever needs to be done I'll get done.
 
Vet said horse had extra layers of cells over his cornea, called an epithelial layer. Said this could cause distortion of sight due to loss of vision in the one eye which would explain the horses spookiness. However another vet from the same practice visited a few months later and said she couldn't see what the first vet was referring to.

In between consultations I'd spoken to Professor Knottenbelt and he said he has not heard of this but if this was the case it was very unlikely to have produced the spookiness the horse exhibited. And sure enough the horse is pretty spookless since the addition of Magic in his diet.

He is worse on the one rein (off side) physically anyway, but he also spooks more on this rein, so I will often lead him down the field standing on his offside as I feel it helps him somewhat.

I never really did get to the bottom of it.

The mirror image you refer to in your OP I believe is the test to check the retina is working okay. Its the light rebounding of the back of the retina (I believe this is right, i read it in an old veterinary book). If you hold a lighter to a horses eye (be careful) you should see three images, one of the light upside down, one on its side and one the right way up. This shows that the light is rebounding off the retina in the correct way and all eyes will show these three images. Hard to explain but when you do it you will see exactly what I mean.
 
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Sorry to hear you didn't get the bottom of it Applecart but i'm glad you tackled some of the spookiness.
I emailed Professor Knottenbelt and he kindly replied in a couple of hours, I really am impressed! What a fantastic chap to take the time to reply to someone he doesn't even know, about a problem he has nothing to do with,when he must be very busy. He has offered a very good explanation of cataracts and it seems pretty positive that the outcome will be insignificant and non-progressive given the pony's age other factors. I am going to contact specialists about an ultrasound scan or visual scan to determine the location of the cataract and then get a certificate to state the opinion of the vet so hopefully the family buying him will have good news as they are absolutely gutted and most of all the poor young girl who was going to have him.
 
I bought my horse as a 5 year old. He was vetted, my vet said he had what she described as small developmental cataracts. It didn't bother me unduly I didn't even haggle! I have had him 3 years with no problems (touches wood). Good luck.
 
From what Proff Knottenbelt has told me, at this age its likely to be a congenital abnormality that will not cause any issues, I imagine that is case with yours Gift horse. Apparently the vast majority are non-progressive and cause no problems, the dangerous ones tend to appear in middle age and are caused by trauma, infection or uveitis related diseases and if they are progressive, they progress very quickly. Of course there are always unusual cases but it all sounds promising so far. Hope yours stays problem free!
 
Hoof_Prints said:
Sorry to hear you didn't get the bottom of it Applecart but i'm glad you tackled some of the spookiness.
I emailed Professor Knottenbelt and he kindly replied in a couple of hours, I really am impressed! What a fantastic chap to take the time to reply to someone he doesn't even know, about a problem he has nothing to do with,when he must be very busy. He has offered a very good explanation of cataracts and it seems pretty positive that the outcome will be insignificant and non-progressive given the pony's age other factors. I am going to contact specialists about an ultrasound scan or visual scan to determine the location of the cataract and then get a certificate to state the opinion of the vet so hopefully the family buying him will have good news as they are absolutely gutted and most of all the poor young girl who was going to have him.
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I agree. He responded to me in 30 mins and I was blown away, I thought it was most kind of him, given he is such a hard working person and so knowledgable but he doesn't seem to be one of those that are unapproachable because think they are Gods gift because they are very well known, he seems to be a very down to earth, amicable and wellcoming. Wish there were more like him, especially my ex saddle fitter lol :)
 
I was given my horse nearly 6 years ago - ex racer, wasn't wanted so I took a chance and very glad I did. About 18 months ago I took my boyfriend to meet my horse and within about 5 minutes he told me he could see a cataract in one of her eyes. He's a doctor and wanting to specialize in ophthalmology so he's pretty clued up in that area! I did a little digging and found out that they'd tried to sell my horse years before and she failed a vetting for the same reason as yours OP. I've never had anything that would lead me to think she has sight issues. BF reckons she was probably born with it and it's always been there. He's checked it over the last year and it doesn't appear to have changed.
 
Glad your horse has had no problems, I imagine your horse had adapted well to it ! after all, many horses live with one eye. I had him examined by an ophthalmologist and it turns out there was nothing there at all, the vet was present who did the vetting and between them they decided it was a corneal lesion that had since healed (phew!) so it's good news for everyone and the pony :)
 
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