Talk to me about eye removal (uveitis related!). Would you do it in this case?

[HollyWoozle]

Our Appaloosa has suffered with Uveitis on and off. His last major bout (until now) was autumn 2018 and since then it has been well-managed just with UV masks. 22nd July this year his left eye had a flare-up and we have been working on that with steroids and masking tape over that side of his mask to completely block the light - he has coped very well being temporarily blinded that side. Vet last came Fri 20th August and said to continue with drops once a day for another week, and the tape over mask, then go back to just mask wearing. That took us to last Friday when we stopped.

I didn't see him Saturday and Sunday (he's my Mum's horse and I don't live here) and when I fed them last night I noticed his eye was sore again. We're back on the drops and tape (and Danilon) and vet will come in 48 hours if no improvement, but now I am thinking ahead if this continues... we are now more than 5 weeks in from when it started and it's a painful condition.

We have said we wouldn't put him through the eye removal as he is 17, had spavin surgery 10 years ago, treatment for sarcoids and he now also has squamous cell carcinoma which is advancing. His 'surgery hock' also has a bony swelling and he isn't totally sound, but he seems happy enough in the field. However I am told that eye removal is quite straightforward these days and since he is essentially living blind that side with the tape, I am wondering if we should reconsider if this carries on? Nothing much would change for him except he wouldn't have the pain!

It's a last resort and we do have other treatment options before then and excellent vets to chat to, but if anyone has experiences to share then it would be grate to hear them. He is a very sweet, forgiving horse who came to us over 10 years ago from dodgy dealers (oops) and I don't think had had the nicest time. All we want is for him to lead a comfortable life as long as possible but equally we don't just want to pack him off for a horrid procedure. Hoping it won't come to that!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Sorry to hear about your horse. No direct experience but a friends cob had his eye removed in his early twenties and you would never know. Recovery was swift. He was pts years later with an unrelated issue.

 

[PSD]

A friend of mine has just done this with her 15 year old. He has healed very quickly, He is so much happier and pain free, I wouldn’t say 17 is old either so I would be inclined to go ahead with the procedure.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Fellow livery had her 28 year olds eye removed. It went quite well and he seemed more comfortable afterward.

 

[chaps89]

A pony on a yard I go to has not long had his eye removed (not sure as to why admittedly) but the vets came and did it under standing sedation on the yard. Minimal fuss (quite a bit of blood apparently) and pony has recovered well.

 

[MissTyc]

I lost my eventing pony to a catastrophic ulcerated eye which happened at a time when he could not withstand the surgery (too weak, colicky, old, etc) ... We'd battled it on and off and years and to this day my big regret is that I didn't have the eye out when we were able to do it. I mean, I might have lost him to his other conditions anyway, but it was hard to lose him like that for an acute deteriorating of a chronic condition that always had good vet care.

 

[AandK]

My 24yo had an eye removed when he was 21 (Feb 18), not uveitis, but a cancer. His was done at the vets under standing sedation. He was done late afternoon and I collected him the following morning. He adjusted quicker than I did! He stayed in his stable for the first couple of days and then spent about a week out during the day in a small paddock with my mare. He wore a fly mask that I sewed an old padded bra cup into, to protect the wound from mud etc. He had a check up about a week after surgery and was cleared to go back out 24/7 in his main field. I was back riding him about 2 weeks post op.
Am happy to answer any questions if needed.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Thank you so much for these encouraging replies, that's really helpful! I forgot to say that he is retired and lives out 24/7, not that it really changes anything, but we do have stables which we can use when required. He hasn't travelled in many years but is a reasonably sensible boy.

I am hopeful we will get it under control and we will have to see how his skin cancer progresses and at what rate, but your replies give me hope that it doesn't have to be game over if it's 'just' the eye causing a main issue. He is so good, can do his eye drops 3 x a day with him loose in the field and he accepts it for a biscuit, and he remains so friendly in spite of it all.

 

[ester]

What mask are you using?

 

[[139672]]

My Fell had an eye removed when he was about 17. Uveitis treated for two years. One very hot summer he developed a huge ulcer due to dust vet thought and eye removed, in those days under GA. he coped brilliantly and the pain stopping must have been a huge relief for him. I had an eye ulcer once after stabbing myself in the eye with a mascara brush. It was very painful. The eye has a large blood supply. His eye swelled up quite large (didn’t look particularly nice initially) and after quite a few months the congealed blood dispersed, sinking and leaving the socket. He carried on showing and showjumping until he was 21.

 

[HollyWoozle]

What mask are you using?

Previously we used a Premier Equine Buster as his main mask but sometimes switched to an Equilbrium to avoid rubs, but these are up to 70% UV protection and the first half of July was extremely sunny and we realise we should’ve done more. Since his flare up we’ve mostly been using a Kensington UViator (up to 90% UV) or sometimes a Nags Horse Ranch one, but the tape doesn’t stick to that very well! We switch to the Premier Equine (with tape still) overnight and wash them everyday.

 

[DressageCob]

My horse lost his eye due to a melting ulcer. I lost him through unrelated things around 3 years after the operation.

His eye was removed when he was 18 and it was the best thing I ever did. it makes me wonder if the eye was dry or sore for some time beforehand because it made such a difference. He more forwards, more supple and more enthusiastic in general. Jumping was better too, I think because he couldn't see the fillers or judge the height, so never touched a pole (jumping bigger than necessary).

I was very anxious. if you search you will see my thread on here which shows how worried I was. I was convinced he wouldn't cope but it was great.

His was done under GA because his behaviour had deteriorated due to the pain, but the ophthalmologist said they generally would prefer to do it under standing sedation, so it isn't a major deal. He was home within 2 days anyway, it was bandaged at first and that came off, it all looked tidy. The stitches were removed and back out into his herd he went. Very straightforward recovery.

I had a Guardian fly mask which is very good for UV protection, but it rubbed him. I used an Equivizor and/or the eQuick eVisor for ridden work.

Good luck!

 

[HollyWoozle]

My Fell had an eye removed when he was about 17. Uveitis treated for two years. One very hot summer he developed a huge ulcer due to dust vet thought and eye removed, in those days under GA. he coped brilliantly and the pain stopping must have been a huge relief for him. I had an eye ulcer once after stabbing myself in the eye with a mascara brush. It was very painful. The eye has a large blood supply. His eye swelled up quite large (didn’t look particularly nice initially) and after quite a few months the congealed blood dispersed, sinking and leaving the socket. He carried on showing and showjumping until he was 21.

Thanks LR, that's encouraging.

My horse lost his eye due to a melting ulcer. I lost him through unrelated things around 3 years after the operation.

His eye was removed when he was 18 and it was the best thing I ever did. it makes me wonder if the eye was dry or sore for some time beforehand because it made such a difference. He more forwards, more supple and more enthusiastic in general. Jumping was better too, I think because he couldn't see the fillers or judge the height, so never touched a pole (jumping bigger than necessary).

I was very anxious. if you search you will see my thread on here which shows how worried I was. I was convinced he wouldn't cope but it was great.

His was done under GA because his behaviour had deteriorated due to the pain, but the ophthalmologist said they generally would prefer to do it under standing sedation, so it isn't a major deal. He was home within 2 days anyway, it was bandaged at first and that came off, it all looked tidy. The stitches were removed and back out into his herd he went. Very straightforward recovery.

I had a Guardian fly mask which is very good for UV protection, but it rubbed him. I used an Equivizor and/or the eQuick eVisor for ridden work.

Good luck!

Really helpful, thank you! We've got a Guardian mask arriving today to try and I have ordered some fleecey bits to stitch on to try and prevent rubbing. We have a whole wardrobe of masks now! I have to say that his eye is looking pretty good today and I hopeful we can get this sorted if we persevere with the steroid drops - I think we just didn't quite continue long enough last time.

He is exceptionally forgiving so I think if it does come to eye removal then maybe we have a chance of it being done under standing sedation. I'm glad it helped your boy and sorry that he is no longer with you.