Uveitis- early signs

Runny eye when sun was bright, both eyes semi closed in bright sun light. Rapid blinking when stable lights put on at night. Swollen eyes if flies about and eyes will swell if the air quality is poor.

Horse is managed with good quality masks and 1/2 bute daily.
 
It seems to only be one eye affected, but if I leave the mask off, she comes in quite sore again.
This horse has everything else wrong with it, so it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s got it.
If she’s not breaking my limbs, she’s bankrupting me!
 
scats said:
That’s exactly what it looks like, though more runny and occasionally some gunk in the corner.
What am I looking at with regards management? Eye mask, painkillers? This horse isn’t insured any longer as she had so many exclusions.
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Well, mine had a painful ulcer that we just couldn’t get to resolve (despite 2 weeks in horspital and 1000s of pounds) so I actually had it removed. It's expensive, time consuming and labour intensive to treat. Luckily mine had no signs in the other eye. For now, bute, fly mask and vet asap. They will probably refer to a specialist for a proper look- expect to get no change from 1k for that and an initial course of treatment. Then it's a waiting game to see how it responds, but if it has been going on for a while then you've likely got quite a damaged eye
 
TheMule said:
Well, mine had a painful ulcer that we just couldn’t get to resolve (despite 2 weeks in horspital and 1000s of pounds) so I actually had it removed. It's expensive, time consuming and labour intensive to treat. Luckily mine had no signs in the other eye. For now, bute, fly mask and vet asap. They will probably refer to a specialist for a proper look- expect to get no change from 1k for that and an initial course of treatment. Then it's a waiting game to see how it responds, but if it has been going on for a while then you've likely got quite a damaged eye
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Thank you. I’ll have a chat with the vet next week and see what they think.
Unfortunately Polly does not cope well in a hospital environment or with any form of tests, so that wouldn’t be an avenue I’d go down with her. I love her to pieces but she’s got PSD, PSSM and severe EMS so another thing on top isn’t ideal if it can’t be easily managed at home.
Last year she had what they told me were a couple of ulcers in that same eye. They gave her some treatment and it seemed to clear up, but I kept her mask on in the field as I thought she might have scratched her eye on something. I’m wondering if it actually might have been uveitis then.
 
scats said:
Thank you. I’ll have a chat with the vet next week and see what they think.
Unfortunately Polly does not cope well in a hospital environment or with any form of tests, so that wouldn’t be an avenue I’d go down with her. I love her to pieces but she’s got PSD, PSSM and severe EMS so another thing on top isn’t ideal if it can’t be easily managed at home.
Last year she had what they told me were a couple of ulcers in that same eye. They gave her some treatment and it seemed to clear up, but I kept her mask on in the field as I thought she might have scratched her eye on something. I’m wondering if it actually might have been uveitis then.
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I'm sorry you're facing this- it's a horribly painful condition and that if my filly hadn’t been so young and with zero other issues, I would have had her PTS
 
TheMule said:
I'm sorry you're facing this- it's a horribly painful condition and that if my filly hadn’t been so young and with zero other issues, I would have had her PTS
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This is the eye when it first flared up again in the sun 2 weeks ago
IMG_0551.jpeg

It’s not been that bad again since. She literally came in that evening after a day with her mask on and it looked almost normal again. I’d say that the few times I’ve not had her mask on since then, it’s looked like your photo, but within a night in the stable, it’s back to ‘normal’.

I’ll see what the vet thinks on Monday. She’s such a sweet mare, but my god she’s like a walking veterinary textbook!
 
Have one who lost an eye 10 years ago

Now slightest gunk or tears antibiotic cream, if not perfect in 24 hours vet here, so far so good

I also wipe around all horse eyes morning and evening c


Watering and squinting main symptoms
 
scats said:
Thank you. I’ll have a chat with the vet next week and see what they think.
Unfortunately Polly does not cope well in a hospital environment or with any form of tests, so that wouldn’t be an avenue I’d go down with her. I love her to pieces but she’s got PSD, PSSM and severe EMS so another thing on top isn’t ideal if it can’t be easily managed at home.
Last year she had what they told me were a couple of ulcers in that same eye. They gave her some treatment and it seemed to clear up, but I kept her mask on in the field as I thought she might have scratched her eye on something. I’m wondering if it actually might have been uveitis then.
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I'm afraid I found vets pretty useless on this and not worth the cost which could be better put towards a specialist. This is a very specialised area.
I had an equine ophthalmologist visit and examine in his stable. That way no travel and horse not stressed. All I had to do really was to black out the stable.

If you decide to do this then do it whilst you are having a flare up so there is plenty to see and they can work out the exact problem.

I had the eye removed at home. Opthalmologist will do it and bring a vet nurse or your vet can do (obviously chose a good horse vet you trust)

Mine brought along a 2nd vet.

Worked well in his stable, no travel and he was in surroundings he was happy with. Had 2 later vet visits and 2 courses of anti biotics just in case. Could have managed with less but told the vet no expense spared to get a good outcome. My vets have good 24 hour cover with experienced horse vets on call. Cost for the removal and follow up and meds etc was around £1400. I think that was reasonably priced compared to transport to hospital, operation etc etc.

we spent 48 hours sitting with him afterwards but a camera would do just as well, ours just liked us there. :D:D

mine was ERU. There is a lot of underlying pain with that which is not obvious. By the 3rd flare up we operated. Wondered if we had done the right thing, it is very frightening making the decision. Op was at 2pm and by midnight the horse was over the moon, beyond happy. Totally different horse. Good luck.
 
A little update- vet doesn’t think it’s uveitis. Interestingly the other eye also started up a bit but not as bad. The eyes/pupils etc all look good and healthy. He looked behind her eyes and all is as it should be. She had that green stuff put in and everything looked as it should.
No sign of conjunctivitis either.
So at the moment we think it’s either an allergy or reaction to something (flies, sunlight etc). The plan is 5 days of inflacam and fly mask on by day and then we will see how she is in a weeks time.
 
Another update- I arrived this morning to her eye looking quite sore again. That’s after a night in her stable in the barn which is quite dark when the far doors are shut.

She’s gone out in her mask today but if it’s still bad later, I’ll call the emergency vet.
She’s on inflacam as it is.
There must be something else going on :(
 
scats said:
Another update- I arrived this morning to her eye looking quite sore again. That’s after a night in her stable in the barn which is quite dark when the far doors are shut.

She’s gone out in her mask today but if it’s still bad later, I’ll call the emergency vet.
She’s on inflacam as it is.
There must be something else going on :(
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Sorry to hear you’re still having problems. I’d probably ask for a an ophthalmologist referral if there is one that can come up to you
 
So Polly’s eye settled down and has been ok for a week. She’s had her mask on religiously. This evening I arrive to this-
IMG_0841.jpeg

I’m going to email the picture to my vet and see what he suggests. I really don’t want to send this pony into hospital. Is this likely going to be the only option? Getting a bit worried now.
 
scats said:
So Polly’s eye settled down and has been ok for a week. She’s had her mask on religiously. This evening I arrive to this-
View attachment 159136

I’m going to email the picture to my vet and see what he suggests. I really don’t want to send this pony into hospital. Is this likely going to be the only option? Getting a bit worried now.
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There are ophthalmologists that travel, see if your vet can suggest one maybe?
 
I usually take mine to the clinic to see Ophthalmologist. It’s usually a good 90 mins for a full check up but they are sedated. Cost is about £400.
 
Thanks. I’ve sent the picture to my vet and asked what the next step is. I really need this to be treatable at home for Polly’s sake, but I’ll see what the vet suggests.

Feeling a bit stressed because we are coming into danger time with her EMS but I can’t work her with a sore eye.
 
Conjunctivitis presents with a lot of tears

Then yellow gunk but treatable at home usually

Uvi often looks cloudy and sensitive to light , squinty
 
How'd you get on? I suspect my mare has this! I've never had a horse with it before, so Vet coming in the morning, but I had to miss a competition today due to the alarming yellow gunk in my pony's eyes! :o
 
VWScully said:
How'd you get on? I suspect my mare has this! I've never had a horse with it before, so Vet coming in the morning, but I had to miss a competition today due to the alarming yellow gunk in my pony's eyes! :o
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Unfortunately we didn’t fully get to the bottom of the problem before we lost her in June due to EMS induced laminitis.

She had the antibiotic and steroid drops which did help the eye, but didn’t clear it fully.
 
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VWScully said:
How'd you get on? I suspect my mare has this! I've never had a horse with it before, so Vet coming in the morning, but I had to miss a competition today due to the alarming yellow gunk in my pony's eyes! :o
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Alarming yellow gunk is probably an infection which is easier to treat. Cold tea until the vet has seen it.
 
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