watery eyes

[ynneb]

3 or 4 times over the last 2 weeks my girl has come in with watery eyes, just like tears. Once it was one eye then the other and tonight it was both. She is OK in herself, eating her hay and just as impatient as usual. The Vet is coming out on Monday for jabs so I will ask him to have a look at her but meantime has this happened to any of your horses and what caused it? It's been cold and breezy here today so that could have something to do with it, but she looks so sad with "tears" running down her lovely face!

 

[Patsy]

could possibly be blocked tear ducts. My mare is the same but has to have maxitol eye drops occasionally from the vet which helps. She may need a fly mask during the warmer weather to stop the flies, which cause infection. Just keep her eyes clean every day.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Keep a close watch on this bathsheba. It's been cold and breezy right through the winter so this should not be the first time this has happened if it's just the cold and the wind. Blocked tear ducts are a possibility but I'd be surprised if BOTH eyes suddenly were afflicted unless they're blocked due to an infection. Ask your vet to put fluoroscene in both eyes. Its the bright green stuff they use to check for ulcers but for you, the benefit is that fluid in the eye trickles down the tear ducts and out through the nose. So you put the fluoroscene in the eyes and stand back for a few minutes. Then a bright green dribble should appear out of each nostril. No green dribble = blocked tear duct. But if there IS green dribble, then your problem isn't a blocked tear duct and I'd be alert for bacterial, fungal or viral infections that could be nasty if left untreated. Are her corneas cloudy at all? Any gooey stuff at the corners of her eyes? Is she reluctant to be in bright light, eg standing at the back of her stable? Defo get the vet to check coz you can't be too careful with eyes. My boy lost one through previous owners not bothering to clear up a simple conjunctivitis for about 5 YEARS! Let us know what the vet says xxx

 

[ynneb]

Vet had a look and said nothing to be worried about. Probably due to a combination of cold wind and sunshine in a very exposed field. I must admit my eyes water when I go out there to poo-pick when its windy sometimes. Also probably got something to do with us both getting a bit ancient! Thanks for your replies anyway.