Weepy eyes year round?

cob&onion

cob&onion

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My pink skinned cob always has weepy eyes year round, i do bathe them with cotton wool and warm water and also smear the fur (where the weepy bits run - not in/near the eye) with a bit of vaseline to stop the crust which works.
She has always had weepy eyes since she was a foal - shes 4 now and just seems to be one of those things shes prone too, always has to wear a fly mask as soon as the flies are out too :rolleyes:
How do you deal with weepy eyes?
 
Barrier Healthcare do an eye and nose lotion that you can put on a cotton wool pad and wipe the eyes with - it's very gentle at cleaning away any crustiness. I've also used disposable eye wipes before now - just using them as part of the daily routine. Hyperdrug used to sell them in big tubs - cheaper than buying the small packs.
 
cob&onion said:
My pink skinned cob always has weepy eyes year round, i do bathe them with cotton wool and warm water and also smear the fur (where the weepy bits run - not in/near the eye) with a bit of vaseline to stop the crust which works.
She has always had weepy eyes since she was a foal - shes 4 now and just seems to be one of those things shes prone too, always has to wear a fly mask as soon as the flies are out too :rolleyes:
How do you deal with weepy eyes?
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Have you had this looked at by a good Vet? If not it sounds like you are treating symptoms instead of cause. A healthy horse should not have this problem. I would be checking out a blocked tear duct which is so simple to treat & gives exactly the symptoms you desribe.the Vet will normally check the duct located inside the nostril & simply flush it through. Then provide some eye ointment or drops & voila. Problem sorted
 
Take great care because if this is a bog standard conjunctivitis, then it is now a chronic condition. And chronic conjunctivitis can flip over into a very nasty condition called superficial keratitits. And believe you me, there's nothing superficial about it! After a 6 month battle, my horse lost his eye to it. I'd get the vet out asap and explain that it's a chronic condition.
 
I second getting the vet out to flush tear ducts. Very simple and could sort the problem. They will put a green dye in her eye and see if it comes out of her nose. If it doesn't then they could be blocked.
 
Rather than an infection my first thought would be that as the OP says the horse is pink skinned that it may be that the eyes are quite sensitive to light.
 
Hi my tb used to have very sensitive eyes and i used hayfever eye drops everyday summer and winter which stopped his watery eyes, it was on vet advice and agree a chat with ur vet would be a good idea,but im sure you would if you felt it was necessary . the eye drops must contain sodium cromoglicate. i buy them from poundstretcher for £2. theyre brilliant!:D
 
I also had this same problem with my mare for 10 years she had her tear ducts flushed a number of times but it didn't help. About 3 years ago one summer she started itching her tail so I bought some Dodson and horrell itch free. Her eyes stopped running I took her off it a few months later and they started running again almost immediately she has now been on it since then she's not had this problem since and she had it really bad like ur horse I used to have to put Vaseline under her eyes as she had no fur left there at all!
 
thanks for your replys - there def weepy rather than infected.
I will have a chat with my vet - shes due her tetnus soon so will have her check them out then. Will also look into the supplements - they sound like a good idea!
 
When i first got my filly she used to get red and weepy eyes when she was tired such as first thing in the morning and last thing at night but more recently this has been an almost constant blood shot eye and weeping. It also seems to become a little puffy when she gets too hot. Shes not bothered by it and doesnt seem to be sore or effect her in anyway. Anyway shes due her jags next week so i will ask the vet to also check this when hes here and hopefully its nothing serious!
 
Goldeneye works great on my mare, she has a weepy left eye- its a bit weepy in the winter but in the summer it blows up like a balloon! vet thought nothing of it and just said to use goldeneye on it, it really soothed it and witha flymask in the summer it keeps it down and comfortable. in the winter it doesnt trouble her but just has some goo coming out at times (very small amount but just wipe it out for her every day)
 
Just a word about Goldeneye ointment - it's good stuff but is meant for human use so you generally buy it from the chemists. Don't whatever you do say it's for a horse if you go for some as they won't sell you it!! My friend went to get some and made the mistake of saying it was for her dog when she was asked and they refused to serve her!
 
We have one that also has a weepy eye - I thought it was a side effect of getting old! I will have a look at getting some goldeneye stuff to see if that helps, and if not will ask the vet. :)
 
I also think you should get the vet to assess.

I have also read recently that runny eyes can point to a copper deficiency. Something to mention to the vet perhaps.
 
My spotty filly was recently seen by the vet for weepy eyes with turned into an infection due to the flies, she is masked up now during sunny times. A weak saline solution and eye drops sorted out the infection and was healed in 24 hours, but if its an allergy or sensitive to the sun masks can be a god send.
 
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