[Fiona McLeod]

Basically, the vet has no idea what's going on with his eye. After bute, it swelled again and was weeping, so I called the vet again. She sedated him and nerve blocked his eye so she could examine it properly, he was poked and prodded for ages...and she still doesn't know what's going on.

The current thinking is that it's a tumour behind the eye (which doesn't really explain why it came up so quickly? It was literally overnight), a possible blood clot behind his eye from a blow which is putting pressure on the eyeball or else he's redone the original blow (which a possibility because...well...he's Tally).

His eye's swollen more today. If it hasn't improved by tomorrow, then I'm calling the vet again and am going to scream and cry until I get x-rays and tests and whatever the **** else can confirm what's wrong.

Does anyone have experience with one-eyed horses (I'm planning ahead but it's becoming a possibility) and whether they get back to full work?

[ghost horse]

They can do fine. If you horse is not a spoke and listens to you he should be ok. MY friends horse had his eye removed because of a tumor and you would never know it.
Just take time with him walking around to let him know where stuff is. MY show horse did full work and jumped and he had glocoma(sp) in one eye. Good luck!

[cminor]

Sorry to hear about your horse. Eye situations are scary. My mare has been at the vet's office for 3 weeks straight and the week before that she had 2 three day stays at another vet's office. She had uveitis, which has finally cleared up and hopefully she will be coming home next week. I hope you can find out whatever is wrong with your horse and I too thought that my mare would lose her sight, and was planning on what to do, and luckily she has regained all of her sight after the eye cleared.

Good luck and I will pray for your horse.

[PawNHoofPrints]

If you regular vet doesn't know, make an appointment with an equine ophthalmologist. All animals do just great even when they only have 1 eye.

[Deb]

Have they ruled out Uveitis? I'd get a second opinion. Lots of prayers being sent your way!!

[mamaalwaysrides]

get a different vet

[Fiona McLeod]

I thought for comparison sake, here are his two eyes (and yes, he's very wet, it's poured for the last two days straight and he's wallowing in fetlock deep mud)

Good eye



Bad eye



What would uveitis show as? The vet said there's nothing wrong with his actual eye.

[Deb]

I can only speak for my personal experience. My horses eye was watering and half closed one day and by the next day, it looked cloudy. The vet came out and stained it and could see current uveitis and past scars from uveitis that I had missed...thinking it was just from flies. Also conjunctivitis...swelling/redness...in eye and eyelids. So she was treated for uveitis and wears a google fly mask on sunny days and a regular fly mask on overcast days and nights.

I think your best bet is to get a vet who specializes in eyes. I would think if your current vet is baffled about this, that he would suggest this.

[Fiona McLeod]

Tally was stained and it didn't show anything and so far doesn't have any real redness or irritation. He's not at all worried about it and seems to be seeing fine.

www.equinehospital.co.nz

I'll be taking Tally up there if it does get worse. Currently, he's not at all worried by it (ie not scratching or rubbing or blinking) and seems to be seeing fine.

[Fiona McLeod]

He's going to Massey tomorrow, his eye looked really bad this morning, he was holding his head at an angle and rubbing it on his leg, so I called the vet who agreed that Massey would be the best bet and so he's going up there tomorrow.