Horse Care & Grooming Tips (10 of 15) - Horse Cataracts

Horse Cataracts

Dear Dr. Pankau,
Good Morning. Is there a nutrition supplement that will reduce the progression of cataracts in my 7-yr old pony? They are very small and do not interfere with vision at this point.

Robin,
There are many causes of cataracts in horses. Some are congenital, some are inherited, some are traumatic, some are associated with uveitis (moon blindness). Treatment would depend on the cause (surgical or medical management) but In general I would suggest that you try some aspirin daily in the feed (30-60 grams) to help reduce any inflammation in the eye. Keep your pony on a good worming program that would include the use of an ivermectin wormer. This class of wormer will kill a worm called Onchocerca which has been implicated in moon blindness which can lead to cataracts. There are some neutriceuticals (feeds or feed additives like arabinogalactins) that claim to have anti-inflammatory properties as well.
I hope this helps.