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Discussion on Weeping eyes on gelding
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Member:
Maggienm
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Posted on Friday, Jan 12, 2007 - 10:12 pm:
I have a new gelding that has weeping eyes.
When the chiropractor looked at him she thought there might be a conection between his eyes and his neck being out, something about pressure on a nerve.
Dr. O does this make sense to you?
Both eyes appear to weep equally, there is nothing in the eyes I can see, he is fed flakes of hay on the ground twice a day, so I can rule out hay irritation from sticking his head in a round bale.
The fluid is clear and goopy, (love my medical term  )
The area around the eye doesn't seem to be tender but as I type this I realize I haven't really checked up past his eye.
I have only had him a couple months and he has had this since I got him. I was told it was normal for him but I wonder if there is something I could do about it.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 13, 2007 - 9:07 am:
What are the other symptoms of the neck being out Lori and what makes the chiropracter think the neck is out? As per a relation with the tearing, no this does not make much sense.
We would call this seromucous tearing and is a common symptom in horses. We have more information on likely causes at Diseases of Horses » Eye Diseases » Inflammed, Tearing Eyes, Swollen Lids. It covers both tearing from inflammatory and noninflammatory causes.
DrO
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Member:
Vickiann
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 13, 2007 - 4:50 pm:
Lori -- This sounds like one of my geldings. His eyes had been weeping, clear but sticky trails below the corner of the eye. I thought it was from fly irritation, but then anything seems to cause extra problems for his eyes, plus the fact that he likes to grind sand into them when he rolls. After a couple months of this situation, he came with a SORE and swelling eye one day. I had the Vet out to do an examination, and one of his tear ducts had become plugged, so that was flushed out and I was instructed to use a triple antibiotic ointment (with steroid) twice daily for a week in both eyes. It all seemed cleared up but then the tearing started up again, and now, about 3-weeks after finishing the eye ointment, the opposite eye (which I also had flushed out for good measure) is showing some additional irritation. My Vet. is due back out here Tuesday, so I am hoping it won't get worse before then. The articles Dr. O refers to above are very good, and I will be rereading them. I'll let you know what happens when the Vet. returns and will be interested to hear about how your horse does in the future.
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Member:
Liliana
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Posted on Monday, Jan 15, 2007 - 11:21 am:
Hi Lori
My mare Chaka had a chronic whipping on both eyes and we spent a pretty penny on medicines to no avail.
She used to have a feeder about 3ft from the floor and after Hurricane Wilma with everything down we started feeding on oval bowls at ground lever and like magic her watery eyes stopped whipping.
I don’t know if you have a high feeder but you just might try to feed at ground lever if you do!
Best wishes
Liliana
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Member:
Vickiann
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 - 9:29 am:
Hi, Lori -- The Vet just left my place and prescribed no further treatment for my gelding with the running eyes at this time, though he did recommend a fly mask. And it is okay to cleanse the eyes as needed. Currently in this area (central Florida) he has several horses experiencing chronic eye problems, so has several lavage tubes in various eyes, and has even had to remove an eye. When the eyes get really itchy and irritable, there is a tendency by the horse to rub the eyes or around the eyes, resulting in ulcerations. The warmer winter we are experiencing (no hard frost yet, and now not likely to get one) means many things are in bloom -- plenty of pollen for extra irritation. What Liliana says about lower hay feeding is a good suggestion. Much eye irritation and injury can be caused by hay in the eyes, especially when traveling in a trailer without a fly mask. This gelding of mine usually has a fly mask OFF in 10 minutes or less (and everyone else's too), so I am hoping a new mask I have ordered will stay on longer. The Vet. said this boy's eyes are going to continue going through this unless I can keep a fly mask on him. Good luck to you.
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Member:
Maggienm
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 - 10:56 am:
Hi, right now this guy eats on the ground, I have no idea how he was fed before he came to me.
We are in the middle of winter, there hasn't been a flower in bloom for 4 months, so we are good there.
If I make any progress I'll let you know.
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Member:
Vickiann
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 - 3:50 pm:
Thanks, Lori -- will be interested in how this works out for your horse.
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New Member:
Judyhens
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 - 1:22 am:
Hi,
Over the years, with over 30 horses, we have had our share of weepy eyes caused by irritation, dust, sand, abrasions, mild bacterial infections, and problems with the tear ducts. Most recovered rapidly and without any lasting problems. However, one horse proved to us just how serious a misdiagnosis can be. One two year old filly developed runny eyes which did not have any significant mucous discharge or redness. We were given antibiotic DrOps and an eye wash and used a fly mask, but things remained about the same for several months. We took her to a tertiary referral center where one eye was diagnosed as having a fungal infection and the other was said to have no infection, but needed topical steroids to reduce the inflammation. We were sent home with anti-fungals for one eye and steroids for the other. With round the clock dosing, the eye with a fungus responded rapidly. The other appeared to improve initially. ~ 10 days later, literally within a matter of hours, the mare could barely open the eye. It was white and tearing horribly. We loaded her in the trailer and immediately returned to the referral center. The steroid treated eye actually had a fungal infection also, which went crazy with the steroid. She was hospitalized for 5 - 6 weeks. The infected fluid was drained from the anterior chamber of her eye at least twice and replaced with another fluid. She was put on multiple medications and an experimental one. The eye was saved (the other eye was fine also)and only has a few tiny spots where needles were inserted. She seems to have normal vision and is now progressing well in her training. It has been over a year now with no recurrence, so we are hopeful that the fungus has been eradicated. We just learned the hard way that even the most minor weeping may indicate something serious. And proper diagnosis is critical.
Good luck!
Judy
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 - 6:51 am:
Your precautionary statement of using steroids in situations where there is infection, particularly the type that releases proteolytic enzymes, speaks for itself Judy and I post here just to emphasize it importance. We had a member several years ago that experienced a similar event. Following extensive examination by a veterinarian and ophthalmologist came the conclusion of immune mediated disease. From the posts, I too thought they were on the right track. When steroids were started a unresolving eye infection established and the eye had to be removed. I believe it is quite possible in both your cases the infection began after the start up of the steroid.
It must be noted there are diseases that will cause loss of an eye if steroids are not used. It is one of the real problems we have in equine ophthalmology that two of the very common diseases, look alike but not only treated differently but pick the wrong one and you may lose the eye. Sometimes you are danged if you do and durned if you don't in this situation.
DrO
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Member:
Liliana
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 - 2:04 pm:
Dr. O and Lori Here in Cozumel where we have the same weather as Florida there is fly called Abromena Which I guess would be a summer fly as they also call the affliction summer injury.
I was wondering if it is and what would be the cure.
Lori sorry to use your thread but it could be useful to both of us,
I will try and upload a picture of a horse I had to have put to sleep, unfortunately another one has surface and I wonder it your problem is similar
It seems that the fly lays its eggs in the wound. This horse was left for five years without treatment. So by the time I found out about it there was no other choice
Thank you Lori and Dr. O
Liliana
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Member:
Vickiann
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 - 8:11 pm:
Great information -- thanks all.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Jan 19, 2007 - 6:46 am:
Habronema infections, often called summer sores or habronemiasis, usually will cause a bleeding tumor. It use to be a common infection throughout continental US Lilianna, but it is easily prevented so we don't see it anymore. The cure is easy too, for more see Diseases of Horses > Skin Diseases, Wounds, and Swellings > Bumps / Nodules / Warts / Tumors > Overview of Bumps, Nodules, Warts & Tumors.
DrO
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Member:
Vickiann
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Posted on Friday, Jan 19, 2007 - 5:08 pm:
Dr. O, believe it or not, in spite of frequent worming with ivermectin, we do have this show up here in central Florida. A friend of mine has had it on her stallion (sheath/penis/hind end)two summers. The Vet. sent a culture to the Lab to confirm the diagnosis. One of my geldings (who has spent quite a bit of time on her farm) has had it a few times when the flies have laid an egg in just very small openings in the skin -- usually on his face and ears.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 20, 2007 - 8:07 am:
I can see where with frequent exposure you could have it crop up between dewormings but here where I use to see 1 or 2 a summer, I don't believe I have seen a case in 15 years. I should be careful with my "we's" however and thanks for the observation.
DrO
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Member:
Sross
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 20, 2007 - 10:23 pm:
We had a case at the barn at which I board several years ago, 4 year old mare which we don't believe had been wormed regularly. Very nasty sores in summer on this particular horse, but we never had a problem with any other horses.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 - 9:51 am:
More likely a horse with a allergic reaction to fly bites Sandra, though I can think of several other possibilites.
DrO
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