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  Discussion on Cataracts or Uveitis?
Author Message
Member:
Myharley

Posted on Friday, Sep 9, 2005 - 11:13 am:

My horse was diagnosed with recurrent Uveitis yesterday. He was put on an eye ointment once a day and 5cc of Flunixin paste twice a day and I was given no hope. I was told that eye implants were my only sure cure in which I can't afford so I'm looking at putting him down.. I don't understand how this can be considered recurrent when he has never had this problem in the five years I have had him. I was also told that he is completely blind in his right eye and very little site in his left. Now taking into consideration that this doctor had absolutely no bedside manners around my horse and will never step foot near my barn again I would like to get another opinion. The column on Uveitis has confirmed to me that my horse(harley) does have this disease but I see that it is treatable in time. At the time I first noticed it and up until I got the doctor here was approximately three weeks (we are extremely limited in this area) could that time period have caused him to go blind.
I will get another opinion before I put him down when these medications are exausted but again I am looking at weeks. I'm just looking for a little advice here, any and all you can give will be greatly appreciated.
Member:
Redalert

Posted on Friday, Sep 9, 2005 - 12:15 pm:

Sandra
I just wanted to make a quick post to tell you about my mare who lived her life with recurrent uveitis for 27 some odd years, and was put down with stomach cancer(NOT EYE PROBLEMS)! Now, your case may be very different from mine, but I will tell you my mare did just fine with flare ups that we handled with pain meds and fly masks and ointments. She did lose the sight completely in one eye(did not miss it) and became very limited in her other eye (did not skip a beat with that either). Sometimes she would go a year or two without a flare up! Take heart and perhaps reconsider your thinking on putting the horse down, unless there are other factors not mentioned. You might be able to handle this disease quite well, giving your horse many more quite happy, comfortable years with you!
Nancy
Member:
Rasmith4

Posted on Friday, Sep 9, 2005 - 2:06 pm:

I have an 11 yr old appaloosa mare with uveitis also. She is totally blind in here right eye and about 90% blind in the left eye. She runs with my other horses on approximately 25 acres of very hilly pasture and seems to get around fine. I no longer ride her as she shys away from things she doesn't know and we had an accident and went off a bridge (only about 6 or 7 feet high) she wasn't injured but she stood on my leg when she got back on her feet. Needless to say I suffered the injury.

Even though she can't see she still is sweet and I'll keep here as a pet. She seems to be dealing with the blindness pretty well.

Before she got bad in her left eye I had it treated very aggressively with injections and creams. Any hope the vet could give me I did, but it didn't seem to help.

But I didn't consider putting her down and neither did my vet. They can continue to enjoy life without sight just like humans.

Hope this helps.

Cheryl
Member:
Wgillmor

Posted on Friday, Sep 9, 2005 - 3:57 pm:

Sandra,

I want to echo what Cheryl said. My wife's mare had recurrent Uveits, was blind in one eye and nearly blind in the other. She keep going to 24 when she died of colic. She had a trusting soul and was ridden right up to her death. She was actually good at teaching people to pay attention to what they were asking her. If you told her to walk into something she would.

Wiley
Member:
Chanda

Posted on Friday, Sep 9, 2005 - 10:36 pm:

Sandra,

I am sorry to hear about your horse. I had an Appy mare that was blind in one eye and lost most of her sight in the other eye. She was on pain meds during flare ups (am guessing that is why they call it recurrent but Dr. O may know for sure) and twice daily eye ointment that was affordable. She did very well in navigating around with my gelding in the pasture and had free run in and out of the barn to the pasture. The only time she had some trouble was in the dark going through the gate and my gelding would lead her in by letting her place her nose on his back and he would slowly walk her through the gate into the barn. She was a very gentle soul and listened to my commands for guiding her in and out of the trailer. She has since passed on but not from the moon blindness. Many horses can get along without or limited sight and I would say, see how it goes and if your guy does not seem to be panicking and presenting a danger to himself or if the pain is not so bad that he has no quality of life, give the ointment and pain meds (as needed) a chance. Best of luck to you and your guy. Debbie
Member:
Gafarm

Posted on Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 - 12:02 am:

Alisha,
There is a support group for owners of blind or partially blind horses at https://www.smartgroups.com/groups/blindhorses
The majority of us have horses who's cause of blindness is ERU, but several have cataracts or injuries that caused their blindness. You can read the archives with out joining the group and check out the links section but you have to be a member to post to the group. I can tell you that almost all of us would never part with our trusted blind friends and have found owning them, forming a close bond, and working with them has been a very rewarding experience. Feel free to come join us and ask about other member's experiences.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 - 9:16 am:

I agree with you Sandra, if not recurrent how does this guy know this is not a traumatic event? Is the blindness due to clouding or some other reversible event? Get that second opinion as you current treatment of once a day eye treatment is inadequate in both cases. What ointment was prescribed?
DrO
Member:
Myharley

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 13, 2005 - 1:08 pm:

Thank you all for your support and advice. Smart group and blindhorses.com are much appreciated.
Dr. O, the ointment perscribed is "Atropine" and is to be put in the eye once a day. Although getting anywhere close to Harley's face has been a challange i have manage to administer this ointment but have seen little change.
My third vet will be here tomorrow so I will give him the oportunity to give me his opinion and I will go from there.
Thanks All!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 14, 2005 - 6:55 am:

While good ancillary therapy atropine is not good primary therapy for uveitis whether traumatic, infectious, or recurrent. Also once given several times, daily treatment is not needed. For more on this see the article Equine Diseases » Eye Diseases » Anterior Uveitis, Recurrent Uveitis, Periodic Opthalmia, and Moonblindness.
DrO
Member:
Stacie

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 14, 2005 - 9:27 am:

Sandra,

I too have a Leopard Appy that I recently had to kill off his right eye. His sight was lost due to Recurrent Uveitis then Glaucoma. Pain was bad due to the Glaucoma, so I opted for killing the nerves to his eye. Very inexpensive, very gruesome procedure when done, but we all made thru it fine and pain went away. It had shrunk down and now he is pain free in that eye. He has never missed a beat losing his sight in that eye. He also has terrible Ringbone and Navicular, but I never could have opted for putting him down due to no sight, pain was bad for awhile but Ben dealt with it like a trooper, almost knowing it would be over soon and he would be free of pain. He is just a huge pet now, but that is fine, as long as I still have him for him to give me kisses and nibbles on the neck.
Member:
Myharley

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 14, 2005 - 11:38 am:

Thanks Stacie for you advice. My Harley, according to vet #2 is 100% blind in one eye and 90% in the other so I would have to kill both eyes. I have no problem what so ever taking care of him as a pet, I have 14 other pets besides him but I do have a problem with him being in pain and injuring himself more due to his blindness. Vet #3 will be here in about 1 hour so we'll see what he says.
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