This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Eye Diseases » Cataracts in Horses »
  Discussion on Cateracts in horses
Author Message

Posted on Friday, Aug 20, 1999 - 7:50 pm:

I have read two diffrent articals that have
conflicting reports about cateract in horses. One
states that they are preogressive in nature and
wil eventually seriously impare the horses vision,
the other state that horses are not suseptible to
the type of age related cateracts seen in humans
and dogs that are progressive, that horses can get
a congenital from of cateract that is present at
birth. The latter artical did not indicate that
those type of cateracts are pregressive in nature.

So the question is, are all cateract prorgressive
and lead to blindness? Or can they be born with
them and never progress any further?

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 24, 1999 - 7:39 am:

Hello Emily,
Actually both reports are true, partially. We do not see the age related cataracts that seem to commonly plague humans and dogs. Personally I think the lens becomes a little less clear, a little bluer, with age but this is not really the same, and I cannot say it impairs vision.

However, using the strictess definition of the word, horses have all kinds of cataracts. If looked at closely enough you would have trouble finding a horse that did not have some almost microscopic lenticular defect that someone would classify as a cataract. The vast majority of these types of cataracts are nonprogressive in nature and in no way impede vision.

In the past I was slow to label these little defects cataracts and liked to save the definition for defects that are pregressive in nature. But I guess I will have to get with the times.

There are cataracts that are progressive, can be unilateral or bilateral and by a relatively young age can blind a horse. There are some characteristics that help classify cataracts and help to prognose, roughly, the type of cataract. I know I have 90% of an article on cataracts explaining this around here somewhere (thought it already had been posted) and I will see if I call get it finished and into The Advisor by next week.
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 24, 1999 - 12:41 pm:

Thanks Dr O, I look forward to another great artical on the HA
-Emily

P.S. Hope you had a good vacation!

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 9, 1999 - 1:34 pm:

We just bought a mare, that is 14 years old.
She has one blue eye. Some say it is a catarat,
some say eye flies can cause damage to the horses
eye as well. Could this be?
My biggest concern is that she is a broodmare.
Can this be hereditary? It seems she has vision
in it and it is not irritated.
If flies can lead to blindness, what do you suggest?
Denise/MI

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 10, 1999 - 7:56 am:

Instead of posting your question at the bottom of someone elses discussion you should create your own. You will get more responses and it helps others find related information better. There is a article on Cataracts that now has its own forum, so return to the Disease: Eyes topic page and select Cataracts. The easiest way to do this is using the navigation bar at the top of this page. Administration
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC