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Discussion on Blocked Duct, Correct Treatment?
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Member:
erika
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Posted on Wednesday, Apr 1, 2009 - 7:41 pm:
My older mare, Sugar--aged 20--has had tearing from her right eye for some time. No irritation, but the skin and hair below the eye are getting crusty. My vet came yesterday for shots and put dye in the eye. She had to leave but told me where to watch for it, and I didn't see anything in her nostril.
I called the vet to report that and she had me pick up Kenalog ointment to put in the eye twice a day for two weeks. This is contrary to what I've read here for treatment of a blocked duct. She seemed to think it would clear the duct, and if not, she would try to catheterize it to unblock it.
I am wondering two things:
First, is it necessary to do anything at all about this? Perhaps just a very minor annoyance to the horse?
If it is necessary, how likely is the steroid to unblock it? Am I wasting my time putting stuff in her eye with an already-a-little-headshy horse?
Sugar came to me 15 years ago with a dislike for touching her head/ears. All these years have made her much better about it, but if she is likely to need the ducts flushed anyway, I'd rather not bother her eyes so much.
Thanks for your opinion.
Erika
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Member:
pattyb
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Posted on Wednesday, Apr 1, 2009 - 8:20 pm:
Hi Erika.
My first guess is that your vet is taking the least invasive approach first. If there is inflammation in the lower eyelid, it may be enough to interfere with the tear duct.
I had this same issue with my now deceased Arab/Saddlebred mare when she was around 20 as well. Back then, my vet went straight for irrigating the duct and once unblocked, she never had trouble with it again. Before that, it seemed to make her more vulnerable to fly induced inflammation and infection.
This same horse also had issues with seasonal allergies that would inflame her eyes and I was able to alleviate that with a good fly mask that also kept the allergens out of her eyes. Without it, I was forever treating her eyes for secondary bacterial infections.
Good luck and please post an update, I'll be curious to see how the meds work.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 2, 2009 - 9:18 am:
I think it is important to get it unblocked Erika to prevent permanent blockage and the problems of chronic irritation that comes from such a blocked duct. I have never heard of topical treatment of a blocked duct. I feel these are usually space occupying masses (dust, mucous, etc..) and any inflammation secondary.
DrO
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Member:
erika
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 2, 2009 - 10:56 am:
Thanks, Patty and Dr. O. That was my gut feeling. I couldn't see dosing her for two weeks until she hates the sight of me only to do the procedure anyway.
Sugar thanks you, too.
Erika
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New Member:
tbhack
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Posted on Sunday, May 24, 2009 - 6:03 am:
Hi Erika,
My horse also has blocked tear duct - vet tried irrigating it with very thin tube upwards (didn't clear, she said it was most stuck she'd seen) after that we put a topical treatment to try and clear it from the top (didn't work either. What next? I dunno for us! But anyway, those two things usually work I believe.
Kate
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Member:
erika
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Posted on Sunday, May 24, 2009 - 11:51 am:
Thanks Kate. My mare's problem seems to have spontaneously cleared up on its own. I never used the topical, but during the time it took to schedule another vet appointment, it just cleared up.
Erika
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, May 24, 2009 - 6:39 pm:
Kate it might be worth a try to retrogading a very small polypropylene tube down from the top. This always requires very heavy sedation. However some of these chronically blocked tubes appear to have grown together and not unblockable unless the defect can be reached by a very adept surgeon.
DrO
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