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Post by ClaireLV on Jul 11, 2010 22:52:19 GMT -5
Poor MacKenzie has uveitis. It looks like he's on the mend but he's still on huge doses of banamine and both atropine and steroid eye ointments. He's rubbed his cute lil face raw on his eyesaver "hat" and I have a guardian flymask for him. It looked bad at first that he might even lose his eye, but (fingers crossed) we're over that stage now. I'm hoping that this does not turn into a recurrent problem, but we have to assume it might. Anyone out there have any words of wisdom, experience, or encouragement?
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Post by filly on Jul 12, 2010 1:16:12 GMT -5
I have no experience with that but I had a friend that had a horse that loved to itch his eyes when he got old. We used half blinkers to prevent him from itching lol. Sending jingles for your guy! UGH...
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Post by Deb on Jul 12, 2010 8:03:51 GMT -5
I am so sorry MacKenzie has Uveitis. I think you've probably caught it at an early stage. Uveitis is also known as Moon Blindness as it was once thought to be brought on by the phases of the moon. That is old-timers logic, though. I have no experience with Uveitis. I looked up the condition in my "ever handy" Veterinary Handbook. Happy Thoughts Coming Your Way....
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Post by hfhopper on Jul 12, 2010 9:19:50 GMT -5
I don't personally have any experience with it Claire. But I do remember there was a horse at my last barn that had it. She continued to compete successfully over fences. I do remember that she wore a Guardian mask anytime she was out, especially in the winter when we had snow. Hope MacKenzie heals up and is feeling better soon.
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Post by Luci on Jul 15, 2010 16:00:04 GMT -5
I'm sorry. I'm hoping the best for him. That special mask I bought for Nave was made for eye conditions and came with different sunglass inserts, is this the special hat he has?
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Post by numerologist on Jul 16, 2010 10:30:00 GMT -5
I had a TB mare with uveitis. Had her tested and she came back with sky-high levels of leptospirosis. I don't remember the strain. She went completely blind in less than a year, after a surgery and a variety of treatments. Most horses take a much longer time to lose their vision. I think it is important that you find the underlying cause. There used to be a support group , based in New Jersey; I haven't checked but you may be able to find them on the web. They used to put out a quarterly newsletter with information on management and treatment. Best wishes for you and your horse....
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Post by ZenRider on Jul 18, 2010 7:07:12 GMT -5
Oh the joys of putting eye ointment into a horses eyes. Give the medication as prescribed. BTW the atropine is what triggered Flynn's impact colic that landed him at Purdue University for nearly two weeks. Make sure Mackenzie is drinking lots of water. as an old age thing, Flynn has chronic issues with rubbing his eyes. Perhaps dry eyes or just more sensitive period. If I catch it early I can give him bute for a few days and can avoid the eye ointment regime. I know, not ideal as bute can be hard on the stomach, but it's what works. I can always tell when one of his eyes has been bothering him, because he won't open it for me to look at it.  Fly masks don't entirely work as he will still try to rub and they can actually aggravate it. Haven't tried blinkers, hmmm. Knowing him he'd still try to rub it and put the cup into his eye.  Jingles for a fast recovery for MacKenzie. |
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Post by ClaireLV on Jul 18, 2010 11:10:24 GMT -5
MacKenzie is doing better and is off the banamine and atropine. Zen, we were on HIGH alert for colic especially with all the banamine he was getting! Oh the stress. Also, yes - the 2 eye ointments twice a day were a challenge!
Vet says to treat this as an isolated case and not assume its recurrent, but I will still keep his guardian mask on and I have some supplements to boost his immunity since it seems like an immune response thing. I am moving him to a new barn next month so I hope that doesn't stress him.
Thanks all!
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Post by alisonph on Jul 18, 2010 20:40:37 GMT -5
Claire,
Check out the "Adult Onconchera (sp?)" thread on COTH. It might be back a page or two and I think it's in Horse Care. Your horse's condition is mentioned somewhere in the first 5 pages.
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Post by ClaireLV on Jul 20, 2010 9:51:49 GMT -5
Thanks Alison, I'll go take a look.
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Post by adcooper on Jul 20, 2010 15:12:16 GMT -5
Claire, I know nothing. I'm only popping in here to demand that you talk to me about library school. I start in September. I want to borrow your notes.
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Post by ClaireLV on Jul 23, 2010 9:55:01 GMT -5
Oh ad - don't do it!!!!! No, seriously... which school? Good for you. PM me if you have questions. I will say that full time work and full time grad school was really tough. Hence my absence from everything else. And so far no jobs on the horizon sadly. But otherwise I met some of the most amazing people and loved challenging my brain so an overall thumbs up.
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Post by Lisann on Jul 23, 2010 13:11:27 GMT -5
My yearling filly was just diagnosed with uveitis. Treatment seems to be working - eye looks much better today.
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Post by adcooper on Jul 23, 2010 13:43:38 GMT -5
Too late. I'm registered. It's the Kent State program (the only game in Ohio) but they have a remote location in our area.
Believe me, I am concerned about the work/school overload. It seems crazy, but I'll get a promotion in place--keep my current job with a pay raise--so at least I know that there will be some benefit.
I do see jobs posted on the school listserve. If I see anything in your area, I'll forward it to you!
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Post by americanmade on Sept 4, 2010 19:38:31 GMT -5
Sorry you and your horse are dealing with this. I have been caring for a horse with recurrent uveitis for the past 3 years. He ALWAYS wears his mask when outside, eyes & behavior constantly monitored for possible flare ups (gets spooky when his eyes hurt). Early treatment of flares ups minimizes damage. The best treatment for this horse has been cyclosporin implants in both eyes.
He has had no flare ups since the surgery, unfortunately it was just discovered this week that he has developed a second auto-immune disease of the eye. Can't remember the name at this moment, but basically dead white blood cells from the eyelid stick to the cornea, causes a condition that results in spontaneous ulcer formation. He now receives eye drops that cost about $75/week. He is his owner's heart horse, she will do anything to keep him comfortable.
Best of luck for MacKenzie!
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Fly masks don't entirely work as he will still try to rub and they can actually aggravate it. Haven't tried blinkers, hmmm. Knowing him he'd still try to rub it and put the cup into his eye. 
