Eye tearing

oleos93 · Postby **oleos93** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 3:48 pm

Going in 2 years since I got this mare, now 22. She is in foal again, and I cannot get her right eye to stop weeping. She has had this since I got here. We have tried everything to vet medicated ointment to flushing to just keeping it clean everyday.

Hoping maybe someone had an at home miracle cure hidden in their recipe book. Keeping in mind she is in foal.

Shammy Davis · Postby **Shammy Davis** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 4:37 pm

http://www.newenglandequine.com/Article ... veitis.pdf

Strategic Maneuver · Postby **Strategic Maneuver** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:44 pm

No miracle cure but I have had alot of success changing from an antibiotic ointment to Tobramyicin drops. In my experience, some horses for what reason I couldn't tell you, have a reaction to the petroleum base of most antibiotic ointments. Worst case scenario, had a 23 yr old mare with moon blindness and 9 weeks in foal. Eye burst and vet and I had to take it out under standing anesthesia and she carried foal to term. Good luck.

oleos93 · Postby **oleos93** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 3:16 pm

Defiantly not moon blindness. It is never swollen and she was cked for blindness and is fine. Just the tearing.

I had a dog that got chronic ear infection and I am wondering if she just has chronic tearing.

It does not bother her, I think bother me if anything. She allows me to clean it every time.

Thanks though so far. I will see about changing the ointment.

sulphurfire · Postby **sulphurfire** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 4:04 pm

I had an older Shetland mare that had tearing in the eye and my old vet had me clean the inside of her sinuses in the nostril with saline water and put in some eyedrops. He told me she had a blocked sinus and after several weeks it did clear up. This was all without seeing seeing her and just on my description alone.

Strategic Maneuver · Postby **Strategic Maneuver** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 5:22 pm

[quote="oleos93"]Defiantly not moon blindness. It is never swollen and she was cked for blindness and is fine. Just the tearing.

I had a dog that got chronic ear infection and I am wondering if she just has chronic tearing.

It does not bother her, I think bother me if anything. She allows me to clean it every time.

Thanks though so far. I will see about changing the ointment.[/quot

I was thinking she had been vet checked and if no lash problem and obviously not a corneal ulcer since she lets you clean showing no pain, then maybe it just allergies. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

oleos93 · Postby **oleos93** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 11:58 pm

I thought allergies too, but I just don't know what it would be from....nothing new in her environment. But I guess like people we develop new ones as we get older.

I think I will have it flushed again and see about changing the ointment.

pfrsue · Postby **pfrsue** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 6:31 am

Probably not a help, but I have a cat who was born with a tear duct that isn't formed quite right and tears pretty constantly. According to the vet, it just happens sometimes. (Especially in cats that are white colored around the eye.) I have no idea if it's possible for horses, but maybe she had a long ago injury or something that compromised it?

LKR · Postby **LKR** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 10:18 am

After you try everyone else's suggestions, if they don't work, you might try flushing her eye with an epsom salts solution for a few days. Have had this work in the past. Sinus problems sound reasonable too. Let us know what works, if anything, please.

Mood Swings · Postby **Mood Swings** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 7:47 pm

She could have blocked tear ducts. Your vet could flush them for you

oleos93 · Postby **oleos93** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 12:22 am

We have done the flushing already.....this is why I was hoping someone may have an old farmsers trick or something that is not normally used.

LKR · Postby **LKR** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 4:46 am

If you want some old remedies, here are two. Put a little granulated sugar on your hand. Holdinging your hand flat, blow (one or two puffs) a small amount of sugar into the eye. I would assume do it once a day for a couple of days and see what that does. As far as I know sugar kills bacteria. An old remedy for pink eye in cattle was canned evaporated milk. You might squirt some of that into the corner of the eye for 2 or 3 days and see if that does any good. I have no idea if either of these will work for you but you asked for old remedies. Keep us posted.

Shammy Davis · Postby **Shammy Davis** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 6:29 pm

Is the mare squinting her tearing eye also?

oleos93 · Postby **oleos93** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 6:40 pm

Shammy....no she is not. Other then the treaing and crust at the bottom corner it looks fine.

Shammy Davis · Postby **Shammy Davis** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:11 pm

I would be very cautious about using some home-made remedy when treating the eye. It is critical that applications to the eye be as sterile as possible. Most eye problems present themselves with similar symptoms like tearing, redness, discoloration, crusting, and the like. Trying to diagnose the problem can be difficult. As I am sure you know, squinting or winking is a sign of pain so, since it is absent, that may rule out a corneal abrasion or foreign object. This mare is geriatic, so it is very possible that problem is nothing more than age related. Uveitis was my first thought because of the mare's age, but it is not common in the TB. I do know from experience that long term treatment is often required including repetitive hourly treatments in some cases that last weeks and often months. The eye can be very frustrating to treat. The following links are very informative and has some pictures that might be helpful. I wish I could be more helpful, but they might give you insight into what you are dealing with. Good luck.

http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/AAEP/20 ... 000300.PDF

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ceh/docs/ ... km-sec.pdf