Chiger
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1#
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Rank:none
Score:99
Posts:99
Registered:02/19/2006
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:02/19/2006 8:10 AM)
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"Nothing is so strong as gentleness, and nothing so gentle as real strength." - Ralph W. Sockman
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Lochlain
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2#
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Registered:02/02/2006
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:02/20/2006 2:13 AM)
Medicated eyedrops are the way to go. My mare is prone to eye infections of all sorts for some reason. She's had moon blindness in both eyes, on multiple occaisons, and a leptospirosis infection in one eye which left scarring/cloudiness that thankfully has faded in time, but reduced her field of vision.
Sadly, from what I understand, you can't fully get rid of it. I keep drops of prednisone, which if I recall is just a synthetic steroid to help the eye fight the infection, and atropine, which I can't remember what exactly does, that our horse specialist gave us. My mares mooneye flared up again recently, and daily doses of the drops sent it back into remission. However, it can always back flare up once they've, and you either have to do drops as maintenance to make sure it doesn't flare up, or just be aware of the signs when it does flare up.
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cindy966
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3#
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Rank:none
Score:142
Posts:142
Registered:02/18/2006
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:02/20/2006 3:49 AM)
Is your mare a Kiger that has the moon blindness? I know Appys are more susceptable than other breeds so am hoping it is uncommon in Kigers. I have the atropine as well as another ointment that has a steroid in it.
To "Chiger", I'm not exactly sure what the moon blindness is. I read about it awhile back and from what I remember they don't know for certain what causes it but it's thought to be an auto-immune reaction to something, sometimes a bacteria (which I think is what the leptospirosis is). Sometimes they have no idea what brings it on. The eye gets swollen, sore, cloudy (looks blue-like a glass eye) and the pupil is totally closed. It comes and goes. Episodes can be a year apart but eventually usually come on more frequently, causing scar tissue or cataracts. Often this leads to blindness. They used to think the episodes related to phases of the moon, hence the name, but they don't. It's the most common cause of blindness in horses and I read that as many as 10% might have it.
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Chiger
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4#
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Rank:none
Score:99
Posts:99
Registered:02/19/2006
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:02/20/2006 8:54 AM)
Wow, thanks Cindy. Gosh, I hope your mare has a long, happy, sight filled life with you.
Here I was sitting and thinking that moonblindness was something to do with them not having good enough eyesight to see in the dark, or light of the moon....lol. Looks like I have lots to learn.
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"Nothing is so strong as gentleness, and nothing so gentle as real strength." - Ralph W. Sockman
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DianneC
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5#
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Registered:09/04/2002
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:02/23/2006 10:19 AM)
Hi Cindy, There are several good sites on the web if you do a search. The mustang that I used to lease got this uveitis twice in 1998. The doctor gave us ointments that had to be given several times a day - not fun. Atropine was one I'm sure because it made his pupil dialate. We were able to rent a hood like the race horses use with a plastic cup sewn in to keep the sore eye covered from light. Bute makes sense too since its an inflamation at the back of the eye.
It was interesting to me that we put the mustang on MSM daily for his old joints about this same time and he never got a flare up again. MSM is an anti-inflamatory. Could have been coincidence but it wouldn't hurt to start giving it daily and keep him on it. I understand that MSM reduces the amount of selenium your horse can absorb so you might need to give a little of that too if your area is poor in it. Your vet would know. Its horribly painful for the horse to have such a sore eye and it can cause permanent damage eventually. Hope your mare is better really soon.
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DianneC
There is no greater compliment than the trust of your horse.
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cindy966
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6#
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Rank:none
Score:142
Posts:142
Registered:02/18/2006
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:02/23/2006 6:07 PM)
Hi Dianne!
Thanks for the info on the mustang. It gives me hope! I've learned a lot more this week about uveitis. She'd had one minor occurance (is there a spell check on here?) before and I hadn't done a lot of research. Interesting about the MSM as I'd read a couple places this week that it could help and just this morning gave her a first dose. I used to give her a joint supplement with MSM but discontinued when we did other things for the joints. Hmmm. I also read MSM can help break down cataracts.
I also talked to the vet hospital that is really great in the Central Valley (CA). Some consider them better than Davis. They said Banamine works better for eyes than bute and even though more expensive, in this case they feel it is warranted. Also, sometimes the blue is from water in the eye and there is some sort of saline solution I can use to help draw it out. THey will send information on it.
A gal that owns a tack store in town went to UC Davis vet school for a time. SHe said they had incredible results on eye problems with acupuncture, even though that was not the finding they wanted. THe local acupuncturist's family has appaloosas and her dad's horse had major uveitis trouble. SHe had great results with oriental herbs and acupuncture. So, this is my hope.
In the meantime, the horse seems to be faring pretty well even though the eyes are still cloudy. Yesterday she was running and trotting on her own, even with a fly mask on so she must feel pretty good. She'll get some acupuncture hopefully Monday as I'll have a vet out to sedate my colt for branding (finally). They need to sedate for eye acupuncture as the needles go all around the eye.
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DianneC
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7#
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Registered:09/04/2002
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:02/28/2006 5:02 AM)
Cool! I'd love to hear all about that. Keep us posted won't you?
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DianneC
There is no greater compliment than the trust of your horse.
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DianneC
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8#
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Registered:09/04/2002
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:04/07/2006 7:40 AM)
Hey Cindy! How is your mare doing? What did you find that was the most helpful? Did the acupuncture help?
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DianneC
There is no greater compliment than the trust of your horse.
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cindy966
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9#
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Rank:none
Score:142
Posts:142
Registered:02/18/2006
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:04/07/2006 5:27 PM)
We're having one heck-of-a time with it. I didn't see where the acupuncture helped. She's been on some herbs for it but has had way too many outbreaks. I'm getting something from the acupuncturist to boost her immune system this weekend. The local vet wants to try the herbal stuff first, which I agree with. THe episodes luckily respond well to treatment and I can clear it up in a couple days. I charted past vet visits for eye trouble and the last 3 years (all she's had) they were all in Feb/Mar. Now we've got an April one this year but we have March weather. We are trying to relate a cause- possibly vaccinations/worming/seasonal allergies....don't know yet but I'm hoping when the weather settles down so will her eyes. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for asking. The last time the vet looked it appeared not much permanent damage had happened. I watch her like a hawk and get on top of it right away.
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DianneC
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10#
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Registered:09/04/2002
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:04/07/2006 5:55 PM)
Gosh, that must be discouraging to have it coming back so often. Good thing you stay on top of it. I wonder who is doing research on it. With 10% of horses having it seems like UC Davis or someone would be all over it.
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DianneC
There is no greater compliment than the trust of your horse.
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cindy966
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11#
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Rank:none
Score:142
Posts:142
Registered:02/18/2006
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:04/08/2006 5:22 PM)
Yes, I talked to the big guys at Pioneer Equine (surgery center) and they said Davis has an implant that just had the testing done with really good results. They are waiting for approval. It does not cure it but lessens the outbreaks really well. I've got a feeling that the cost will be steep, especially for a 20 something year old horse. Maybe in time when something like that becomes more common it will be a reasonable option. After this experience I would probably never own an Appy. (my first horse was an Appy) I don't know that I would anyway now that I've had a Kiger but the percentage of horses with it that are Appys is huge. (I don't recall it now) Plus, the Appys are at much greater risk for blindness from it than other breeds.
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kimbauer
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12#
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Registered:09/04/2002
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:04/09/2006 12:30 AM)
Reply to : cindy96
Hi Cindy,
Are the herbs you are using doing anything for the liver? In Traditional Chinese Medicine, spring time is the time of the liver and gallbladder (even though horses don't have gallbladders) and in TCM the liver opens to the eyes, so perhaps the reason for the moonblindess this time of year means that your mare needs to have her liver nourished. There are also acupuncture points that your acupuncturist should be able to use to help with this. Does your mare have any other symptoms?
Take care, Kim B.
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cindy966
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13#
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Rank:none
Score:142
Posts:142
Registered:02/18/2006
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:04/09/2006 2:34 AM)
Hi Kim,
In talking to the acupuncturist recently, she asked many questions and we discussed that so far the symptoms have been seasonal. She did mention the liver, just as you did regarding spring. I don't know if the latest concoction has something for liver or not. At that point I had not tried to tie it to vaccinations. Most outbreaks can be tied to following shots, worming, and a virus she got after the colt moved in. Now however there are some unknowns. The unknowns happened during snowstorms. It is hard to say what causes it. Right now it's ok but she's still on bute and I can see it's lurking. The latest herbs are an immune system builder. She appears healthy in all other ways. Her only other problem is high ringbone, and it is being managed really, really well with some different herbs. In general, I've been VERY impressed with the results of Chinese medicine on both myself and this horse. I've seen absolute results for certain things, not just "well maybe this is helping". The horse is eating well, looks good and literally races aroung her area (a couple acres), which does my heart good considering the ringbone. I keep thinking "if spring would come it will all be better (should have been here weeks ago)". I told my dentist that too. I just had 3 root canals, which is totally weird and for which all docs say is just coincidence. I decided I'd put that on the spring issue too. Makes as much sense as coincidence. As I'm writing this I'm thinking maybe she is tired of the cold and wet too just like everybody else around here and maybe that is depressing the immune system some. (we're wusses compared to the northwesterners) My neighbor just called to talk about being depressed and wanting some warm sun. It seems everybody is moping around.
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kimbauer
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14#
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Registered:09/04/2002
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:04/09/2006 5:02 AM)
Reply to : cindy966
Hi Cindy,
I think you are in CA, right? You guys sure have been having a soggy time of it! I was talking with my TCM mentor teacher who is in CA and he said he has seen many more cases of damp related health issues in both people and animals due to the weather this year.
Couple of more thoughts on your mare....I have a friend who is a holistic vet who says that moon blindness can often be due (or related to) a Vitamin A deficiency, so maybe ask your vet about that. She also has recommended a product called Oculotrophin for eye health in the past for moon blindess cases, so that might be something to ask your vet about too.
Kim B.
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DianneC
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15#
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Registered:09/04/2002
Time spent: 0 hours
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(Date Posted:04/09/2006 5:35 AM)
Cindy, I just remembered that my old mustang got both his episodes right after he was stressed. I thought it was very relevant at the time but had forgotten about it until I read your post. Makes sense because that does knock your immune system down. We had a horrible January here with eight weeks of almost constant rain starting in December... I told my husband that I'm skipping January next year. Dandilion is excellent for the liver isn't it? Or is that just the root?
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DianneC
There is no greater compliment than the trust of your horse.
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