He does not have the money to take him to the vet. There is no obvious reason for it to have happened it just turned white. What would you suggest doing for this horse until he can get enough money to take him to the vet.
2006-07-04 11:10:54 · 13 answers · asked by blondecowgrl18 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Sounds like "moonblindness" (a.k.a. Equine Recurrant Uveitis, or Periodic Opthamia). Basically there is no explanation for the condition, it has rapid onset and the symptoms are as you described.
"Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU), also called Moonblindness, is the number one cause of blindness in horses worldwide. There is an 8% prevalence overall and a 25% prevalence in the Appaloosa breed.
Clinical signs include epiphora (tearing), corneal edema (cloudiness), aqueous flare, cataracts, peripapillary chorioretinal scarring (butterfly lesions) and retinal detachment. End stage cases will have phthisis bulbi (small shrunken eye) and become blind. The owner usually notices epiphora, corneal edema and variable blindness when the disease is active. These clinical signs recur every few weeks to months and then signs dissipate over the next 1-2 weeks.
If not aggressively treated with appropriate medications, horses will gradually lose vision due to cataract, chorioretinal scarring and/or retinal detachment. Even horses that are treated appropriately can eventually lose vision. Horses can be affected in one or both eyes. " http://evrp.lsu.edu/summer2000/ehspPage02.asp
I think that the eyes are also very photosensitive, so a flymask would be a very kind thing to invest in ($12) in the meantime, but the sooner you get the horse to the vet, the sooner some sight may be salvaged. Its onset is rapid as well as its degeneration.
2006-07-04 11:29:08 · answer #1 · answered by _aihlie_ 3 · 10⤊ 1⤋
Once they go blind you can't really do anything. I have known plenty of horses that have gone blind and still live a perfectly normal life. Just make sure the horse is comfortable and that it knows where it is going. also make sure that it isn't out in a field that has and deep hills so it doesn't fall. Call the vet and talk to them though. They can give you some advice.
2006-07-04 18:15:14 · answer #2 · answered by sexylilgirl_idealmgf 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Acute blindness may be associated with head or ocular trauma, ERU, glaucoma, cataracts, intraocular hemorrhage, exudative optic neuritis, retinal detachment or CNS disease. Horses can adapt amazingly well to blindness but blind horses can be extremely agitated, anxious and dangerous. Some suggestions I would have would be to make sure his enviroment is safe. No nails sticking out in his stall, no barbed wire fences, etc. Approach him slowly while talking gently to him so he is aware of your prescence. Give him a rub on the neck so he knows you are there and pat him on the hind quarters etc. if you move around behind him. He could spook if he's startled. Even if he can't afford a vet he should consult with one about how best to handle this situation. Our vet used to get us to go in and feed the animals and muck the livestock stalls for him on his days off, or if he got called out of town in partial trade for the vet services he provided for our horses. Maybe out of compassion for the horse he would be willing to set up a payment plan or something. If there's any hope for the horse he has to see a vet immediately. The website below is a beautiful tribute to a horse who lost his eyesight overnight as well. It's a true inspiration for any horse lover. I hope everyone reading this will take the time to check it out. I hope it offers some comfort to your friend.
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http://www.valianttrust.org/trust.html#anchor
2006-07-04 21:01:44 · answer #3 · answered by jimminycricket 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The horse might have been stung by a wasp in the eye, or perhaps has gotten something IN the eye. If it's white it could be cataracts, however they usually take longer to develop.
Meantime, stall the horse and protect it from being hurt until you can find out if the condition is permanent or not. Any GOOD veterinarian will, out of KINDNESS TO ANIMALS, should as a MINIMUM, at least give some ADVICE to your friend.
2006-07-04 18:16:38 · answer #4 · answered by fiddlesticks9 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't put him down like others have suggested! Some of the best trail horses I know have been blind. At first it's harder to train them because, obviously they can't see, and they're scared.. but once they get used to it, if there are other horses around usually they'll rely on another horse to help them get around in the pasture and they make great riding horses. They have to take a lot more cue from their owner to know when to step over a log, but otherwise, they can't see anything so they rarely spook. If your friend seriously decides the best course of action is to put it down, put an ad in the paper first, or even contact me and I'll take care of it instead.
2006-07-05 11:32:55 · answer #5 · answered by Rikki V 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
omg!!! that's so sad i'm sorry! well i don't know much but i know that there are some horse insurances. not like that's going to help now, but w/e. most vets i know make house calls and allow you to pay them back slowly, but for now, just keep the horse calm. my guess is that there is some retina damage.
2006-07-04 18:19:05 · answer #6 · answered by GlinkaKC 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Looks like the horse is got a cataract....this can be fixed only by the Vet, no other "home" treatment...coz it is not there!
2006-07-04 18:15:13 · answer #7 · answered by ~d0g5 aR3 p30pl3 t0o~ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Call the Animal Shelter or the Humane Society.
2006-07-04 18:14:57 · answer #8 · answered by ed 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There probably isn't anything that can be done. You might have to put the horse down. Sorry.
2006-07-04 18:16:12 · answer #9 · answered by Spike Spiegel 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he might can call and see if the doctor can come to the horse or i am sure his parents will lend him a little money
2006-07-04 18:50:50 · answer #10 · answered by Michelle D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋