Constant runny eye

[Zergling]

My filly Coral always seems to have runny eyes. Sometimes its one eye, sometimes its both but it is a very regular occurrence. Most times it clears up on its own and I wonder if its just allergies or dust. She appears to have no other symptoms. No temperature, no foul odor from the discharge and seldom is the eyeball itself red.

This time around, the discharge is heavier, greenish sometimes, with a slight redness to the eye. I've been treating it with over the counter antibiotic eye drops but it doesn't want to go completely away. I've recently tried irrigating the eye with a saline solution thinking she might have a blocked tear duct. It is only affecting the one eye at this point.

Any suggestions? I am trying to avoid a vet visit for what may be a minor matter but I want to get a handle on this soon before it becomes more of an issue.

I'll take some photos if anyone thinks it will help.

Thanks

 

[goatkisses]

I know you are trying to avoid a vet visit, but it might be a good thing to schedule. There may be an issue that requires something more than a topical remedy.

There may be a foreign body in the eye that is causing the discharge.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I've had two horses with chronic eye problems. (Still have one of them) I took them to an equine ophthalmologist. Several hour trek. Expensive. This was after my vet saw them, checked for block tear duct, etc... The expensive doctor told me it was allergy and told me to use people eye drops. I cannot say for sure that the drops do a bit of good. But, maybe they make his eyes a little more comfortable.
When I see excessive swelling, I irrigate the eye with the water hose (no, he doesn't like it but too bad) then give a dose of banamine.
I did get a prescription for a steroid eye drop from the vet for one horse. This helped tremendously, but it ended up masking a problem later on, so I am too scared to use it again.
Bottom line: I have no answer. It's still chronic. I just deal with it the best I can. Vet said part of the problem is their eyes are so large, it makes them prone to problems. Not sure I agree with that, but it's a thought.
I just wash his face every day. He knows the drill.
Unless there is swelling, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I used to panic every time there was swelling and call the vet. Now I try the irrigation first and banamine. If it isn't better the next day, he goes to the vet. I don't like to mess around with eye problems.

 

[Cayuse]

If the eye is red and the discharge greenish I would have the vet out. It could be a secondary infection or a scratched cornea from rubbing her eye if they are allergy prone. I had a mare almost lose her eye and she ended up having surgery (with general anesthesia) to save the eye and she had to have a catheter inserted through the lower lid for almost 6 weeks to administer her eye drops through. It started as a slight scratch to her cornea and progressed rapidly despite intervention, so I always act quick with eyes. They can deteriorate fast.
Sometimes antibiotics do not work, as was the case with my mare, because the infection is fungal instead of bacterial. I am not posting all this negative stuff to scare you, I just don't want anyone to go through what I went through with my mare.
If it is a blocked tear duct, they can unblock it by inserting a tiny catheter into the opening in the horses nostril where the tear duct ends. Then they flush it with saline. I have seen the saline squirt out of the eye like a fountain when the vet does the flush. It's pretty cool. Peanut had it done last Fall, and I had another one done years ago.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I have to agree with the above, a greenish discharge warrants a visit from the vet.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

What works best on mine is the fly mask from equivisor--it is a uv barrier. Either the sun is most harmful, or that mask filters out more allergens. I have a hard time putting it on him in the winter when he is so hairy, and it is so dang muddy now.

 

[Zergling]

Thank you everyone for your advise. Today there is no redness and the discharge is back to being pearly white and very little of it. A little bit in the corner, and when I pull it a little string of it came out. I have a very wise horse person stopping in to take a look on Friday morning. She's knows what is up generally and if she can't wrap her head around she'd advise me to have the vet out.

Regardless, if its not clearing up in the next few days, or starts to look any worse, I'll get the vet out.

I never considered allergies before. Silly of me. Will investigate.

She deals with treatment like a champ so far. Calmly accepts me messing with her eyes and cleaning her face. So trusting. She doesn't like it but knows I'm helping. Much more intelligent than we give them credit for.

 

[Zergling]

Cayuse: Your eye ordeal sounds unpleasant. My little stallion went through a nasty, chronic sinus infection. Weeks and weeks of antibiotics with little effect. The vet cost me a fortune with scoping, x-rays and everything else. They drilled holes is his skull, and irrigated his sinuses in an attempt to blow out the infection. It actually flushed grass and other junk out. They told me because his teeth are full sized, but his skull isn't and causes narrowing of the sinuses. Another round of antibiotics and it was gone. He was not happy to see me and my needle every day for two weeks.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

The sinus episode concerns me. My new horse, Nugget, is holding chewed grass on both sides of his front teeth, also lower lip. I was thinking it is because he is 5, getting his canines. But the dentist didn't seem to think that would cause it. She suggested he wasn't drinking enough water. Not sure how to encourage that; I top dress his feed with salt (per vet instructions) and the water is heated. Now I'm worried about chewed grass perhaps getting into the sinus. Think I will make an appt with a vet and get another opinion. I clean his mouth out every day and actually brush his teeth, as the chewed grass lodges on his teeth. He does not like the toothbrush, but he's getting used to it. Dentist said his molars all look good, though his front teeth are not perfect. He did have an infection when I brought him home from the sale and was on a round of antibiotic. Everything seems cleared up now, no snotty nose or unnatural gunk in eyes. The chewed grass thing is fairly recent.

 

[Zergling]

The vet was never clear on how the grass got into the sinuses. They were very thorough with the xrays and could find no holes, missing or out of place teeth, or any other path for the grass to get in there. It was there and it was very obviously grass.

To this day, on occasion, I can smell slight infection on this breath. No discharge. No temperature. Months of antibiotics when it was all said and done. My friend has a mare with the same issue. The smell of infection on her breath with no other symptoms. Exhausted all options to identify the cause or treat permanently. It's been years for both her and him now and so sign of it getting worse in either case. I watch closely for discharge or any other signs.

Coral is doing better. My friend came over, closely inspected the eye and we flushed her very well. No green discharge, no red eye. Just the white stringy eye boogies. She thinks blocked tear duct since it is not coming out of her nose despite the frequent, copious flushing. If it continues I'll have the vet out so they can use a catheter to clear it.

 

[Zergling]

I put a small pack of childs orange flavor electrolytes in Coral's water every second day to encourage drinking and some extra salts. She seems to enjoy the taste.