Jenbabe - 2014-01-18 10:48 AM

My gelding gets eye drops daily. He has very limited vision in his eye, and chronic uveitis which led to glaucoma. I'd been working with my vet for over a year when the glaucoma sent us on an emergency trip to an ophthalmologist. They prescribed dorzolomide with timolol as well as an eye ointment. I've found that if I use the dorzolomide daily to reduce the eye pressure and also a prednisolone to help with the inflammation he stays comfortable. Prior to the glaucoma I thought that he could see out of his eye, but they believe that he hasn't been seeing much for quite a while. So I'm not worried about saving his vision, just keeping him comfortable because when he has a flair up it is painful.

I'll definitely be looking into the Guardian Mask.

DashNSpeckles - 2014-01-20 10:38 AM


Do you use the Prednisolone daily? In eye drop form?

I don't believe my pony has 100% vision on a normal day but she can still see some. I want to try to keep the flair ups to a minimum for the pain issue and to save as much of her vision as possible.

Thanks!

Jenbabe - 2014-01-20 11:42 AM


I just check his eye daily and decide how to treat. If it is looking good, then I'll alternate the dorzolomide and the prednisolone, giving one daily. Occasionally though, it will start to look like it's getting cloudy and then I'll up it and do each of them daily. Not very scientific! I've just kind of learned what I need to do to keep it managed. We've owned him for almost 2 years, and been dealing with it for around a year and a half. If you're giving the prednisolone daily you have to be very careful that the horse doesn't have a scratch or develop an ulcer, because that will aggravate it. We had that happen once, and it turned into quite the ordeal because he developed an ulcer and when we switched ointments it healed over and created and abcess.

When I took my gelding to the ophthalmologist I was asked several times by several different people if I was giving him drops. I was wondering why everyone kept asking me, and finally the vet said that most horses won't tolerate the drops and they were surprised that I was giving them to him daily. I've tried the ointments, but have no luck getting that stuff in the eye. I don't even need a halter, he just stands there and lets me do it. I hold his eye open and drop it into the corner and let it coat the eye.

DashNSpeckles - 2014-01-20 12:02 PM


No problem! When I started on this journey with my gelding's eye I had little knowledge about it and no experience. I hope that you're able to get your pony's uveitis managed. I can tell when mine's eye is bugging him, and I just feel horrible for him.

Edited by Jenbabe 2014-01-20 12:43 PM