Which disease can lead to cataract formation and blindness in horses?
Cumulative damage caused by ERU can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, and eventually blindness. Although not all horses that experience a single episode of uveitis will develop ERU, they are at risk for disease.
What age do horses start getting cataracts?
Horses can be born with cataracts due to developmental or heritable causes–known as congenital cataracts. Foals with cataracts often present very early in life, usually at 1 to 2 months of age. Typically, the owners will notice the whiteness in the pupil of one eye almost immediately after birth.
How do you treat cataracts in horses?
The only treatment for cataracts in horses is surgical removal of the cataracts. You will most likely be referred to a veterinary ophthalmologist for this procedure because this is their specialty. Cataract removal is a common surgery in horses and only takes a short time.
Is there a cure for moon blindness in horses?
Treatment for Moon Blindness Treatment will likely include steroids, and drugs that will help the horse’s pupil dilate. You will want to protect your horse from bright light with either a mask or by keeping it indoors. Each time the condition reoccurs, you will need to resume treatment.
How do cataracts affect horses?
Unless a cataract is large, the horse’s owner may be unaware of its existence. A large cataract may show up as a blue or milky haze within the black pupil. Advanced cataracts may have a yellowish quality, especially if there are other ongoing eye diseases.
Why do horses get cataracts?
The majority of cataracts in horses occur in adult animals. They most commonly develop secondary to diseases that cause intraocular inflammation, such as Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU, moon blindness). The second most common cause of equine cataract is trauma – both blunt and sharp trauma.
Can you still ride a horse with cataracts?
Horses with small cataracts show no clinical signs. If one is found, it is sensible to have it rechecked six months to a year later to ensure it has not progressed. Many owners do not bother because treatment is not an option, but I recommend having the eye checked to ensure that the horse is still safe to ride.
Can cataracts be reversed in horses?
No medication will dissolve cataracts and cataracts are only resolved by surgical removal. Some equine cataracts can be removed by phacoemulsification and replaced by an intraocular lens, but this surgery is not an option for all horses.
Can cataracts be cured in horses?
What can be done to treat cataracts? Once they have formed they are permanent – so no medical management will remove cataracts. Treatment of the eye may be required to reduce further damage in inflamed or infected eyes, but this will not remove the cataract itself.
Can you ride a horse with cataract?
Is moon blindness permanent?
Causes of Uveitis But in the chronic, repeating form known as equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) or moon blindness, the disease can lead to permanent damage and eventually blindness—and it’s this manifestation that horse owners particularly worry about.
Why is it called moon blindness?
“Moon blindness” is a chronic, painful eye disease, and it’s the most common cause of blindness in horses. It was so named during the 1600s because people thought recurring attacks were related to phases of the moon. This eye disease might be one of the first veterinary diseases ever documented.
