# Runny eye / tear duct flushing question



## Patches (7 December 2007)

Here's the background....


Horse has always had a runny eye. Vet put a dye in that only came out through one nostril, not the other. Blocked tear duct was diagnosed.

Vet has returned today to flush the tear duct through with saline, as she couldn't do it on the last visit because she forgot the tiny pipe she needed to carry out the procedure. 

Anyway, how long after having it flushed should you see improvement in the runny eye? My friend is concerned because her horse's eye is still running this evening.


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## Box_Of_Frogs (7 December 2007)

This was one of the options my vet discussed with me when my (new then) horse had chronic conjunctivitis. Vet felt it might be linked to a blocked tear duct. The fluoroscene appeared down the one nostril almost immediately (= tear duct working normally) but it took 40 minutes for a tiny dribble to appear at the other nostril (= tear duct blocked for some reason). This was the side where he eventually had to have his eye removed. The thing is, the vet couldn't guarantee that the op to flush the tear duct would make things better, do nothing, or make it worse. He didn't know if the blocked tear duct was the CAUSE of the problems or the RESULT of something else going on. For example, my friends horse's eye weeps almost all the time ever since he took a massive kick to his nose that caused a spectacular nosebleed. The vets think it might also have damaged the structures round the eye so a flush would be a waste of time. Has the horse had any trauma to his head in the past? Or other chronic eye problems like conjunctivitis? You might need to make a decision to either playing the wait-and-watch game OR get a proper work up at a specialist veterinary hospital. Dunno where you are Patches but my boy had expert care and then his eye removed in Dursley, Gloc. PM if you need more info. xxx


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## goeslikestink (8 December 2007)

ask for them to look at moon blindness or uv
 conjuctivitis can be secondary  and if the horse suffers from runny eyes then you  need him in in high winds and sunlight
always where a fly mask if out - so to stop flys attacking the face and eyes-
asit can be depeding on your enviroment as to how many flys around
and it can be  due to the foot and mouth wher by there are body stock piles and flys about
so cuases whats known as red eye or pink eye

so not always a tear duck problem 
ask questions --  moonblindness is rare in this country  but does happen as i have one with
and pollen can also irrate the eyes like the  fly its airbourne
making the horse have runny eyes- think hayfever same thing to ahorse -- teary eyes puffy eyes or runny eyes 
 dont ever mcuka bout with eyes treat it as serious as colic and call a vet- but ask questions


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## Patches (8 December 2007)

Thank you both for the replies.

As I'm sure you can tell from my initial post, my friend did indeed call a vet who is an expert equine vet and she assessed the eye and decided to flush it as the initial treatment.

Not sure what foot and mouth has to do with it though, especially as we're in Staffordshire and there is no foot and mouth anywhere near here....and I'm pretty sure Surrey has no current cases either.

The horse's eye has always been a bit runny since she had him. It's clear, no "gunk" in it, just a steady stream of tears. It was summer when she had him, so the vet suspected it was flies causing the problem. He wore a fly mask (but field mates would remove it) and this did reduce the tears, but not completely. 

As it's now winter, and there aren't loads of flies about, my friend has called the vet out again as she's still concerned obviously over it. 

The vet had a very good look in his eye and has said there are no problems that she can detect in his eye, it all looks normal. No idea whether he's had any traumas because she knows very little of his previous history.

He also has some scabby spots on his body that the vet says looks like an allergy rash, but he only has hi fi lite and Baileys Lo-Cal, which haven't changed, and haylage. Not fed anything that is considered a likely suspect for allergies.


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## Stinkbomb (8 December 2007)

Well i have had two ponios with eye problems. My first horse Simon had the same symptoms as your friends. Runny eye and after tests a blocked tear duct was diagnosed. He had it flushed and to be honest the eye stopped running immediatley.Once the duct has been opened it should allow the tears to drain properly through the nostrils, not down the face. However after a short time the duct just became blocked again. The vet ( Proff Knottenbelt fro LEAHURST ) said it was a purely a cosmetic thing and to leave him alone. Which i did and he lived happy with it.

Now Inky had the same symptoms. His didnt get better after flushing and he was refered to Leahurst, where he was diagnosed with Entropian. This is turning in of the bottom eyelid ( more commonly found in youngsters ) he had to have his eyelids stitched outwards for a few months. the eyelid turns in and irritiates the eyes, thus causing the running. One eye is great, the other  is not so he may have to have an operation next year to cure it, but were leaving him at the moment to see whether it corrects as he grows.


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## Patches (8 December 2007)

My daughter had entropian but luckily she grew out of it. She had plaster stuck on her face to pull the eyelashes away from her eyes for a few months. 

I think I've seen pictures of Inky with stitches in his eyelids when you'd asked about whether to show him like that or not. 

Thanks for replying.


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