Very Common
Less Common
OTHER DIAGNOSES CONSIDERED
Other conditions or ailments that might also need to be ruled out by a vet.
Diagnosis
Conditions or ailments that are the cause of a problem that you see - your observation.
Your vet may diagnose
Blindness, Generally
Summary
Blindness is not truly a diagnosis in itself. It is a clinical sign. There are so many causes of blindness that for the purposes of this database, I have gathered them here. Whether this condition is transient or permanent depends on the underlying cause and efficacy of treatment.
There are dozens of causes of blindness in the horse. The most common of these is Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU), a disease especially common in the Appaloosa breed. Traumatic injury either to the eye itself, the optic nerve or the visual pathway within the brain can all can cause blindness, either temporary or permanent.
Permanent blindness is tolerated better by horses than might be expected. Certainly, horses that are blind in one eye have performed a variety of disciplines at high levels with little handicap.
Horses that are fully blind can, in many cases, still lead a good life with a few changes in management and expectation.
There are dozens of causes of blindness in the horse. The most common of these is Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU), a disease especially common in the Appaloosa breed. Traumatic injury either to the eye itself, the optic nerve or the visual pathway within the brain can all can cause blindness, either temporary or permanent.
Permanent blindness is tolerated better by horses than might be expected. Certainly, horses that are blind in one eye have performed a variety of disciplines at high levels with little handicap.
Horses that are fully blind can, in many cases, still lead a good life with a few changes in management and expectation.
my vet's role
Diagnostics Used
These are tests that might be helpful to make this diagnosis or further characterize the condition.
Treatments May Include
These treatments might be used to help resolve or improve this condition.
PROGNOSIS AND RELEVANT FACTORS
Prognosis is guarded to good with change in management and expectations.If a horse has lost partial vision, it can be very difficult to quantify this loss. Often, determining what a horse can and cannot accomplish after suffering full or partial vision loss is a process of trial and error.
my role
I might observe
You might make these observations when a horse has this condition.
Very Common
Less Common
Rare
Skills I Might Need
I might need these skills if my horse has this diagnosis.
Very Common
Less Common
Questions To Ask Your Vet:
- What can we do to determine the severity of this condition?
- What management changes should I make?
further reading & resources
Outside Resources
CREDIBLE EQUINE HEALTH INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET
