# Horse's Draining eyes?



## petitepyromaniac (Oct 12, 2010)

My mare has more eye drainage and eye boogers than she used to. Eye boogers were an occasional thing, but I think that's normal. However, it's been worse for the past... 4 months? What could be causing it to worsen?

Thanks


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## musicalmarie1 (Dec 8, 2010)

First check to see if the drainage is coming out of both eyes-- that could be a bigger problem than just out of one. Additionally, check if her eyes are swollen and tender. Not the actual eyeball, but the lids above and below it. 

If she's just leaking out of one eye, than there might be something wrong with the draining mechanism under her eye. You know how our tear ducts are connected to our nose? Same for horses. If there's no "snot" coming out of her nose, then something might have irritated the eye (like dust) and blocked up the duct, keeping mucus from coming out her nose. 

If it's out of both eyes, or the area around the eye is swollen or tender it could be something worse like an infection or conjuctivitus. That's an infection on the membrane on the back of the eyelid. 

Either way, it's a good idea to consult with a vet. Eye troubles can be frightening. My horse also had copious discharge from her eye for no reason at all, and the vet believes it was the first problem I noted. He gave me a salve to put in her eye, and said to keep the discharge around her eye cleaned up so that it didn't act as a scab and pull off more than it needed to.


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## Midnight Angel (Oct 31, 2010)

My mare has deep set eyes and her eyes water all the time - she gets it really bad when its windy and dust etc blows around - I have had her allergy tested - and 2 seperate vets hav elooked at her. Both agree that there isnt anything that can be done to cure it or more really that there isnt anything to cure - I have to have her ducts flushed every few months and I use clear eyes to wash her eyes out at least once a week. That gives her a lot of relief and calms it down a lot.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Most horses with goopy, runny eyes lack Vitamin A. If you use a supplement with high levels of Vitamin A, you will find the runny eyes clear up Rain rot and lice also disappear. We feed a mineral that is high in Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and Vitamins A, D, and E. Since feeding it, (more than 30 years), I have not had any problems with runny eyes or skin problems like rain rot and lice. I also helps mares breed easier and I have not had to 'clean' a mare since feeding it. Not one retained placenta in all these years.


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## petitepyromaniac (Oct 12, 2010)

This is all very helpful! I'll go out tomorrow when it's daylight to look around her eyes, since it's out of both of them. Although, I don't think it's swollen, other wise I think I would have noticed... She had a bright, happy look today, so I don't think it's anything _too _serious. I'll check anyway though.

She gets fed a weight gain supplement (she holds her weight like a thoroughbred), and a pre/pro biotic for her stomach (to keep her gut healthy because she colicks somewhat regularly). SHEESH. After writing all of this, she sounds WAY unhealthy. I've have a vet working with me as far as the weight/ colic thing goes. ANYWAY, I'll check those supplements and her grain to see if it has much vitamin A. If not, I'll add that to it!

I'll also do better about keeping the area clean so it won't create more (I didn't think of it that way until it was mentioned!) And if none of this helps, I'll the start flushing the eye and call the vet over again.

Dang horses! There's always problems. Or is it just my horse?


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## Gizmo (Dec 19, 2010)

Nope, they always have problems! This just happened to me! I noticed it was just when it got colder and really windy. I think his eye was just irritated. I washed it out with eye solution and it immediately got better. I just have been doing it once a day while it has been cold and windy now. That is the only time that it has acted up is when its windy so I think it get irritated. The vet looked at it and said it was fine to her. That it is just getting irritated. I noticed he started standing in the opposite direction the wind was blowing so its not in his eye so much. Only took him a while to figure that one out.


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## musicalmarie1 (Dec 8, 2010)

petitepyromaniac said:


> I'll also do better about keeping the area clean so it won't create more (I didn't think of it that way until it was mentioned!)
> Dang horses! There's always problems. Or is it just my horse?


Yeah, I didn't think of it either. In fact, I left the stuff on there until I took her to the vet so that he could see what it looked like, and he rolled his eyes at me and said "well, first, let's get that gunk off of there." Silly me!


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## petitepyromaniac (Oct 12, 2010)

musicalmarie1 said:


> I left the stuff on there until I took her to the vet so that he could see what it looked like, and he rolled his eyes at me and said "well, first, let's get that gunk off of there."


That's exactly what I would have done! Haha


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