# What is THIS?! - urgent!



## blush (Feb 10, 2007)

So I'm pretty much freaking out! What is this "thing"?!?

On Friday:









Today:









EWWWWWWW.

I found this on Robbie's eye on Friday: after I tacked him up, rode him and un tacked. I noticed this completely by accident, he just happened to be looking a wierd way and I saw it. This growth/tumor/cyst/thing is on his right eye in the upper corner hidden entirely by his eyelid. I freaked out when I saw it and thought it was some bug at first haha. 

So me and my trainer both looked at it and then called the vet. I hate dealing with eye and eye injuries so we weren't taking any chances. Now the vet was out about 2 weeks ago to treat Robbie's other eye (his left one) as he had a scratched cornea that needed meds and a case of conjectivitis (pink eye for horses). So he got BNP, drops and bute for his eyes and his scratched cornea is healing up well now with only a little bit of swelling left from the conjectivitis. Maybe this thing is related to the conjectivitis case? Perhaps fly eggs or something? But now I find this, I just can't win!

The vet came on Friday right after I rode him and noticed it, examined his eye and took some swabs. She was just as confused to what it was as me and my trainer were. She thought it could be a number of things: tumor, cyst, infection, etc. However, robbie's eye physically looks perfectly fine (other than the growth haha). He has no swelling, no heat, no pain, no sensitivity, nothing. He let me look at it, touch it, etc and gave no fuss. His eye is open, alert and led me to believe nothing was wrong (which is why I rode and so shocked to find it). The vet also said that his eyeball itself is unharmed (iris, pupil, etc is all fine) and the growth is on the surface and pretty superficial. So weird! She took a biposy and looked at the cells under a microscope and found that the cells looked like cells found when an allergic reaction occurs. We get even more confused then! How can he be having an allergic reaction with no heat, swelling or pain? He has also had a fly mask on since the vet's last visit 2 weeks ago so no bugs or anything could really get in there. Aghhhh so confused! We also touched on melanoma as grey horses are prone to getting skin cancer and that can be found of thier eyes. However, the cancer is found on the thirs eyelid (not the upper corner) and the growth is pink in color, not white. The vet also said that she would have seen some sign of it forming when she did the examination 2 weeks ago. 

Since we were/are all so confused, the vet sent the biopsy of the growth to an equine eye specialist so he could perhaps figure out our mystery. No results yet but they should be in by tomorrow (monday). I, on the other hand, am completely freaking out! I want to know what the heck this is and I feel so incredibly horrible for my pony. I tried searching this on the internet, but had no luck. Nothing even came up remotely close. So now I turn to you guys! Have you seen/heard/read about anything like this? I really need your help, since I feel so helpless and all I can think about is Robbie not having an eye in the end of all this.


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## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

I have no idea but am subscribing to see what you find out.


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## redape49 (Jul 29, 2011)

Could it be a botfly infection?


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

Ouch. Not nice
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## RookieReiner (Oct 13, 2011)

*conjunctivitis, which is essentially inflammation of the whites of the eye;

a foreign body, which would most likely be a small piece of debris in the corner of the eye causing irritation; 

or squamous cell carcinoma, which is a tumor of a cell type that is found at the margins of the eye. *


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## blush (Feb 10, 2007)

Thanks for the feedback guys! Haha, it looks so disgusting and you would think Robbie would be in pain but he barely even realizes it's there!

I researched a bit about botfly infections/infestations and they don't affect horse's eyes. They attack the horse's stomach through their mouth and the only case of botfly larva in the eyes is in human cases (ewww haha). 

I don't think there is an irritating forgien body causing this as there is no swelling, heat, itching, etc. The vet examined the cells and couldn't find anything suggesting a forgien body, he has also had a fly mask on 24/7 for the past 2 weeks as this has manifested.  
Also the cancer cells (squamous cell carclnoma) are pink and fleshy in appearance and don't just "show up" I guess. The vet said she would have noticed something when she did the initial eye examination 2 weeks ago. These tumors are also found on the third eyelid in the inner corner and are very rarely (no documented cases) of a cancerous tumor in the upper corner.

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I appreciate the feedback, maybe it's related to his conjectivitis infection as the flies were in his eyes all the time and maybe laid eggs? Eww haha.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Call a vet. Eyes are nothing to fool with and can easily and quickly go from mild to critical.


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## blush (Feb 10, 2007)

Oh the vet was called as soon as I found it on friday. She came and took swabs and didn't want to treat it as she has no idea what it is. We have consulted an equine eye specialist but he's the only one in southern Alberta and I have no idea how long it'll take for him to get back to me.  

So basically the vet is on call for Robbie but can't do anything since we don't know what it is.  And it's growing too.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

never mind, I see the blush has already updated


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## blush (Feb 10, 2007)

bumping this sucker up.


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## palominolover (Apr 28, 2010)

It almost looks like a tumor. It looks very similar to the one that was posted here, but I can't find it =( I'm not sure though.


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## RATHER BE RIDING (Dec 7, 2010)

Subbing because I would like to know what you find out. My guess is maybe the start of an ulcer??


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## RATHER BE RIDING (Dec 7, 2010)

Did you ever find out what is was?


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## sadstory1 (Oct 25, 2011)

Id put my money on that being a hay seed. If its gone now. they occasionally get embedded but usually come out on their own. a good way to wash your horses eye is to use cooled boiling water, put it in your mouth and then holding the eye open spit it in. good in emergencies and will remove most small objects.


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## blush (Feb 10, 2007)

Thanks for all the responses guys! After meeting with specialist after specialist we've finally figured out what this "thing" is!

I got 2 different equine opthomologists to look at Robbie since the first guy wasn't too sure what it was. The tumor/cyst thing was biopsied and tested...not a tumor. No sign of cancer, etc. Good news! But they still didn't know what it was. So further testing was done and a vet was consulted from some univsersity in Toronto. And then we found out what it is!

Apparently, this "thing" on poor Robbie's eye is a rare type of allergic reation caused by an extremely rare fly landing in his eye. :shock: Ummm...yeah so weird right? I guess there are only roughly 20 cases like this reported in Canada (not just in AB but all of Canada haha) because this type of fly is rare and the allergic reaction can only occur on certain membranes (eye, inner nose, bum) and this fly landing on one of the three areas is super rare. So all in all, Robbie got "bit" by this uber rare fly and now has a lovely growth because of it haha. But the extremely good news is that this can all be cured with steriod antibiotics!  It will take 2-3 months for the bump to go away and I have to apply the eye ointment 3-4 times a day but his eye will be just fine with no damage or lasting effects! The only thing I must do come next year is keep a fly mask on the poor guy haha. 

I'll take some updated pics of the growth, it's gone down so much already and I guess it'll kinda just fall off and then the origin of growth just needs to heal up.  Yay!


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## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

Wow! It bad that this has happened but great that its a minor thing that is an easy fix.


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

I'm glad it's not cancer and hope it will heal right up! I had a similiar post and picture not too long ago and we found out my horse has cancer.


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## Fatty Lumpkin (Oct 29, 2011)

Wow, is it a fly that gets about all over the place, what kind of fly?


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Crazy! Glad you got it figured out.


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## blush (Feb 10, 2007)

Thanks guys! Yeah it was pretty scary not knowing what was going on. My friend was telling me horror stories about her old grey gelding that had a tumor in his eye, went blind and crazy and got put down. Haha nice reassuring friend eh?

But yeah, super happy it's not a tumor or anything serious! And the specialist said there will be no damage to the eye whatsoever once the thing is gone! So after Robbie's scratched cornea (in his other eye of course..) and this growth on this eye, I hope we're all done with eye problems for now! Haha. 

I got some pics of the "healing eye" so I'll upload them when I'm home and not on my phone haha. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## cowgirlnay (Oct 14, 2011)

Glad he's okay! It's always scary when you don't know what's going on!


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## blush (Feb 10, 2007)

Yay for progress! Thanks to everyone who helped me/gave suggestions/etc.  Those comments made me feel so much better through this whole "not knowing" process!

So I got some pics of Berto's eye.  
1.5 weeks after the diagnosis was made and medication was started:










3 weeks:










Now! YAY!










Basically he's all healed up but the vet still wants me to keep putting the ointment in his eye until it runs out.


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