Equine Glaucoma

If your horse has a blank look in one of his eyes, he may be afflicted with a disease that is rare for horses: glaucoma, or "hard eye." It is caused by too much fluid pressure inside the eyeball.

  1. Symptoms

    • Your horse's eye may be runny and not completely open, and you may be able to see the third eyelid. If you hold the eye closed and press against it, then compare it to the other eye, the eye may feel hard.

    Long-term Effects

    • If your horse has had the disease for a long time, the eye may start bulging and your horse may lose some of his sight.

    Diagnosis

    • Your veterinarian will need to measure the eye's intraocular (inside the eye) pressure, and look at the inside of the eye to diagnose glaucoma.

    Treatment

    • Your veterinarian may prescribe some eye drops and medications, or recommend surgically removing the horse's displaced lens, if that is the cause.

    Causes

    • Equine glaucoma is often a result of equine recurrent uveitis or a displaced lens.