Eye Mask Recommendations

[akdraft77]

My vet is on his way out to check my horse, but it sounds like he’s dealing with uveitis. He is wearing an eye mask I cobbled together out of a nylon halter, an old sweatshirt, and a bra…it’s as awesome as it sounds… but we are going to need something a bit hardier.

I am looking at one of these: http://www.horsemask.com/

he has a big head 1/2 draft. So it may be a special order.

I am just looking for recommendations/experiences with masks. I have to order whatever I get. I live in Alaska. The local tack shops don’t have anything. Has anyone used one of those masks?

Any uveitis experiences and lessons learned that you might share? Things I should discuss with the vet? Things you wish you knew?

my horse kept at home, in his own pen, next to my 2 others. he is 19 this year, and may also be a cushings horse (also discussing with the vet today) and has been off for three years due to a combination of laminitis and arthritis. He was also previously mostly blind in this eye from an old injury. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. We are dealing with all of his existing stuff somewhat successfully. I’m aware his “time” may be coming, but he is my heart-horse, and I’m not ready to put him down. He was pretty comfortable before this happened. Just looking for things others have done to make the uveitis easier, and also have no intention of putting him back to work. He is retired.

[keysfins]

I have used that mask (Guardian mask) for a horse with a corneal ulcer. The ulcer progressed to a melting ulcer, and horse had to go to the clinic for treatment.

It worked extremely well. I got a spare set of eye covers so I could keep a clean set available. I have also loaned out my set to others who had a horse with an eye injury. It is durable, easily cleanable, and not only protected the eyes from sunlight, but also from grit/hay debris and offered a good wind block. The horse I used it on wore it daily for about three months.

Your horse may be a tough fit, but if you call the company, they will guide you through measuring and how to get the best fit. It is an investment, but I have always been glad to have it on hand.

[Pico_Banana]

I tried the Guardian mask on my mare but unfortunately it rubbed around her eyes where the eye pieces attach. She also managed to permanently dent in one of the eye pieces somehow. I have since found Horsey Shades and much prefer them to the Guardian mask in terms of fitting. They are all made to order so it’s worth a call to the owner to discuss sizing. If I’d just ordered based on the measurements I took, I would have ended up with something too big.

[akdraft77]

@Pico Banana - how stiff is that fabric? Any problems with rubbing? I’m in Alaska, and summer means 24 hrs of daylight, so the old man will be living in that mask. The edges online look soft and kind of fuzzy?

[Pico_Banana]

It’s stiffer than a regular Cashel fly mask, but it softens with use to the point where you’d barely be able to tell the difference. It’s edged with fleece everywhere it touches skin. I haven’t had any rubbing at all.

We we got the gray fabric with the zebra fleece and it’s actually really cute!

[gumtree]

I think I would add a crown strap to keep it from slipping over the ears.

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[evntr95]

My horse just came back from getting a cyclosporine implant after two successful years managing uveitis under the watchful eye of an equine ophthalmologist until it was no longer managed well with topicals and systemic dex/banamine at a level with which we were comfortable.

My horse had been turned out in a good ol’ Farnam no-ear fly mask in the winter and Cashel ear fly mask in the summer. I do keep him inside from about 7am-5pm, which sounds like it isn’t an option for you/wouldn’t work anyways since you have 24hrs of daylight in the summer. I’ve found that light doesn’t seem to trigger episodes, but instead that a fly mask is more handy to prevent scratches, etc (his topicals seem to make him more itchy in that eye) and to help keep him comfortable when he’s having a flare up.

Some things I’ve learned along the way- always note your horse’s eyelash angle. It’s a great way to tell if there’s subtle inflammation/discomfort that isn’t yet full-blown squinting/swelling. The lash will be pointed down if your horse is uncomfortable.

Keep an eye on your horse’s pupil size and the clarity over the cornea. Normally a horse’s pupil with close during a flare-up. However, my horse has secondary glaucoma, so his pupil does silly things. I can tell his eye pressure is up and he’s having a glaucoma flare when his cornea gets a light haze. Also keep a daily tab on your horse’s color in the pupil. When my horse’s uveitis was at its worst in the posterior chamber, there was a slight yellow-green haze to the pupil. I know I’m super spoiled by having access to an ophthalmologist who does farm calls, but I never hesitate to call when I notice a change in the wrong direction. I truly think that being proactive and getting aggressive and then gradually backing down has helped save a lot of my horse’s vision.

I assume your horse is on topical meds, and if so, I’ve found that they’re easiest to give if you squeeze them into a 1cc syringe and then more or less poke that in their eye. It keeps the tube of meds slightly more sterile and I think the plastic is more comfortable as opposed to the end of a metal tube. And you can prevent less waste by knowing exactly how much you gave.

When in doubt, enucleation is always an option. My vet friend says horses that gradually go blind adjust very well once the eye is taken out. I went the surgery route, but my horse’s ophthalmologist gives a very compelling argument for removing the eye; over the years she’s found that horse’s instantly find a level of comfort that they just couldn’t achieve prior. She’s also said that many adjust well and go back to their prior level of performance, even returning to jumping, etc.

[akdraft77]

@gumtree - I think you and I would be good friends. ALL of my horse buddies have sent me similar pictures. They just don’t get old!

@evntr95 tr95 - thanks for the info! I have been having good luck with the topicals so far, hubby distracts him with a bit of carrot while I use my finger to kind of roll the goop into his eye. He’s obviously feeling better, because he is onto my tricks.

Originally, when I called the vet and explained what was going on, he was thinking uveitis. Then, when he came out, the eye was super cloudy and he was thinking more of a flare up from an old trauma to the eye. He thought the lense was detached. He prescribed me the topical antibiotic/steroid, and we made a follow up a week out. (that was today.)

His eye was much more clear, but its no longer a smooth globe. It is hard to explain, but at the center, at the pupil, it appears there is a bit of a wrinkle in the “skin” of the eye. I can’t get it to photograph - the bone-head wont cooperate.

He changed his thought process today to pannus.

I got the feeling we are grasping at straws with the diagnosis, but the important thing is that he seems to be responding well to the topical meds and things are improving.

Will see what the vet says next Friday. As long as my horse improves, we will continue what we are doing, otherwise, my options are limited and I have to wait for a travelling ophthalmologist. There are no other vets in my area. Next closest is through a mountain pass, and I will not be making that trek until the roads clear.

But, I did order a mask from horsey shades, I found her customer service amazing - she is making a custom mask for him. He is light sensitive, so I’ll accommodate him as much as I can!

[paintedtrails]

I had a bald face paint I had to protect from sunburn and weeping eyes:
We used these: http://www.equinesunvisor.com/flymask.aspx

But there is also the Guardian mask mentioned above, and these I looked into

http://www.provizorinternational.com/equivizortrade-special-protection-range.html

[lifeishorsesarelove]

I strongly recommend against the Absorbine Ultrashield Mask. The mesh is too fine and cakes with dirt and will stick to their faces.

I hope the Horsey Shades mask works for you OP!

[akdraft77]

@lifeishorsesarelove

I strongly recommend against the Absorbine Ultrashield Mask. The mesh is too fine and cakes with dirt and will stick to their faces.

I hope the Horsey Shades mask works for you OP!

Thanks for the feedback on the Absorbine mask, good to know.

I’m still waiting on our Horsey Shades, and am really looking forward to them. My old man just shredded the mask I made him, so I cobbled another one together. It has been really bright out, and there is still snow everywhere, so not wearing a mask right now isn’t an option for him. He is way too sensitive to light.

[lifeishorsesarelove]

@akdraft77

Thanks for the feedback on the Absorbine mask, good to know.

I’m still waiting on our Horsey Shades, and am really looking forward to them. My old man just shredded the mask I made him, so I cobbled another one together. It has been really bright out, and there is still snow everywhere, so not wearing a mask right now isn’t an option for him. He is way too sensitive to light.

My mare gave herself a minor eye injury with the Absorbine mask. Her eye was puffed shut and weepy for 3 days after I peeled the crusty muddy mask off of it. Thank GOD no lasting damage and it resolved with Saline flushes, but I was about ready to burn the thing (I just threw it out).

Perhaps you could pick up a heavier mesh regular mask at your tack shop to have anyway as a back up? Thank way you aren’t stuck with cobbled masks if/when something happens to the horsey shades one and he can’t wear it for a few days.

[akdraft77]

One step ahead of you… I ordered two Horsey Shades

My goofy old gelding is WAY too predictable to bet his comfort on just one mask! Plus, he has a big head, and the local tack shops don’t have anything at all.

Glad your mare ended up OK. They really know how to keep us on our toes, don’t they?

[Maythehorsebewithme]

I have a slightly different issue to deal with. My horse had a squamous cell carcinoma on his third eyelid about 5 years ago. It was removed (carcinoma and third eyelid) and I was told to keep a mask on him at all times when he is out of the barn.
I use a Cashel Crusader to which I have stitched a 5 or 6 inch band of black fabric that runs from the top of the mask to just above his eyes. Attached at the top, free at the bottom, so a sort of sunshade. Acts as an extra opaque section that keeps out more light.

[akdraft77]

@Maythehorsebewithme - Brilliant idea!!