Does this look concerning to you? I thought it might be squamous cell carcinoma but don’t know for certain. Could it just be sunburn?
Any eye issue requires prompt vet exam.
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Call the vet. It’s not a sunburn.
It might be a subconjunctival hemorrhage. We humans get these when a tiny blood vessel breaks in the sclera of the eye, and very often it happens with no known trauma. Subconjunctival hemorrhages look horrible but they’re harmless and will fade away in a couple of weeks. I don’t know if horses get these.
I’d be interested to know what the vet says.
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Any acute change in the eyes should be an automatic call to the vet. I don’t believe this is due to sun exposure either.
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Do you have an eye specialist near where you are or a university teaching hospital? I am not trying to alarm you but sometimes you can get better diagnoses and treatment plans from somebody that specializes in eyes. And in the long term saves you money and time treating the problem.
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I think it is squamous cell carcinoma. Unfortunately. He’s not my horse so I haven’t had the vet look at him, but it looks too red and lumpy to be anything else. His eye isn’t painful, and it doesn’t look like a foreign body or injury, or anything other eye condition I’m aware of.
I was reading about new treatments for squamous cell carcinoma with Mitomycin C. And while that may be helpful, I’m not certain that is something I want to take on. Sweet horse. I had hoped to take him home with me, but definitely having second thoughts. Might be able to get it in remission, and I know even if you have to remove the eye, most horses adapt well. But that’s a big investment in a horse that is green broke, and needs training. He did feel safe to ride/ not malicious under saddle, just very green.
If it is, it could be a cheap and easy fix. My horse had one pop up on his eye six months after I bought him. Of course I freaked out! He is a reined cowhorse and losing an eye would have been career ending. My vet took out his third eyelid and then he had a follow up at Auburn. They did not find anymore cancer and he is still fine to this day. The overall cost was around $600 three years ago.
If you really like him, I would get a vet to evaluate it.
