Vitiligo? Lost pigment around eye, then grew back. Now other eye is doing the same.

[Color_of_Light]

Her eyes normally have black pigment all around them. In march I (Vet was here and we all noted the spot.) noticed a funny tiny pale spot underneath one eye. Size of 1/2 camera lens in iphone. No pigment, just pink skin. Eventually it turned black again.

Last weekend her other eye is doing the same thing but this time its more of a fade to pale, and its larger than previous episode. I’ve had her her entire life and have not seen this before. What is causing this?

She is chestnut with chrome. No white or dark spots on her coat. Her eyes are clear, not weepy.

[Color_of_Light]

Vitiligo. Thats the word I was trying to remember last night. Found this photo and article. It doesn’t look anywhere as extreme as this. Hers fades to pink and black.

http://horsesidevetguide.com/drv/Observation/222/loss-of-skin-pigment-on-face-or-head-skin-turning-pink/

No trauma, itch, no sunburn and there there was no sun in March. No appy in bloodlines. Her mother doesn’t have this, neither did grandmother. No idea if father does.

[sdlbredfan]

Sometimes it means mineral imbalance. Sometimes (anecdotally) improvement has occurred by reducing iron and bumping up copper and zinc.

[Fox_Wood_Farm]

I have a gray TB who was born with no pink skin, ie no markings. He started losing pigment on large areas of his body probably a decade ago. He is 24yo now. It doesn’t really show up well unless he is wet. And the depigmented areas come and go, mostly on his belly. Consult with Derm vet said vitiligo. Well actually he said Equine Leukoderma, which basically IS vitiligo. Never has bothered him at all. He is a very fleabitten gray and skin color doesn’t stand out.

Ironically, same horse also has depigmented areas in the iris of both eyes. But we have battled corneal ulcers in both eyes, including surgery on one. I’m thinking that trauma likely resulted in the pigment loss there. Vision is fine. Guess it is just cosmetic. And like most 24 yo gray horses, he has several melanomas.