Study suggests bilateral enucleation can improve welfare in horses

A new retrospective case series in Equine Veterinary Journal suggests bilateral enucleation may be a more acceptable welfare option than many pet parents and clinicians assume for horses with chronic, untreatable ocular pain. The study reviewed 21 horses that underwent bilateral enucleation between 2016 and 2024, with owners later surveyed about pain, activity, tactile sensitivity, overall well-being, and satisfaction. Most horses in the series had equine recurrent uveitis, the mean age at the second or bilateral procedure was 20.6 years, and Appaloosas made up 62% of cases. Owners reported improvement across all welfare-related measures after surgery, with a median satisfaction score of 5 out of 5, and all horses were reported to have better quality of life afterward. (madbarn.com)

Why it matters: For equine veterinarians, the paper adds practical evidence for a difficult conversation that often ends with euthanasia because of concern about how a blind horse will cope. That concern is understandable, especially since equine recurrent uveitis is the most common cause of blindness in horses, can affect both eyes, has no cure, and may ultimately leave horses blind and painful despite medical or surgical management. Existing guidance from UC Davis and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons already positions enucleation as an appropriate option for blind, painful eyes, and ACVS notes that horses with chronic ocular pain often show marked improvement in comfort after surgery. (ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu)

What to watch: Expect this study to be cited in referral ophthalmology and end-stage ERU decision-making, but its small size and reliance on owner-reported outcomes mean prospective, objective follow-up data would strengthen the case. (madbarn.com)