While Anakin’s weight has steadily been improving since his rescue in early December, his left eye has become more and more cloudy. The pressure in the eye has been monitored by his veterinarians, and it was recommended that we have him examined by an equine eye specialist. Yesterday’s appointment confirmed what we had feared: it’s glaucoma. It’s hard to know what caused it: it could be the result of trauma, it could be a genetic condition, or it could be late-stage uveitis, a disease that causes inflammation of the uveal tract of the eye. Whatever the cause, Anakin needs to be treated in order to reduce the pressure in his eye. That means two types of eyedrops, two times a day. He’ll be rechecked in about three weeks, and if the pressure has not reduced, the drops can be increased to three or four times a day.
This diagnosis is not good news, and there are some realities that we need to be prepared for. It is quite possible that he may lose complete vision in that eye. There is also a possibility that if the pressure cannot be managed with drops, his eye may need to be removed. For the moment, we have a course of treatment to follow, and that is what we are going to focus on right now. We’ll have an update in about three weeks.
And seeing as how everyone’s “standing up wishes” worked so well…if you’d like to send some soothing eye wishes in Anakin’s direction, it couldn’t hurt.
