A little sunshine is usually a good thing, but for Heather, it turns out those sunny rays can cause quite a bit of trouble.
A few weeks ago, our team arrived one morning to find Heather shaking her head erratically. Something clearly wasn't right, so we sent videos to Dr. Metcalf to get his thoughts.
His first suggestion? A simple little experiment that helped us uncover what was going on.
A Clue in the Dark
Dr. Metcalf asked us to keep Heather in a dark stall for 30 minutes and see if her headshaking changed. And wouldn't you know it? The headshaking stopped completely!
When we let her back outside, it took only about 15 minutes for it to start again.
That was a pretty big clue. Dr. Metcalf came out to examine Heather and rule out other possible causes, and she was ultimately diagnosed with photic headshaking syndrome.
When Sunshine Isn't So Sunny
So, what's photic headshaking syndrome?
In horses with this condition, sunlight can trigger the trigeminal nerve, creating an intensely irritating sensation that causes them to shake their heads in an attempt to find relief.
Thankfully, Heather's symptoms have been relatively mild, and we want to do everything we can to keep them that way!
Finding Her Shade of Comfort
We've tried medication, but haven't seen much improvement. What has helped is keeping Heather out of direct sunlight during the brightest part of the day while we waited for newest accessory to come in.
Heather's Newest Accessory: Sun Goggles!
Her sun goggles just arrived, and they’ve already made a HUGE difference! Heather is now able to spend the entire day outside like normal, enjoying the sunshine and spending time with her friends.
More Sunshine, More Happy Days!
We’re so happy to see Heather back to enjoying life with her herd, soaking up the sunshine and doing what horses do best!
Because every horse deserves to feel good, enjoy the great outdoors, and spend their days surrounded by friends.
