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Susan M. Herrick
Member
Username: Quatro
Post Number: 62
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, Jun 14, 2004 - 10:55 pm: |   |
Dr. O, My Levi, I swear, he always has something wrong with him. Yesterday, I noticed, along with him being extremely lame from having his feet cut tooooo short, he was squinting. His eye was not watering profusely, but clear discharge. I used an eye wash on him yesterday and today, the wind has been terrible around here, tornadoes and such, so I was thinking he had something trapped in his eye. Tonight I think I noticed a very small cloudy white spot on his eye. I do have some tri-optic ointment. It is probably a year old. Can I apply this too his eye, or should I get fresh ointment? I have been spending milllllions on my horses of late, and if I can try this for a few days without a vet call, I would be grateful. It has improved since yesterday, so it is not getting worse. He does not seem to be in pain, and his lameness has also improved.
I know you should not mess with the eyes, but I have had this problem a year ago with my other horse, and the vet came out and gave me this tri-optic ointment. I just did not know what the shelf life would be on antibiotic ointment?
thanks
suz |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 10637
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2004 - 10:46 am: | |
Susan, a cloudy eye is not something you should fool around with, as the article explains. I would recommend a thorough exam by your veterinarian right away. The shelf life on an eye ointment is usually printed on the crimp of the tube at the bottom but you should not use one horeses eye medicine in another horse.
DrO |
Susan M. Herrick
Member
Username: Quatro
Post Number: 64
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Jun 25, 2004 - 11:39 pm: | |
Dr. O, I had a vet out a week ago to look at levi's eye. He put some green flourescent dye in his eye. He said he had injured it, poked it. and to continue putting the antibiotic ointment in his eye 3-4 times a day for a week. It has been a week today. His eye is definately improved, but the white spot is still there. Should i continue to apply the ointment until the spot disappears? And will it go away, or will this be a scar forever. It seemed like it was really great, so today i cut out his ointment, and he seemed like it was sore. I had been using a fly shield on his face everyday also, and did not put one on today. How long will it take for it to completely heal?
I have put off his training, can we resume lessons as long as he is acting normal?
thanks
sue |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 10691
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2004 - 2:51 pm: | |
Pretty much yes, as long as you have areas of white you should treat, however there are exceptions. For instance if a small scar forms, that will not need treatment. How long it takes to heal depends on a number of factors and can really try your paitence in cases where the trauma is deep, or the healing stalls. The best quess can be made by the person examining the horse. I had a horse with what looked like a fairly superficial cornea laceration (it did involve the stroma however) that took 8 months to heal. Most with a very similar injury would have healed in a few months. If just the epithealium is involved healing is usually just a few weeks.
DrO |
Susan M. Herrick
Member
Username: Quatro
Post Number: 65
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2004 - 4:02 pm: | |
Thanks Dr. O. I will keep any "eye" on it. It is not getting worse. The white spot is right where the puncture occurred. the rest of his eye is bright and clear.
It's always somethin' with these critters 
suz |
Susan M. Herrick
Member
Username: Quatro
Post Number: 80
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, Jul 17, 2004 - 10:02 am: | |
Dr. O. It has been a little over a month since Levi injured his eye. The weeping and such went away and after 2 weeks of treating with ointment. I finally quit. He still has a small, white dot in the center of his eye. I am taking him up to the horse vet to have his teeth floated. I mentioned the eye scar and she said we can still possibly get rid of the scar by treating it with a cortisoid ointment. I know that you should not use cortisoid on scratches or ulceration, but will it be advisable to use on getting the scar to go away. It is right in the center of his eye. He did have a goobery eye 2 days ago, I put ointment in it and cleaned out the goobers and he was ok the next day, clear eyed.
thanks
susan |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 10808
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Sunday, Jul 18, 2004 - 9:32 am: | |
There always is a chance of potentiating a corneal infection with steroid use. If there is still a bit of inflammation and the eye does not stain with florascein and rose-bengal stains, the corticosteroid may speed healing with a acceptable amount of risk.
DrO |
