Any tips on administering eye drops?

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el_Snowflakes

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Hi all,

Wonder if anyone has any tips (or magic tricks!) to get eye drops in to horses eyes? I have the gel type & so far have been putting it on a gloved finger, however every time I think it's gone in it hasn't. Said horse is a very good patient but unfortunately I just can't seem to keep the eye open with my other hand......any tips welcome!
 
I found the only way was to open the eye with one hand and lie the tube flat inside the lower eye lid and squeeze it so the gel went onto the inner part and stayed there, mine was not a good patient but this worked 9 times out of 10, I was rather generous and used a lot more than required but it was easier and more accurate than using my finger.
 
I get the tube in to position first (as Be Positive says) and then open the eye, lower the nozzle and squeeze. My horse had a scratched cornea and I could tell it was really painful. He always let out a huge sigh after the drops went in, this was either because it hurt/got better or a comment on my nursing skills.
 
Get a friend with a very large carrot to hold it low and at enough of an angle so the horse's head tips slightly away from you. You should then be above the eye which makes it easier to squeeze quite a lot of the gel in as per BP's advice above.

I do find the drops easier though! My appaloosa went through a period of eye infections and she was much better with drops than gel
 
Our little but headshy pony had to have eye ointment last summer, and I ended up squeezing the ointment onto a clean eye make up cotton wool pad and sneaking it in from the side so to speak. I used up a lot of ointment quite quickly, but there was no way this pony would have held his head still enough, and I did not want to poke him in the eye with the plastic end of the tube as he jerked away...

Fiona
 
el_Snowflakes said:
Hi all,

Wonder if anyone has any tips (or magic tricks!) to get eye drops in to horses eyes? I have the gel type & so far have been putting it on a gloved finger, however every time I think it's gone in it hasn't. Said horse is a very good patient but unfortunately I just can't seem to keep the eye open with my other hand......any tips welcome!
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I had to do this with Atropine, you lay your finger horizontal into the crease of the lid and gently lif the lid and run the drops along the lower line as per a eye liner and gently squeeze then I released the upper lid. Worked really well for her Uviitis treatment with the maxitrol too., Though if the horse is awkward I suggest you get your vet to suggest a way or show you a way which works with your horse
 
I've been helping dose my friend's horse on and off. He's very good and stands no problem. One thing I learned is that you have to dig/press with your finger just under the edge of the lower lid with much more force than I thought to be able to pull the lower lid away from the eye, and create a gap into which to drop the cream/drops. The horse's reflex is to squeeze the eye closed, and they have tremendous strength. At the beginning, I was trying to gently pull the lids apart without using too much pressure, but that just didn't work. A good "dig" on the lower lid lets you pull it down much better (of course, not getting fingers/nails touch the eyeball, just the lid itself). I also found it works better to pull the lid at the outside (neck side) corner of the eye, as everything seems to get squished towards the front, so if you put in at the back of the eye, chances are more of the stuff will stay in and less gets squeezed out at the front corner of the eye.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions- thankfully horse will lower her nose to floor and keep it there so I can kneel beside her while she eats hay, it's just keeping the eyelid open with one hand which i find difficult!
 
I used to manage it with horses head on my right shoulder, arm over his head that hand used to hold the eye open and use the left hand to drop. (Reverse according to eye!!)
Ours was so used to having eye drops though, poor thing it was everyday for years for him so he accepted it and didn't struggle!
 
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