Anyone else's horses got gunky eyes at the moment?

[Ellietotz]

Brought them all in last night and noticed my mare had one really gunky eye. I looked at the others and one of them also had it on both eyes.

Any ideas what this is and if I should do anything? I don't want to disturb it, it didn't look sore so thought it might be best to let it clear out on it's own. Any suggestions would be appreciated though!

Thanks!

 

[milliepops]

Yeah one of mine gets really gunky eyes from the cold wind. I put a fly mask on some days which helps, other than that i just gently bathe the gunge off when she comes in for the night.

 

[Equine_Dream]

Tea bags!!!! Our gelding's eyes are so sensitive. We just wash them with cooled down tea bags and within a day or so he's fine

 

[Annagain]

Mine has got a problem in one of his eyes at the moment but the other one is a but gunky too (unrelated). He's having them both bathed in cold tea (and eye drops in the bad eye) which he seems to really like. He's big and can be a bolshy git so I was dreading putting eye drops in but he just uses the opportunity to have a cwtch and a treat afterwards.

 

[Surbie]

Yup - gunky and one is a bit red. I use teabags too and they make a real difference.

 

[kimberleigh]

Both of mine have slightly runny eyes atm, big girl had gunk in one last week so I bathed it and gunk cleared up. I put the runniness down to biting winds at the moment

 

[Ambers Echo]

Yes Ginny! I am glad to see this thread as I was a bit worried.

 

[Ellietotz]

Glad it's not just mine! Never heard of the teabag remedy, how is that supposed to work? Can I just take up a bottle of ready made cold tea or do I need the actual teabag? Thanks!

 

[Sealine]

Mine has gunky eyes too which is unusual for him at this time of year. I got some Golden Eye ointment from the chemist yesterday. Don't tell the chemist it's for a horse and tell them the person with the eye infection doesn't like drops or they will sell you eye drops which I'm not sure would be easy to administer.

I've used very strong, cooled black tea in the past which is also effective. No, Ellietotz you don't need the actual teabag.

 

[BeckyFlowers]

Glad it's not just mine! Never heard of the teabag remedy, how is that supposed to work? Can I just take up a bottle of ready made cold tea or do I need the actual teabag? Thanks!

Make tea as normal with boiling water and let it cool, and either drop it in the eye with a dropper or use some cotton wool or other type of swab. I used this last year when I had horrible conjunctivitis. It worked a treat! It contains tannins which help with irritation and inflammation. You don't need the teabag.

 

[Pinkvboots]

It's been rife round here all the horses have had it, both of mine had it and golden eye and brolene cleared it up.

 

[Equine_Dream]

Glad it's not just mine! Never heard of the teabag remedy, how is that supposed to work? Can I just take up a bottle of ready made cold tea or do I need the actual teabag? Thanks!

I pour boiling water over 2/3 tea bags per eye. Allow to cool completely, then gently bath the eye with the tea bag. Always works a treat!

 

[atropa]

Thanks for posting this, one of mine gets bad gunky eyes during summer and also had them last night. I didn’t know about the tea remedy and will now work this into her routine. J

 

[SEL]

I have a fly mask on the Appy in the field at the moment because of the cold wind - her eyes just get really sore and manky.

I've got a stash of teabags. You can either make up the tea and use large cotton wool pads or use the actual tea bag to wash the eye. My mare prefers the water to be warm......

 

[hopscotch bandit]

I can second the golden eye ointment or anything with Chloramphenicol in it, so you can buy Optrex which is much cheaper but has that as an ingredient in it. If the horse refuses to open their eye there is a serious problem and a vet should be called. There is a vast difference between uveitis and fly eye.

 

[Ellietotz]

I have tried the tea thing so fingers crossed! I dabbed it all over her eye with tea soaked cotton balls and have popped a fly mask on for precaution. It wasn't swollen or sore, just very gunky like she had loads of gloopy sleepy dust! Will keep an "eye" on it.

 

[milliepops]

yes, mine is just gunky after turnout during windy days. In the mornings, after she's been in her eyes are clear, same if it's a still or warmer day. No infection or anything sinister, she just seems more sensitive than others to the biting wind.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I can second the golden eye ointment or anything with Chloramphenicol in it, so you can buy Optrex which is much cheaper but has that as an ingredient in it. If the horse refuses to open their eye there is a serious problem and a vet should be called. There is a vast difference between uveitis and fly eye.

Your right I knew one of mine had done something to there eye last year, he came in and couldn't open it and wouldn't let me touch it, so it was a vet job turns out he had scratched it and had an ulcer, it's really important that you don't put antibiotic in an ulcerated eye it can cause terrible damage to the eye, so if ever in doubt get the vet out!

 

[millikins]

My small pony saw the vet 3 times over several months with a very sore, swollen eye, always the same one. He ruled out uveitis but noted he has a slightly deformed lid which she can't close fully so particularly vulnerable to cold winds and flies. She wears a fly mask if windy and she has eye ointment (Maxitrol I think) if it's very bad.

 

[Greylegs]

My lad did have a bit of gunk in his eye a few weeks ago. I’ve taken his fly mask off and it’s cleared completely. I was wondering if he was rubbing his face with the mask on. I washed it gently with cotton wool pads soaked in an eye wash I got from the chemist and it cleared in a few days.

 

[soapy]

Yes. And I'm glad I came here cos now I know about the tea bag treatment.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I bought a mare recently and her eyes were gunky, so was one of the livery's ponies too.

As someone else has said; Goldeneye lotion (from the chemist) is the thing to use. Ditto not telling them its for animal/equine use; trick is to rub your eyes a bit and say you've got a bit of an itchy eye problem and you've had Goldeneye lotion before which worked and could you have some more please!!

Works a treat if applied twice daily; I used it and within a couple of days mare was clear.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Do check which Goldeneye product you use. There are 3 different products, all in fairly similar packaging. The active agent is listed in teeny writing on the box. I have ordered Goldeneye chloramphenicol ointment from on line pharmacies.

http://www.goldeneyecare.co.uk/our-range/goldeneye-ointment/

ETA cold tea solution is indeed brilliant for eyes, another thing I learnt about first from HHO. Ususal caveat though to get a vet involved asap for equine eyes if it looks the slightest bit out of the ordinary.

 

[Ellietotz]

Hmmm so it's not clearing up much and all the horses have it now...

 

[TheOldTrout]

Mine's got one slightly gunky eye, no inflammation so I'm just cleaning the gunk off. Some of the other liveries horses' eyes are also gunky.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

I bought a mare recently and her eyes were gunky, so was one of the livery's ponies too.

Ditto not telling them its for animal/equine use; trick is to rub your eyes a bit and say you've got a bit of an itchy eye problem and you've had Goldeneye lotion before which worked and could you have some more please!!
.

Yeah I went to the first chemist, said the ointment was for my OH who had itchy eyes and he said he wanted to see him in person! Went to Boots and got it straight away with the same line about the OH.

 

[Ellietotz]

Okay so I've noticed the horses are also creating holes in the middle of their hay. They all have corner floor racks for their hay and it's like a little whirlpool in the middle of their hay right down to the bottom so maybe that's making their eyes gunky as it's quite deep so they would have to stick their whole head in there. But why are they doing it?

 

[Englishcowgirl91]

Wow I didn't know about the teabags! I'm so glad I came here for this post Just seen one of the youngsters will a really gunky eye. Will try this tomorrow and see how it clears up.

 

[alexomahony]

Yes my welsh has particularly protruding eyes that are sensitive to the wind. I got him one of the Kentucky fly masks and they really help

 

[poiuytrewq]

Aw, I read this and thought Milliepops was back for a minute!