Blood, has anyone heard of this

[carthorse]

My friend has an old horse , she has had him 25 years and he has a problem with his eye at the moment. She called the vet on Friday expecting it to be a tumour and thinking it was the end. The vet thought it is an abscess and has put him on antibiotics. My friend asked for a blood test as well and the vet took extra and gave her two phials of blood to leave to seperate she then has to take the clear part and syringe some of it into the eye. Has anyone heard of this before as we hadn't?

 

[Nailed]

syringing plasma into the eye?
Not a clue!

Lou x

 

[carthorse]

Well maybe I misunderstood the owner but certain that is what she was doing

 

[Nailed]

Thats odd. But im not a vet. There may be a good reason. Im going to investigate.

Lou x

 

[vetsbestfriend]

Young filly at my yard was treated a couple of months ago for a very serious eye condition with some of her own blood separated and then mixed with something else (sorry can't remember what). She had already been treated with umpteen different drops and creams which hadn't worked up to that point. I too found it very strange and had never heard of this before then.

 

[GreedyGuts]

EDTA plasma (blood drawn in a purple topped tube), is used to treat ulcers on the surface of the eye in conjunction with topical antibiotics. It acts to inhibit proteases which disolve the cornea.

Where in the eye did the vet say the abscess was situated?

 

[fingers_crossed]

yes - seen it used when a horse managed to scratch his eye with a twig - healed really quickly

 

[carthorse]

I don't know I am afraid.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

As GG. The cornea is very very poorly supplied with blood (or it wouldn't be clear) which often compromises healing and can mean a simple scratch can end up as a threat to the viability of the entire eye. Tell me about it! Good luck x

 

[glenruby]

Yes serum is often used to treat corneal/melting ulcers. As GG said, it is used along with antibotics.

 

[paulineh]

I have not heard of it being used in an eye, but I have got a horse that has done a hind suspensory ligament and we injected his own plasma into the injured area.

It is said to heal better and quicker. By using the bodies own it will not reject it.

 

[fatpiggy]

Funny coincidence, an older gelding on our place had exactly the same two weeks ago. The diagnosis was a stromal abcess, and it was largely treated with washes of his own plasma. It certainly did the trick.

 

[daisy27]

I did this with my horse last year, he keept getting ulcers, the last one was really nasty, this worked a treat