Corneal ulcer :-(

CobsGalore

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My poor boy came in from the field on Friday night with a swollen and squinty eye, I gave him some bute and the vet came out first thing Saturday morning and confirmed that he had an ulcer :-(

He is not being the easiest patient, and I am having to twitch him to get the ointment in his eye. I managed to get 6 lots in his eye yesterday and so far done 2 more today.

His eye still looks sore and you can now see the ulcer on his eye. It's almost a cm in diameter. The vet is back out tomorrow morning to check up on progress but I'm so worried there's been no improvement and he's going to have to go to hospital :(

How long before I should see any improvement? Am I expecting too much too soon? Just so so worried :(
 
Fingers crossed for you. I dont think my story would help much but I would think it would take a while to improve.
 
Our girl had the same three weeks ago. We had one week of treatment, antibiotic cream twice a day and drops 4 times a day. It is now healed, but you can still see it and she has a little bit of discharge.

The vet assured us that the important thing is catching it early before it gets infected. The ulcer itself isn't a long term problem, infection would be.
 
Firstly don't panic. You caught it early that's the main thing.

My boy had the same thing after going head first into a bramble bush. He had all the treatment, and is completely recovered.

Will keep my fingers crossed for you both
 
the little pony i have out on loan had it earlier this year, he was a monkey to get the ointment in apparently even though he's only 11.3hh! but his loaner persevered and he came right.
 
My mare poked a twig nearly all the way through her cornea which resulted in a huge ulcer over the surface of her eye. She had two ops in her stable standing and sedated. Then it took about 6 weeks to heal completely but it did and ten years later gives her no trouble. I had trouble putting the ointment in at first (she was also having atropine drops as well as antibiotics) but at the end I could put it in in the field with no headcollar as she got so used to it. I hope your horse has as good an outcome. I always tell people to get the vet asap for an eye.
 
Thank you. Glad to hear your horse made a good recovery.

The vet did say it almost looked like a graze rather than a puncture so hopefully it isn't too deep. I am still having to twitch him to get the medication in, not something I am usually fond of, but it's that or his eye get infected and a trip to the hospital.

If only we could explain to them!
 
:( Poor thing, corneal ulcers are not fun.

Did your vet recommend you cover the eye up to protect it from the sun or keep him inside during the day? I sewed a patch into my boy's fly veil as I had no way of keeping him out of the sun during the day. He had bute for 3 days and ointment for about 8 days and he healed as good as new. :)
 
Good to hear so many positive stories, i blame my girls age on the lack of healing. We treated it for months with no improvement, then one day 5 months later the eyeball ruptured. She was put to sleep as at 39 she was too old to put her through a trip to the vets to remove the eye.
 
Massive well done for getting your vet out straight away- it's a real bug bear of mine, people not taking fat weepy eyes seriously.
Anyone who's horse had been through what ours has I'm sure will agree.
You may well have saved your lucky horses sight by your fast action.
 
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