Eyelid abscess gone wrong....

[sarahlowe]

I have a 23 year old arab who has an abscess in his lower eyelid this summer. The vet came he was tranquilised, treated and, although the eyelid never completely lost all swelling, all appeared normal until..... several months later the wind and rain came and his eyelid swelled up again and his cornea went white. So I treated the infection with some cream and the cornea is back to normal but the lower lid is sill enlarged and when I look at the inside of the lid there are small yellow lumps (like bits of dried pus) on it. Called the vet AGAIN and he said it was 'necrosis' of the skin and he would need a general anaesthetic to have it removed. The eye has now been 'unhappy' for at least a month.

Jasper is otherwise in perfect health and, although his eye is half closed and weepy, he doesn't seem depressed by the situation.

Is it really fair to put him through a general anaesthetic at his age? Should I just leave it and see what happens? Does anyone have any suggestions/advice - anything greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[alicedove]

I guess if it were me, and if the guy is healthy in every other way, I would have something done, BUT if you can get at it okay and he is not objecting, perhaps you can swab it twice daily for a few days, trying to rub the bits of unside his eyelid and so on, putting the cream you used on it.

I would be really worried about the fact that his cornea went whitish though, so i 'd be loathe to take the risk too long.... I think a generally healthy arab at 23 is not that ancient!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Hi Sez - I have a 22yr old who lost an eye last year due to a chronic conjunctivitis. Like Armhole says, when the cornea clouds over it is very serious. I wouldn't hesitate to get the vet back and get it properly resolved. If there's dead tissue on the inside of the eyelid, I bet every blink could be (a) agony and (b) creating more soreness. Why not have a word with the vet about the GA? When we lost the battle to save my boy's eye and he needed it removed under General Anaesthitic, I too was worried because of Sunny's age but the vets said it was quick surgery and - of course - didn't involve opening up his abdomen or anything so he would almost certainly cope very well. I think the whole op to have the eye removed took about an hour and they told me he was so much happier from the moment he came round from the GA...I can only guess how awful it must have been for him having such a constantly, terribly painful eye for 6 months. Good luck and let us know how things go x

 

[merlinsquest]

If his eye is half closed and weepy then you can bet it is very painfull. Horses can put up with a lot in the chronic pain department but its not really fair to let it go on.

I think if the vet says it should come out then it should come out.

 

[goeslikestink]

dont muck about with eyes get it seen to and dealt with other wise he can suffer from moonblindness or uv which is extremely painful even conjuctivits is - as it can lead to other things never ever takea teary eye as just a runny one
and from now get a fly mask for him for when hes out
winter or summer as the wind and sun light can a do make the eye swell on bad weather days such really windy or sunny he should be indoors