Irrigating an inflamed eye

spookypony

spookypony

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Well, Madam Chair-Mare has managed to get one of her lower eyelids quite inflamed: it looks like there may be a small cut or scratch on the inside of the eyelid, the eye's a bit red and weepy, and the eyelid is rather puffy. Phoned vet, who said to irrigate for a few days with saline solution and phone back if it doesn't improve quickly.

I have saline in little sterile pods that you conveniently squeeze to dispense. But I've never tried to stick one near a horse's eye before! Any recommendations on how this might be approached (by myself) so as to ensure a peaceful outcome would be appreciated!
 
We always use Golden Eye ointment from the chemist on any of the ponies with mild eye problems (we get them sometimes due to rubbing with sweet itch) . I swear by it.
I've never really had a lot of success with irrigating eyes, ours wriggle too much.
 
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I usually use cotton wool, dunk it in the saline and wipe around the eye first, then as long as they accepted the first wipe ok use the next time to hold the cotton wool right against the eye and squeeze making sure some liquid runs into the eye, change cotton wool each time so it stays sterile as long as a little flushes through it should do the job, not easy if horse is difficult but most enjoy the soothing effect and accept it.
 
I used warm saline on my horses eye when he had got a mild inflammation due to flies he actually seemed to enjoy it as it must have been soothing. When giving eye meds the vet told me to rest my hand against his face up by the corner of his eye so that if he moves away your hand follows his head but doesn't poke him in the eye. Then I just squeezed it in to the top corner of his eye so flushing downwards. The syringe I used was powerful enough that it could also be applied from a distance.

Previously I've tried getting human eye drops for horses but even though I didn't say it was for a horse I got the third degree from the pharmacist :o
 
The answer is: she doesn't like it very much at all! Will try cotton bud tomorrow; the squirty thing was not popular. :p
 
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spookypony said:
The answer is: she doesn't like it very much at all! Will try cotton bud tomorrow; the squirty thing was not popular. :p
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Use cotton wool not a bud, with the wool you can allow the liquid to wash through the eye, with a bud you risk just poking him with it you cannot irrigate properly using one, make sure it is really soaked then just squeeze and it should run into the lower lid.
 
Used a little make-up removal sponge today. Slightly more success this time, though now more ended up in my sleeve than in her eye. But the eye is a lot less red today! :)
 
I'd get whatever you're going to irrigate with (saline, clean water, cooled tea if appropriate), soak loads of cotton wall balls in the jug / bowl (use good quality cotton wool so fibres don't come off, and balls are better than chunks of roll)... then one at a time use them to sluice and irrigate. Most of it will go down your arm, but it's just about getting clean water / saline / tea to move across the eye and remove the irritants. Putting all the cotton wall balls in the solution at the start means you have them ready and to hand and can get quite a lot of irrigating done quite quickly without faffing or contaminating the solution, and before pony gets annoyed! But yes, you'll irrigate your wrist, elbow and armpit quite thoroughly too :)
 
Madam Chair-Mare much more amenable to having a little sponge near her eye today, and eye looking a lot less red. We still get a bit of head-flailing, but much less! :D

I am still getting used to the idea of a horse that, despite being over 16hh and a bit on the "large and in charge" side, is friendly and manageable! I keep expecting her to loop the loop like my 14.1 pony, who needs to be convinced very gently of any new invasion of his personal space!
 
spookypony said:
Well, Madam Chair-Mare has managed to get one of her lower eyelids quite inflamed: it looks like there may be a small cut or scratch on the inside of the eyelid, the eye's a bit red and weepy, and the eyelid is rather puffy. Phoned vet, who said to irrigate for a few days with saline solution and phone back if it doesn't improve quickly.

I have saline in little sterile pods that you conveniently squeeze to dispense. But I've never tried to stick one near a horse's eye before! Any recommendations on how this might be approached (by myself) so as to ensure a peaceful outcome would be appreciated!
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I would ask the vet to come and see it. How can they advise treatment without viewing??? With eyes don't take a risk call the vet.
 
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