Major Eye Trauma - Worrying Time

[devilwoman]

Got to yard yesterday morning to find my rising 2 year old with a massively swolen eye, full of yellow gunk and eye all cloudy and white, distraught I rang vet immediatley who came as quickly as possible, she literally would not let us anywhere near it, she had to be heavily sedated, but as it was so swollen he couldn't really see very well, so last night she was given antibiotic jab, anti-inflamatory jab, ointment in the eye, and 3 bute in her feed 3 hours later.

This morning she had another 3 bute, swelling has gone down completely and gunk is only very little but the eye is completely cloudy and white. So vet came back this afternoon and has given her another antibiotic jab, and anti-inflamatory jab and again sedated her, now swelling has gone down he was able to have a very good look at it, it seems that whatever she has done it on has slit right accross her eye, it looks hideous, but it seems she has been very lucky it hasn't gone too deep and he says her prognosis of a full recovery and not losing any sight in the eye is extremely good, he had to scrape the top layer off of the eye tonight as the skin is trying to grow over the cut but the infection needs to clear first. He is coming back tomorrow to do the same thing again.

He also took lots of photos and was going to send them to a specialist eye hospital tonight for them to have a look at and second check his diagnosis.

When he comes tomorrow he is going to "block" her eye and fit her with a cathater (sp?) with a tube over her head and down her neck for us to put the drops in as he said treating eye injuries is best done topical but she won't let us anywhere near it so the safest way is like this.

Felt really really upset yesterday, filly was so distressed and I had the worst thoughts going through my head, but today, although I know its going to be a long road to recover, I am feeling more positive for a good outcome for her.

We will know tomorrow whether she needs to go to horspital when they have had a look at the photos.

In the meantime can I please have mahooosive HHO vibes for by baby to make a full recover,

Any similar stories with good outcomes would be helpful too please.

 

[JingleTingle]

How worrying for you and poor horse - how on earth did it manage to do that - but then I guess that is youngsters for you.

Not exactly the same thing but might be reassuring, and I imagine nursing will be similar. My horse had to have two operations due to a carcinoma of the eye. The first was not successful and he had to go to Newmarket for a much more extensive op, where the inner eyelid was also removed. He had a catheter too (made life so much easier to administer drops every two hours!) and he also had a contact lens fitted to protect the eye whilst it all healed.

His prognosis was awful, he was 6 and told he probably would have reoccurring, inoperable cancer within 2 years, and would be blind.

The nursing period after the op was quite long and stressful for him and us - had to be stabled away from daylight, and so much stuff put in that catheter it was unbelievable.

A year ago next week he had to be PTS for totally unrelated issues, and he had reached his early twentys, possibly slightly restricted vision in that eye but never a problem, just made him slightly quirky now and then when he spotted (or rather didn't spot!) monsters in the hedgerows.

I do hope you get a good prognosis for your youngster, so worrying.

 

[devilwoman]

Thank you for your reply, that sounds terrible what your poor horse went through, it's amazing what they can overcome.

I've just come home from yard and she seems to be improving hourly, thank goodness, had a little turnout for half an hour in a small paddock whilst its dusk so light doesn't hurt her, she had a good ol buck and far* so must be feeling a bit better

 

[ha903070]

Oh no poor horse and poor you!!

Wanted to share with you my experience - my 2 yr old tb mare threw herself backwards out of my instructors arena whil being lunged and smashed her eye. She hada HUGE ulcer over the surface of her whole eye - it was sowllen and cloudy too like your horses.

She - like yours - was not for being treated easily and went straight to the vets for treatment. She had plasma taken from her blood and put into her eye along with other ointments every 2 hrs or so.

However the ulcer wasnt healing so we were referred to Liverpool Leahurst hospital to see the eye specialists.
They treated her as a day patient and her ulcer finally healed. They were worried about uveitis but actually discovered the trauma has caused the optic nerve to detach so she can actually see and is fully blind in that eye.

She kept her eye, it is still cloudy in parts but does appear to be very slowly fading - doubt it will ever go completely. But she in herself is fine with it and has adapted very well - so that she is now backed and walking / trotting with me on.

The vets are the specialists and if they say go to leahurst definitely do it they were amazing with my mare. Good luck x

 

[Pearlsasinger]

No experience to share except an elderly mare with a minor eye infection who was a nightmare to put drops in, so I can really sympathise with your problem.
<<<<<<<<<vibes>>>>>>>>> for a speedy, full recovery.

 

[Rouletterose]

What a terrible thing to happen! your poor horse! and an awful shock for you, I will keep everything crossed for your horses full recovery, best of luck.