my horse has swolen eyes, with slight discharge.

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francesca_S

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hi

my horse is usually stabled at night, but due to nice weather i have been keeping her out she wears a fly rug, a fly mask and plenty of fly spray. This morning i went up there to bring her in from field, but she had swolen eyes and slight discharge coming out. i have bathed them in luke warm water but they have stayed the same. If they have stayed the same tomorrow i will call the vet, but meanwhile has any one got any advice?? thanks.
 
Mine had similar a few weeks back. I called the vet as I really don't like "doing" eyes.
He prescribed Maxitrol that had to be administered every 2-3 hours for 3 days.
It did the trick, they cleared up and haven't had a problem since.

I would say just keep bathing with boiled water to keep the muck and therefore the flies away from her eyes.
 
apparently bathing them in cold tea helps, this one a tip from another hho member when my horses eye was swollen.
 
That's exactly what I'd do Fs. But do keep a close watch because eyes are very precious and if a nasty infection takes hold, it can take forever to clear it up. Don't be tempted to put anything in, round or on your girl's eyes except cooled boiled water as you're doing now. Anything you can buy over the counter or make yourself or chant spells to create could make the situation worse.

One final note: if you do have to call the vet and they give you eye cream/drops to put IN her eyes, take extreme care doing it. The sharp pointy end of eye cream tubes can stab an anxious horse right in the cornea and can cause terrible damage. Get them to show you how to do it or, a safe way to DIY is to put the cream on the end of a clean finger tip and squish your fingertip into ned's eye. Blunt, soft fingertips won't hurt a horse's eye, even if it does jerk at exactly the wrong time x
 
My mare often has this - I think its related to either flies or sunlight as a fly mask does the trick and it clears up within a day or two.

Does her mask fit properly or could flies be getting underneath somehow? For now I'd just keep bathing them and get the vet out if it doesn't improve.
 
I would keep her in and get the vet. My horse has had occasional bouts of Uveitis (moonblindness) usually triggered by flies causing her to rub her eyes. Clears up after a few days of drops but it's a painful condition and can lead to blindness if left untreated. Mind you she usually looks like she's gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson when she gets it! Eyes very swollen.

Can't be too careful when it comes to eyes.
 
Personally, I think that some of the fly spray has got into the eye and is acting like an irritant - so she rubs it, becomes all swollen and discharge
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I would keep an eye on it and stop the fly spray, and if gets any worse call the vet!
 
Ny pony had this a short while ago - I think it's a bit like when we get tichy eyes from hayfever.

I got some cream from the vet and after only an hour after using it, his eyes were back to normal.

Def ring the vet - don't wait - it must be so uncomfortable for him.
 
Sometimes putting a fly mask can make it worse with my old mare, seems to me that pollen gets in the mask and makes her eyes really puffy (hayfever). But then again had to put mask on my gray mare as the flies are eating her alive.
 
My mare had big problems with her eyes, and she now wears a 'Guardian Mask'.
http://www.horsemask.com/products.html

These make the horse look like a cross between a hores and a fly, but they are excellent.
The eye pieces stop most of the UV light and the website recommends them for cases of uveitis. They are fly proof. Star wears hers because she had cancer on the surface of her eye and so needs protection from UV light, and wind.
 
One of mine sometimes gets a swollen eye (usually lower lid swells right up) in the summer. He hates fly masks (have tried a variety), they end up in a heap in the field. So I simply clean them well with baby wipes every night, the eye is normally better again very soon (next day).
 
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