How to treat a sore eye

[Mary Poppins]

The yard have just texted me to say that Ben has a sore eye. They think that he has poked it or got some grit in it. They have bathed it twice with teabags and it has gone down throughout the day. I am going up in the couple of hours to have a look, but they don't think that he needs the vet.

Has anyone got any advice on how to deal with a sore eye? It's a first for me?

My plan is to bath it with a teabag again and then give him the night off work and turn him out. I will pop back to the yard early tomorrow and if it is worse then I will call the vet.

Any advice appreciated, I'm worried.

 

[Jessey]

My vet told me years ago to use brolene ointment from the chemist, has always sorted mine if teabags werent enough

 

[Mary Poppins]

Do teabags actually work? And how exactly do you use the teabag?

I am really worried now although I am sure that if he needed the vet my yard would have sorted this out. I am imagining his eye to be huge and swollen, but it's probably not all that bad.

I will google brolene ointment now.

 

[Cortrasna]

Or do they still do Golden Eye Ointment? If you can get some of that from the chemists it is brilliant for non critical eye problems, inflammation, mild infections etc. I used to always have some in my first aid kit both for the children and my horses. I used a different tube for either species I hasten to add!

 

[Jessey]

After you've had a cuppa save the teabags (before you add milk if you have it), then to bathe just moisten them with a little luke warm water when you want to use them, then just wipe all round and over the eye letting the fluid run, you're not aiming to get the bag in the eye. Its just cooling and soothing, but I dont think it does much more than that but thats often all thats needed if they poke themselves or get a hay seed in there.

 

[Mary Poppins]

Thank you. I will go with the teabag and think I will ask the vet before I put any human ointment on it, but thanks for the recommendations.

Now I am unsure if I should keep him in overnight? Typical that this is our first day of grass livery!!! I still have my stable to use overnight in an emergency so if his eye is really bad then I guess this is the emergency use.

 

[Kite_Rider]

Sorry and I'm probably being a bit dramatic here but if he has grit/grass seed or indeed anything in it at all he needs the vet, firstly to make sure there is nothing in it and secondly to treat if the cornea is scratched, one of my old liveries treated her horse for a sore eye for about three days (she's had horses for years and yard staff had also had a look) he ended up having to have antibiotic ointment as the grass seed that had been in his eye had scratched the cornea and ended up ulcerated.
If it doesn't go down by the morning I'd be at the very least ringing the vets, but I am a worrywart anyway.

 

[Trewsers]

Or do they still do Golden Eye Ointment? If you can get some of that from the chemists it is brilliant for non critical eye problems, inflammation, mild infections etc. I used to always have some in my first aid kit both for the children and my horses. I used a different tube for either species I hasten to add!

Yes, Golden Eye was given to me by YO when J got something poked in his eye (hay seed or something). After that I always kept a new unopened tube in my kit. (Apparently it does go off quite quickly so she said use it then discard any that's left)

 

[MrA]

Yes I too would be overly cautious if I thought there was something in there and call the vet for advice and probably get them out to check it over. Livery on our yard got a tiny bit of sand in her eye (from those samdstorms last year) it ended up turning into an ulcer and she had to have a cornea transplant and nearly lost her eye. But it could just be swollen from fly irritation or something else.

 

[Jessey]

Brolene is antibacterial which is why my vet reccomended it for any mild injury to prevent infection, but I think we all know not to go off hearsay on the Internet and I think calling your vet for advise a good plan if you are not 100% happy with how his eye looks, eyes are so precious

 

[Mary Poppins]

I agree that it's right to be cautious but I haven't even seen him yet so I don't know how bad it is. I am sure that my yard would have called the vet if they had any concerns, they always do and I trust them to provide the best care. Saying that I am itching for my husband to get home so I can go the yard and see him. I may post some pictures and see if I can get them on here so you can take a look, but if I have any worries I will call my vet tonight if needed.

 

[Bodshi]

Or do they still do Golden Eye Ointment? If you can get some of that from the chemists it is brilliant for non critical eye problems, inflammation, mild infections etc. I used to always have some in my first aid kit both for the children and my horses. I used a different tube for either species I hasten to add!

I didn't realise Golden Eye Ointment was for humans - I thought it was for horses, having only ever seen it used on them.

I've always had vet out for an eye problem though, I just don't think it's worth the risk.

 

[joosie]

Usually I would wash the eye out in case there's something in there (I haven't heard of doing it with a teabag before, but that is a great idea, and must surely be easier than my usual method of using a pipette!) and apply some eye ointment to help ease it if it's sore. I would only call the vet if it gets worse rather than better. If it's gone down during the day I wouldn't be too worried. But calling the vet for your own peace of mind is never a bad idea.

 

[Flipo's Mum]

Flipo kept sticking his head in the straw bale last year and think he poked his eye. I cleaned the corner with warm water as it was weeping but otherwise all I did was put his fly mask on to protect him from the sunlight and further straw diving in the meantime. Folk were a bit perplexed with the mask being that IT was the middle of winter but he recovered. I kept a very close eye on it though as eyes are number one thing you want a vet out for.

 

[Mary Poppins]

Well, I'm now more worried! He has a swollen eye. He can still open it and he can still see out of it. Apparently first thing this morning he looked like he had been punched in the face, but the swelling has drastically reduced and is much improved apparently. The yard manager and the head girl both agreed that the vet wasn't needed, as did a farrier who was at the yard. They think that he poked himself in the eye as he had his head in a bush this morning and I am worrying unnecessarily and because of the improvement he has shown throughout today it's best to leave it. I have no experience of eye problems and they have, so I guess I need to put my faith in them. I will be back at 6am tomorrow and if it is still the same I will call my vet. He doesn't seem in pain, there is no discharge, it isn't watery or runny, it is simply puffy. I bathed it in my teabag, but I'm not sure this looked much good. When I had finished he looked like he was crying. It isn't that big so they are probably right - I do tend to panic about these things.

So now I am off for an early and no doubt sleepless night and hope to see an improvement in the morning.

 

[eml]

I use tea bag treatment for conjunctivitus but is the eye is not opening more within say 12 hours I call a vet.

 

[Mary Poppins]

He can fully open the eye. The swelling is more on the bottom eyelid.

 

[CMP]

I have only had one eye problem. I was up to take one of the minis to the vet (Its in the village) and the other mini had a sore eye with discharge so off I went to the vet with the two of them! Not sure what I would have done if I hadnt been going anyway, maybe ring vet for advice? My boy had a bit of hay in his eye and I had to give him eye drops for a week or so but he was fine.

I would review in the morning but I really dont think you can take any chances with eyes. Im a bit of a panic merchant myself but better safe than sorry. I will add that since the swelling has reduced, I would take some comfort in that but a wee call to vet regardless would be what I would do.

 

[Flipo's Mum]

Found a photo from Flipos bad eye. He just held it closed for a while though so possibly not the same, just thought it might be nice to see for perspective?! (Ps I know he's wearing his bridle but I didn't ride that day - I just realised he'd hurt it once id tacked up. Problem with having a long forelock!)

 

[Mary Poppins]

Wow, I managed to add a photo. Any views?

I know it looks like he can't open his eye, but he always shuts his eyes when I groom him and his other eye was half shut as well.