3 month old filly has a booboo :(

[miniaturehorselover]

So apparently Ruby decided to get stuck in the fence when I was gone to get x rays done... came back to her eye lid hanging. . Is there a way to fix it at home? Or do I need a vet?

 

[chandab]

With eyes, always the vet. If it's really small, it might heal on it's own, but I dn't think I'd risk it with anything around the eyes. I can't really see how bad it is in the pictures, so really can't offer any advice other than call the vet, and I would consider it an emergency and see if he can't come tonight (or haul to the clinic if the vet will meet you there)

 

[shorthorsemom]

My opinion.

My first impression is to..

Get the vet ASAP.

I blew that photo up. It is a nasty cut right through the whole lid and the eye is showing through the slit. Eyelashes are involved and the whole lid is really sore looking If you don't want it to heal all crooked and have the eyelashes healing toward the eye to brush on its surface, I would get the vet out to fix that right away. Might be too late for stitches now, but that excess skin hanging needs trimming, the eye needs to be stained to see if there is any dye uptake on that surface. Corneal ulcers can form very quickly... It also needs an antibiotic right away.

I would not wait and see and if that were my horse it would either be fixed tonight on an emergency call or first thing tomorrow morning.

In my opinion this is very serious. Never second guess on eyes.

best wishes. Thanks for posting photos... good education.

ps, if you have a fly mask you will need to use this during the healing process. Farnam makes a small A sized mask that might fit a foal.

 

[amysue]

Always call the vet, especially when eyes are involved. Sometimes, stitches are necessary and other times they are not or if you find the injury too late the skin cannot be stitched especially if the hanging flaps are pointing up or dried out. Better have the vet look. Recently one of my Holstein calves caught her eyelid on a bucket hook and tore the fat pad where her eyelashes grow. I called the vet and she asked me to text her a photo so she could assess the damage. She felt there was not enough to stitch so she instructed me to snip it off and treat with antibiotics. My calf's eye healed nicely and im glad I did not have to pay for an emergency call but its always better safe than sorry. You will regret not calling the vet if she has a corneal abrasion or trauma to her upper lid that you cannot see. It doesn't look horrible, so that's good, but you never know as you did not see the injury unfold, it could develop an infection or an ulcer. Im not trying to worry you. She will probably be fine, but you can never be to careful. The vet may want to boost her tetanus too just to be safe. Good luck.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Any eyelid laceration that disrupts the fine edges of the lid can be serious. Your horse can have a permanent wedge out of the eyelid if allowed to heal naturally. If this is not made smooth again, the skin can actually heal with scarring and rub on the eyeball and cause ulcers and become a nagging issue for the horse. You can google eyelid lacerations of the horse and you will understand why I consider this an emergency. Protect the eyes, call a vet. I have seen this injury repaired successfully in my own horse, but you need to move quickly to have the best chance at a positive outcome. This will look a lot worse by tomorrow. Watch the pupil on your horses eye and make sure it is not starting to slam down and shut tight which can indicate damage to the eye itself.

good luck.

Horses can sure get themselves into trouble!

Your filly is a pretty color. I don't want to overly worry you, but at the same time after reading a posting of a corneal ulcer gone bad posted on this forum, I feel the need to send out warnings to you.

 

[miniaturehorselover]

Thanks but I don't have a vet around with 24/7 vet care. . All my vets are either 5 hours away as much as I want to help my little girl i also can't miss school :/ guess im really stuck in a hard place....

 

Sounds like a sick day is in order. This needs a vet's attention. Hope you can work it out.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Your filly needs you.

I can't imagine living 5 hours from my nearest vet. Horses often need 24/7 vet care.

Leaving something untreated can often raise the vet costs tremendously.

 

[amysue]

Is there a small animal vet closer to you who will see her? I've put ponies in the car and brought them to the vet before. This really does need a vet's consultation. Maybe if you tell them it is an emergency they can make an exception. Good luck.

 

[miniaturehorselover]

They are finally on there way

will update

 

[miniaturehorselover]

All brand new sorta aha XD was funny seeing her wobble around .. once again she was up 10 minutes after sedation

 

[amysue]

Im glad you were able to get the vet out. You can never be too careful with eyes. As others have mentioned, it is probably a good idea to keep a fly bonnet on her until she heals.

 

[miniaturehorselover]

She has one lol

 

[shorthorsemom]

Wonderful.

Keep a close eye on her during the healing process.

Thanks ever so much for sharing photos.

Best wishes for a swift recovery

 

[miniaturehorselover]

Thanks she's a strong girl

she should do perfectly fine .. she was up 10 minutes after being born and already starting to run around. . She just did the same thing with getting sedated

vet said she will be up within 30-60 minutes 10 minutes later she was walking and squeeling

she has eye drops for her eye incase it swells up now I just can't wait for her to get better

 

So happy to see this all worked out, and you were able to get a vet to see her! She's such a pretty little girl, and I'm so happy she's on the mend for you!!

 

[miniaturehorselover]

And here she is tonight

! Just before putting her away cant even tell what eye it was <3

 

[eagles ring farm]

Soo thrilled you were able to get a vet to come. She's adorable

 

[miniaturehorselover]

Thanks

 

[miniaturehorselover]

Rubys eye all better