Very frustrating week and it's only Monday!

[ChrystalPaths]

Ok, question. Can I use human SMZ on an equine? I ask because one of my kids needs it and while I am happy to fork over the $60 to the vet, my insurance will only charge me $10 if prescribed. SO.....is it possible? Obviously the vet wants me to spend my $$ there. OR buy $84 worth of Naxcel which I really do not believe is going to help this filly.

Details: My filly Rose got a bit of bedding in her eye which did scratch the white of her eye. I washed the eye out and used eye ointment but it got worse and not better. SO...call the vet..let him know it is an EYE problme. He comes (32 miles) on the 6th. He "forgot" his optholmascope.

So, he looks at it and says I'll have to come back keep doing what you're doing, see you next Wednesday.

Wednesday comes and goes, I call he can't come until Monday, TODAY. OK. Now both eyes are affected. She's miserable but eating and drinking and grazing and poops good, no fever. He gives her a tranq and numbs the eyes with drops. Got his scope and his goggles. "Gee wiz, I don't know", he says. "Looks like an ulcer on the eye from something." I knew that. "Could just be conjunctivitis, or pink eye" which is the same thing right? So he cleans her eyes, scrapes both for a culture, cleans the ulcer down and off, I guess, with gauze. Poor sweetie. I kept her in until about 2:30 when the barn reached 93 and said to heck with this. She had 4 fans on her but she'll die from the heat. Against his advice I turned her out. She has an arab type thingy on with the tassels. She hates it and the darn colt keep pulling it off.

He,vet, also said to hit her with 4 mls of Naxcel daily. Now I've always used Naxcel for resperatory things. SMZs for bacterial things. He thinks the eye is a bacterial thingy so why not use the SMZs? SO much easier to give. I've got one heck of a hoof print on my lower leg from giving the first shot and she only got 2 mls.

I really hope someone agrees with me and I can use a script for me on her. If not, I'm on my way to the vets to get a bottle of Vet SMZ. NOTE: it really isn't about the money but saving $40 would be a good thing for me.

Thank to those who will respond. And I realize if you are not Dr Pam you are not a vet, so let's not go there. I am asking and grateful for any and all input.

I need a break, a cool shower, and the darn heat ot back off! 95 out today. Poor kids.

 

[Jill]

I don't know the answer but hopefully someone here will.

Several years ago, Derby had a sarcoid (not cancer, some kind of skin thing though) and he was prescribed "Effudex" (SP?) or something like that for it. I had to get the prescription filled at Ukrops and it was written by my Vet for Derby, but it is a human medicine (a nasty ointment, basically it destroys what you put it on!). That stuff was $180 for a tiny tube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did wish my presciption card covered the Derbster as a dependent at that time. I said it was liquid gold.

 

[Miniv]

It's my understanding that the sulfa drugs for horses are also used on humans....so visa versa??? You'd just have to figure out dosage.

MA

 

[Becky]

I'm dealing with two eye injuries right now. A corneal ulcer is VERY serious and requires immediate and proper treatment or the horse could lose an eye!

Depending on the extent of ulceration, my vet will use SMZ's as a systemic antibiotic and yes, they are labeled for humans unless you are using Tribrissen.

The pupil will need to be dilated using atropine and the horse MUST be kept indoors during the day while atropine is used. A triple antibiotic opthalmic ointment should be used 4 times per day in the eye. Preferably an additional antibiotic opthalmic ointment is used too. That needs to be done for 1-2 weeks until the ulcer is healed.

If you're dealing with conjunctivitis only, then the antibiotic ointment in the eye several times a day should do the job.

My weanling filly that cut her eyelid 2 1/2 weeks ago almost lost her eye due to an ulcer and the wrong treatment. Thankfully, my regular vet (who was not available initially) was able to treat her eye aggessively after the first vets improper care. Looks like the eye is going to heal and the eyelid will have plastic surgery later.

I'm not a vet, but my vet takes corneal ulcers very seriously and they need to be treated aggressively and quickly or the horse could lose the eye.

I would question your vets' treatment further if that is indeed the problem.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Thanks so far. I have been using a triple antibiotic ointment on her eyes for over a week now and there should have been some improvement by now. Perhaps there is more here. The ulceration is on the far outside corner of her eye on the white/color part way back, so tiny. I am just SO frustrated with this. Thinking of asking another vet for a 2nd opinion tomorrow. He's retired now but I'm pretty sure he'll help me out. Sigh.