Need ideas for protecting injured eye

[targetsmom]

Ruby has done it again - injured her eye on something - and this time it is the eye itself not the lid. When she had her lid stitched up (twice!) several years ago I made a protective mask from a jowl wrap and some plastic that I formed into an eye cup. It worked great but when another forum member needed it, I sent it to them. Of course I don't remember who that was but I could sure use it back now! Or ideas on what to use to protect the eye. The vet suggested a small strainer, but I thought you might have ideas that have worked for minis.

BTW, on a side note, she did this yesterday - on a Holiday - when my vet was on a boat in Long Island Sound. I called and left an emergency message, his wife/assistant got back to us and had us send a digital photos of the eye. She relayed information to the vet on the boat, gave us instructions, and them had someone up here (he lives on the next street) leave me some eye ointment at the clinic. He also called me a couple times from his cell phone (on the boat and in the car) to follow up. I thought that was a super efficient use of technology and saved me an emergency call on a Holiday. He does this to avoid people making wrong guesses and using inappropriate treatments.

 

[albahurst]

We have used ordinary fly/dust masks in the past with great success.

 

[targetsmom]

Guess I should have explained that with Ruby the issue is that she tries to RUB the injured eye, so that anything soft like a fly mask could make it worse. But thanks for offering the suggestion!!

 

[Sue_C.]

How about making over one of the big horse fly masks, the one with the hardened "bump" over the eye? If not that, than perhaps the blinder off of an old bridle? At least with the blinder, if she did try to rub it, it is hard and smooth on the inside and not likely to allow damage to the eye.

Does she have restricted vision in this eye to begin with? Just wondering...as that could explain her tendancy to injure it.

 

[targetsmom]

I will try the blinder!! Have plenty of driving bridles... why didn't I think of that??? Thanks!!!

I don't think her vision is limited, I think she doesn't understand that if her eye itches it is not a good idea to just rub it on anything handy. On the other hand, I really don't know what she cut the eye on except she did it when she was on her normal dry lot and two people were nearby. So it doesn't seem like she ran into anything - more like she rubbed on something.

 

[Genie]

This may sound stupid but a sports "cup" and a childs "jock strap" comes to mind. To cover the eye and stop her injuring it by rubbing.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Stitch a strainer or other similar cup device (an old bra pad, maybe?) into a hole you've cut in a fly mask so it stays positioned over the eye. I know I've seen online instructions for this!

Leia

Edited to add: Found a couple online:

http://www.horse-report.com/eye-saver.html This one comes in foal size

http://www.realtown.com/johnhenline/blog/florida-horses/eyepatch Home-made advice

http://www.horsemask.com/ Commercial version

 

[Becky]

I've had more than my share of corneal ulcers and I've never had a horse attempt to rub those. They are extremely painful, so rubbing doesn't seem likely.

However, the Guardian Mask is the best mask for this purpose. It's pricey, but I've heard a lot of good reviews on it.

 

[HGFarm]

I have used regular fly masks and sew some soft material for a 'patch' on the inside.. and keep using the meds. Sunlight promotes more scar tissue on an eye injury I am told and it will also help keep the eye clean.

What a great vet to go through all that on their day off. Sounds like ours- she is wonderful even when traveling overseas on great occasion!

 

[jeniemac]

I had to make shift an eye protector for my mare once. I used a cd cover. Punched holes in it and sip straped it to a hoodie slinkie. Then added some padding around the cover so it wouldn't dig into her face. It worked out real well.

The only real problem I had was it would fog up some times and I would have to clean it 3 times a day.

 

[targetsmom]

Thanks everyone!! This forum is the best! The eye seems a bit better today and I just ordered the foal size eye-saver from Leia's post. For right now she is in a stall out of the sun and wearing the bitless bridle so she can't rub the eye. It doesn't look like she rubbed last night with nothing over the eye. We have a few other things we will try today based on the great suggestions offered. The anti-fungal ointment should arrive today and that is to be alternated with the anti-bacterial ointment (without steroids) that she is getting now. The vet mentioned that the air holes in the eye cover are important for this particular situation.

This vet is also the best - he set everything up and gave me the information to order the anti-fungal ointment so it will come directly here, with no overhead.

 

[targetsmom]

Another update after vet visit today. Thought some info might be useful to others.

I did not use the foal size eyesaver that I ordered and that arrived the next day. I re-sewed the velcro so that it fit better, but the eye cup itself was still a horse size. I was concerned that if it shifted at all, the edge would go in the eye and could make things worse. So I stuck with the blinders that Sue_C suggested (buckled the bitless bridle to her halter) and then added a fly mask with duct tape over the eye to protect it from the sun. When the vet was here today he said at least it isn't worse, but she tore through 3 layers of the cornea. She has been a real trouper through this whole ordeal and I thank my lucky stars each time I treat her that she isn't a 17h hot-headed.... name your breed!!!

Her eye treatments are down from 5X/day to 3X/day and she is off Banamine now.

Anyway I thought I would share pics of the home made "eye-saver" and her eye as of yesterday.

with the fly mask over it:

the eye (all you can really see is how opaque it is):

ETA: She ripped the eyelid half off a few years earlier - you can see it is only half there. The vet stitched that back together twice!

Thanks again to all for the great suggestions.

 

[Sue_C.]

What a dear little thing. But goodness, let's hope she will learn to keep her eyes out of danger from now on...