Every single Spring in Germany, Baasha has to have multiple vet visits due to his left eye swelling up.
Last night it was swollen and he was shutting it so I called the vet right away. She found one scratch on his cornea, but we still have no idea what the real problem is after 3 years. Our best guess is that he is allergic to something that grows (because it happens in Spring) and then he itches it and scratches it, causing infections. Now he is on an antibiotic and an antifungal ointment three times per day. But why only one eye, and why always that eye? It makes no sense. We fight it and fight it and it will never end. The important thing is, we treat it as best we can. The eye clinic in Munster was kind of a waste of money, they simply analyzed the bacteria found in the eye. Sometimes he has Herpes virus in his eye and we treat that. Sometimes he has calcium rocks in his eye, terrible! Again I am disappointed in the medical care in Germany for people and pets, but that might just be my experience.
As the vet was treating him, staining it, trying to scrape what she thought was a foreign object out, but turned out to be a scratch, Bellis was getting in the way. Removing Bellis from the area is not an option for Baasha. I put her on the other side of the paddock and Baasha flipped out but finally realized she wasn't leaving. He's such a freak. I had to neck twitch him for the vet but he settled down. He loves vets. As soon as she was done torturing him, he nuzzled her and moved toward her. I think he knows they want to help, and I know he loves being the center of a stranger's attention. (I guess my man and I are boring to him.)
Afterwards I let Bellis back over to him and she promptly picked up his lead rope and started jerking him around. If I held the rope she'd take it in her mouth or try to stick her face in a loop. She wants to be haltered. I think that means she wants to go for a walk (why else would she always stick her head in halters?).
I wonder if she'll teach Baasha to carry things around. Certainly nothing gets by her. I threw a dead heather plant out there and she found it and carried it around like a dog with a toy. I often find things moved in the pasture. She really needs environmental enhancement so we'll keep supplying.
I love how she walks away from food to go mess with things. As long as she doesn't eat the barn/fences I'll be happy. Today she licked Baasha's blanket, annoying him as I treated his eye. She also took my shirt in her mouth which is bad donkey.
OK time to go out there and switch grazing strips. They're gonna be so happy to get back on the upper strip. Strip 3 is a golf course right now.
Baasha's eye is not closed today and I got lots of meds in so I am optimistic that when the vet returns on Monday/Tuesday, she'll find nothing wrong. Praying!
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9 comments:
Kids and horses. You hate it when something's wrong.
Dan
Poor Baasha. We have a dog with dry eye, miss the medicine just once and it' not pretty. Treat three times daily for the rest of her life. But, she's worth it.
Every year Ozzy gets a gunky eye. No swelling.. just lots of watering and boogers. I haven't had to call a vet in years, but it still sucks.
Poor Baasha, dang, no being able to figure out what is causing his eye problem.
My Arabian tended to get goopy eyes from flies that required antibiotic ointment if his fly mask wasn't on. However, once he got a sticker burr stuck down in an eye. That was horrible! I tried to get some ointment in it just to soften it, but he was throwing his head around because of the pain. Normally he was very good about me putting stuff in his eyes. I went and hooked up the trailer for an emergency visit to the vet, but when I went to get him, the sticker was gone. After that,he had a perpetual sort of infection in his eye. The vet examined it and said it was ok to treat everyday w/ ointment, which is what I did for the rest of the horse's life. It had left a sort of scar tissue that trapped bacteria I guess.
Poor Baasha...but at least Bellis is there now to comfort him and hold his...er...leadrope.
Would a fly mask help at all, at least as far as scratching his eye?
Awww, poor Baasha. Any news from the vet?
That's so weird about his eye!! I don't have much experience with equine eye problems, so I'm no help there lol. I hope it heals up quickly.
LOL I love hearing about Bellis carrying things around. Zep does that too. He's always carrying things around. He likes to find sticks and carry them to the other horses and shove it in their faces. It's almost like he's trying to get them to play tug hehe.
Something that makes a great toy (depending on your type of fencing) is to hang an empty gallong milk jug to a fence post and put small pebbles in it. I've heard horses love to shove them around and play with them. I haven't tried it yet because the fence on my lease land is barbed wire (I can't change it unfortunately). Mine also have a Jolly Ball, but they sank it in the pond . . . :(
P.S. I noticed someone else mentioned in the comment about using a fly mask . . . I wondered if that would help prevent future eye problems for Baasha too, but I don't have experience with them so don't know for sure.
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