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  Discussion on Getting eye ointment in the horse's eye
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Posted on Friday, Jul 14, 2000 - 1:47 pm:

I'm looking for helpful hints on 'how to' get eye ointment into a horse's eye and not all over the horse's face and myself! My mare requires eye ointment 3-4 times a day during flare ups of recurrent uveitis and she is not particulary cooperative with this....I sometimes question how much I'm actually even getting in her eye! The technique I'm using now is to wash my hands well, apply a blob to my clean right index finger, then try to strategically swipe the blob gently into her eye as I try to separate or roll her upper eyelid open enough to get the blob in. I'm reluctant to apply the ointment directly from the tube because I don't want to inadvertantly cause additional trauma to the eye nor do I want to contaminate the ointment tube. thanks for any suggestions!

Posted on Friday, Jul 14, 2000 - 2:10 pm:

I had to apply eye ointment daily for months and months when my horse had recurrent eye infections due to his glaucoma caused by a dog attack. He eventually lost the eye.

The easiest way is to have your horse in the stable with a really beautiful haynet. Let her stand there eating happily while you stand next to her chatting to her. Then, standing on her right hand side for her right eye, slide your left hand round under her chin so your hand is over her nose, half way up, not too near her nostrils as she won't like that. Once she accepts that, stroke her right cheek a couple of times with your right hand, so she knows your hand is there, and let her relax with that. Then slowly slide your right hand up to her right eye and pop the ointment in. Once you've got her really relaxed, you will be able to apply the ointment directly from the tube without necessarily touching her eye with the nozzle. I also often used my clean index finger though, just in case. Just reverse for the left eye.

My other two sometimes need eye ointment, specially in winter when they can get minor infections from all the dust and dry grass. They are all totally relaxed about the treatment, and I can even put eye DrOps in. It's all a matter of getting the horse totally relaxed while you faff around the face first - then they accept the further treatment.

Good luck.

Posted on Friday, Jul 14, 2000 - 11:59 pm:

Oh boy! Have I been there. The only advice I can add is to distract the animal. The more distractions the better. I had someone pick up a front foot and clean it, someone else scratch him in a favorite spot, and then make him lower his head and stretch his nose out by waving his favorite treat under his nose until he got so absorbed in stretching for the treat that he was unable to concentrate on the eye medication going in.

Posted on Saturday, Jul 15, 2000 - 10:46 am:

This sounds familiar. When the vet hands me the tiny tube with the metal needle-nose tip on it I wonder who the diabolical person was who designed the ointment tube. Even a flexible soft rubber tip would be an improvement or an eye syringe similar to a wormer where you could put it in the corner of the eye and sort of flush it across. I'd be much happier knowing that the eye got it than the eyelashes.

Posted on Sunday, Jul 16, 2000 - 12:30 pm:

Hi gang, I to am having to put ointment into my horses eyes due to recurrent Uveitis. The first couple of times I had the vet do it until I got the hang of it. I put ointment in 1-3 times a week as it is maintanence at this point, I pull down the lower lid and hold the tube at a down angle, then squirt it in the lid, I then close the eye and massage a bit.
The other half of this senerio is praise, praise, praise! I tell him what a great guy he is, and scratch his neck and rub his face and make a really big deal out of it..he gets carrots right away when done. Yes I can get it in the lashes and have to do again, but after I am done I just take a wet washcloth and clean his eyes off. Then the fly mask goes back on. (he has to wear one 24/7).

The moment you get it in there (and do take your time, however many times it takes) then let him or her know they are soooooooo good!!! a calm attitude and gentle handling will pay off in the long run. I have been doing this for over a year now. :)

Now having owned him all of his 21 years does make a difference I suppose as I have been his only handler and have trained him and he was brought up on this persistance ( "fine with me if you wanna keep doing it over and over" or "we can stand here in front of this little stream all day if you want" ) and reward ( "Yes! what a good boy!! you did great!!! pat, pat, pat) method so he does know where I am coming from, after a bit of this he learned that the sooner he gave in to what I wanted the sooner he was told that he was the best horse in the whole wide world. I have done this with other horses, whether it be giving a wormer, or a shot and it has worked as well. There is nothing for them to fight or argue about, except that boredom sets in and then (sometimes a good "HEY!" will be needed) it's "ok fine, what ever you want" :) I should probably own stock in a carrot company..hehe.

I hope ,( even though I got a bit long winded), that this can be of some help. :)

Posted on Sunday, Jul 16, 2000 - 8:34 pm:

Linda seems to have the same method that I use and it works well. I have to put DrOps in twice a day and ointment when there is a flare up. Foxy is so use to it now that he actually comes to me (that might have something to do with the treat he gets after!) He also knows "Goooodd Booy" means he's done well and often get rewarded so even that nastey job of sheath cleaning (which he hated when I got him) goes well as long as I praise him the whole time!

Kim

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 18, 2000 - 11:37 am:

I have an appy who we were treating for some nasty eye business 5 times a day w/ 3-4 diffrent meds (he eventually lost the eye). I used a "war bridle", a bit of bailing twine with a small loop tied in the end, you run the other end through the loop like a lasso. Put it over the poll like a bridle and between the gum and top lip. pull it snug and tie a slip knot to secure it(see the discussion about "equilizer"). The first time you use it they fuss their lips about for a miniute or two, then get very quiet, at that point you have 2 hand free to put the med in. If the fuss while your putting in the med all you do is take your finger and feather the pressure in the string. The subsiquent times it is used they calm down quickly and sometimes if the proceedure is not painfull they will eventually allow you to medicate with out the twine.

Just as a point of note: when putting eye meds in you want to put it directly on the eye, not the lashes or lid as that will drag contamination into the eye.

Disclaimer: I am not one to like to have to resort to restraint methods BUT there are times that the need outweighs the desire and this method seems the most effect and, so far has not resulted in any "twitch traum" in my experience.

Good luck

Posted on Friday, Jul 21, 2000 - 4:28 pm:

thanks to all of you! I think I just need to accept the fact that I need to allow more time to patiently get the job done. My mare just sees me coming with the dreaded tube (I agree with you ,Lois, a soft rubber tip would be great!) and up high goes her head! Once I get a dab of ointment in her eye (or nearly so!) she tends to relax and then I can apply more directly in the eye. I sure go through that stuff fast, wasting 1/2 the tube along the way!

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 26, 2000 - 9:15 am:

Hello Beth,
I just uploaded a updated: Tearing Painful Eyes which has a pretty good description of how I treat eyes. Hope it is not too late to help.
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jul 28, 2000 - 12:08 am:

Beth, congrats!! you are on your way :) sure would be alot easier if we could get these kids to sit down and watch cartoons whilst we did that though..

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2000 - 9:20 pm:

Elizabeth Donahue,
Thanks so much for your advise on the eye ointment app. I too had resorted to putting the ointment on my finger.
The destraction worked like a charm. After two weeks of begging, pleading, restraining. My husband feed T some karrots as I cleaned his eye. He rubbed his belly as I calmly applied ointment... from the tube...just where the vet had instructed me to put it.
Thanks again.
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