# Conjunctivitis, treat myself or vet?



## Stormhillpilgrim (22 October 2013)

Morning all, I'm pretty sure my horse has conjunctivitis and was wondering whether to call the vet straight away of treat it myself for a bit first to see if it clears up?
It seems to have started on Sunday just gone and is just a bit of excess discharge and slight pinkness behind the iris. We think my YO accidentally gave it to him as she recently got a new horse that had gunky eyes when it arrived. She thought it was COPD but, cleaned her eyes with saline solution and it has now cleared up. 
We are currently treating him the same and just rinsing his eyes out with saline a few times a day.
Would you carry on with this first for a few days or call the vet straight away? 
Thanks


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## Sandstone1 (22 October 2013)

Vet, dont mess around with eyes. They are too delicate to mess with and you only get one pair!


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## Hetsmum (22 October 2013)

Masses of this going around this year with some pretty nasty bugs according to 2 vets as 2 at our yard have had it that don't graze together and nobody handles both of them.  I would get vet.  Good luck


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## Stormhillpilgrim (22 October 2013)

Thanks all, have also heard that Goldeneye treatment from Boots works very well and is fine for horses. Before I make the vet call has anyone else tries this with success?


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## Tiddlypom (22 October 2013)

Definitely vet ASAP for problems with equine eyes. Real risk of permanent damage unless treated correctly and early. Better safe than sorry.


Haven't heard of Goldeneye, but don't faff about trying it first before getting the vet, if that is your plan!


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## Stormhillpilgrim (22 October 2013)

Thank you for all your advice guys. Have called the vets, they are putting some ointment in the office for me to collect later and told me to call back if this doesn't clear it up in a few days. So now have a little peace of mind and no whopping call out charges as of yet lol!


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## sbloom (22 October 2013)

I'll possibly get flack for this, but I'd try Leucillin first, I picked some up at HOYS and it does seem very good.  Apparently it won over Lucinda Green by healing her horse's eye infection by the time the vet ointment turned up!


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (22 October 2013)

Stormhillpilgrim said:



			Thank you for all your advice guys. Have called the vets, they are putting some ointment in the office for me to collect later and told me to call back if this doesn't clear it up in a few days. So now have a little peace of mind and no whopping call out charges as of yet lol! 

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WTF????? Sorry OP, not your fault, but IF I'd rung the vet because I was worried about an eye problem with a horse, I would no way expect them to sit there on their backsides and prescribe anything without actually SEEING the flippin' horse!!!!

Yes appreciate that you will be saving a call-out fee, but personally I'd far rather they came out and sorted the situation out having actually LOOKED AT the horse, rather than prescribe blind, as it were.

Sorry, didn't mean to rant/flame! - but I'm not sure I'd be happy about this.........


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## Zero00000 (22 October 2013)

One thing I was ALWAYS told by my very trusting vet, is, you never mess with eyes!
I thought my horse had conjunctivitis, they were coming out anyway so shared called out, turns out she had scratched her eye and luckily treatment was sought quickly and it healed well, this may have not been the case had I have left it or treated myself.


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## Sneedy (22 October 2013)

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:



			WTF????? Sorry OP, not your fault, but IF I'd rung the vet because I was worried about an eye problem with a horse, I would no way expect them to sit there on their backsides and prescribe anything without actually SEEING the flippin' horse!!!!

Yes appreciate that you will be saving a call-out fee, but personally I'd far rather they came out and sorted the situation out having actually LOOKED AT the horse, rather than prescribe blind, as it were.

Sorry, didn't mean to rant/flame! - but I'm not sure I'd be happy about this.........
		
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I'm afraid I agree with this and am horrified that they are not coming out to check your horse........normal practice would be to put the fluorescent dye stuff in and check for ulcers, surely??? My horse had his eye removed in August due to complications with an eye ulcer so you can see why I'm somewhat 'emotional' about eyes !!!


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## pottamus (23 October 2013)

Personally, having learned the hard way...I would have vet out. I thought my cat had some minor issue with her eye and left it a week to try and treat it myself as it looked minor. It was not working so took her to the vet. It turned out to be an abscess and despite good treatment from the vet, we ended up having to have the eye out to save her the pain she was going through and because the vet was not hopeful of saving her sight in it anyway. I would not hesitate now to call on the vet pronto as a first point of call.


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## Tiddlypom (23 October 2013)

I'm another one to be surprised that the vet was comfortable to prescribe drops without first examining the horse. My vet practice is happy to talk on the phone and advise whether they think a visit is necessary, but with eyes it's always a visit no messing. I was told recently that a well meaning owner self treated a horse's weepy eye with maxitrol ointment and that the horse had lost its sight in that eye within 4 days due to an incorrectly treated ulcer.

I had to pre authorise any vet visits to my fostered rescue pony (the charity picked up the vet bill and wanted to be sure it was necessary). I was encouraged to monitor a spasmodic colic for getting on for an hour before calling the vet (admittedly the symptoms were quite mild) but when she had a weepy eye I was told vet ASAP!


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## amandap (23 October 2013)

Tiddlypom said:



			I'm another one to be surprised that the vet was comfortable to prescribe drops without first examining the horse.
		
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Me as well but I have a pony with recurrent uveitis so am ultra careful with eyes. Funnily enough earlier this year she got severe conjunctivitis in the affected eye for the first time.


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## Pipkin (23 October 2013)

Def vet for eyes, lost my girl in April to uveitis (amongst other things) will never ever mess about with eyes, always call a vet out straight away if I think there is an issue.


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## criso (23 October 2013)

I'd get the vet out for diagnosis but the ointment they usually prescribe has the same active ingredient as Goldeneye at twice the price so have bought it myself.


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