The Eyes Have It

What do the the eyes have? My bank account, for starters.

I posted about how Tristan's eyes went from drippy to swollen and goopy.

I called the vet on Saturday afternoon, and she talked me through initial treatment: dose of banamine, flushing them out, cold compresses, and aspirin in his grain for a few days.

Banamine + aspirin + flushing + compresses helped on Saturday but everything was right back on Sunday, so I texted the vet an she agreed to squeeze him into her schedule on Monday. (LOVE a vet that texts!)

PSA time: This is a known pattern with Tristan. I was in touch with the vet quickly and monitored his eyes constantly. If your horse comes in with a swollen and goopy eye overnight and those symptoms are out of the ordinary for him CALL THE VET IMMEDIATELY. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. I can't stress this enough. Do not mess with eyes. Suck it up and pay the emergency call fee.

So: Monday rolls around. I am traveling for work an can't be there, but chatted with the vet after she saw him.

1) Both tear ducts were almost completely blocked. Vet suspects his allergies kicked it up a notch, he started rubbing his head, and created a cascade effect of swelling and irritation. So she flushed his tear ducts, which he was not a fan of.

2) She gave him another dose of banamine and left steroid/antibiotic ointment for his eyes, which both have a bit of conjunctivitis, the left more than the right. He will get that once daily for a week.

3) She also left an oral antihistamine for him, which he will also get all week.

That screaming you hear is my bank account.

HORSES.