So, my stallion bumped his eye on something on Monday. He’s been getting banamine and triple antibiotic ointment in the eye (no steroids). Eye was totally fine but I had a panic moment yesterday (I thought the pupil was a bit more constricted than the other). Had the vet out, stained the eye, no ulcer, horse is fine, just continue on for a few more days. The vet gave me a tube of atropine and told me to use it on him just one time, and then finish the next couple of days with the regular Triple Antibitiotic ointment. Having never used it before, imagine my absolute panic to see my horse’s eye so dilated!!! He’s outside 24/7 but has shade and a run in to get in but I’m still concerned. If he only got a small amount, one time, how long will his eye be dilated like this?
I don’t have an answer for you but when Splash was a baby, he damaged his eye. Had Atropine once followed by 10 days of eye ointment. His pupil remained very dilated for days after. We put duct tape over half his fly mask in order to protect his eye.
With drops it’s about 8-12 hours. Not sure I’ve ever heard of atropine ointment–maybe that’s a horse thing?
Ointment is also used for dogs. With the dog, the ointment lasted about the same time (~12 hrs). My poor dog seemed quite sensitive to it- she would start serious foaming/drooling when she got it.
That’s weird–it should dry up saliva, not make it worse. 
[QUOTE=deltawave;3667092]
With drops it’s about 8-12 hours. Not sure I’ve ever heard of atropine ointment–maybe that’s a horse thing?[/QUOTE]
The vet had drops and ointment both (I suck trying to get drops in a horse’s eyes!). This is the ointment.
It also had cautions about using it in children so I’m assuming it’s for all sorts of different species.
I just hope it’s back to normal soon.
That is weird…my guy was given atropine to dilate his pupil due to uveitis and the vet said don’t let him outside until a day or so AFTER the last dosage, on the basis that once the pupil is chemically dilated it cannot protect itself against natural light (ie, constrict again). He said it could lead to scarring in the back (back of the lens? cornea? sclera? can’t remember).
I would definitely cover your horses eye if he has had atropine. Take a fly mask and put duct tape over that eye. My girls have been through some eye injuries and I know the routine well. You want to protect his eye since his pupil cannot protect itself by shrinking.
Well, if this does damage I will be super pissed since the vet saw the entire set up, didn’t tell me any precautions to take, nothing about fly masks, stalls or anything else. :mad:
They’re pupils get small when the eye is painful. That is why you dilate it, well at least that is what my vet told me. The atropine really varies on how long it lasts, well it has in the cases with my girls. When his pupil looks the same on both sides then you know that you don’t have to protect it from the light.
Same as above posters, when my horse was on the atrophine i was told to keep her in a stall and completely out of sunlight. Towards the end (she was in for 2 weeks) I just made a pirate patch on the fly mask and she was much happier. The length of the dilation just depends. It took my horse a few days for the pupil to look normal after I stopped using the atrophine. Eye injuries are not fun!
Hang on. It’s true that an eye that’s been dilated is much more light-sensitive and should be protected from bright light while the dilation lasts. But unless a corneal anesthetic has been given (a whole other class of drugs and NOT frequently used!) the eye is still perfectly able to feel and the reflexes to protect the eye are unaffected.
It’s late November–unless the eye is located in the sunny areas of the country that still get lots and lots of bright light, I don’t necessarily think huge precautions are necessary. As long as the horse has a place to get away from bright light it will probably be fine. The cornea is NOT anesthetized by atropine, and so protection from light is the only possible consideration here.
[QUOTE=deltawave;3667460]
Hang on. It’s true that an eye that’s been dilated is much more light-sensitive and should be protected from bright light while the dilation lasts. But unless a corneal anesthetic has been given (a whole other class of drugs and NOT frequently used!) the eye is still perfectly able to feel and the reflexes to protect the eye are unaffected.
It’s late November–unless the eye is located in the sunny areas of the country that still get lots and lots of bright light, I don’t necessarily think huge precautions are necessary. As long as the horse has a place to get away from bright light it will probably be fine. The cornea is NOT anesthetized by atropine, and so protection from light is the only possible consideration here.[/QUOTE]
This eases my mind a little bit. It’s sunny today but of course, the sun will go down around 4 ish (it’s 3 already). This horse has never even worn a fly mask, so that’s another thing I am apprehensive about. As long as he is able to squint if he is uncomfortable, then that’s what matters to me. He wasn’t acting sensitive this morning when it was dilated. Again, he has access to a run-in shed and trees surrounding his entire pasture for shade. If it’s still dilated in the morning I will run out and get a fly mask and hope for the best and that he’ll wear it and not freak out. At this point, if I go get one now, it will be dark by the time I get to him. I’m NOT happy about this. The horse was recovering just fine and I would have NEVER put this crap in his eyes had I known all of this.:no:
It’s not like the vet gave him atropine to make you suffer. 
It really does help with the spasm of the ciliary muscles when the eye is inflamed, and that can be REALLY painful. It also allows for a good, thorough exam of the back parts of the eye.
[QUOTE=deltawave;3667489]
It’s not like the vet gave him atropine to make you suffer. It really does help with the spasm of the ciliary muscles when the eye is inflamed, and that can be REALLY painful. It also allows for a good, thorough exam of the back parts of the eye.[/QUOTE]
But I AM suffering:lol: I’m running back to the farm to go check on him. If it’s still dilated I’m going to go get a fly mask tonight to put on him 1st thing in the morning. I feel horrible. And pissed. I just wish he would have told me all of this. I think I need a drink…it’s been one of those weeks.
Thank you for trying to ease me mind some though, I really do appreciate it.
Have one on me.
I had a similar incident with my mare last year and I was shocked at how dialated her eye still was after only one treatment of atropine; we were supposed to continue it for 3 days (if I recall correctly) but when I called back to the vet she said not to give it again if the eye was still dialated. It was still dialated the next day and I was freaking out; called again and was told that the eye could stay dialated for up to 30 days from atropine! :eek: Needless to say, it returned to normal a few days later but I was surprised at how long the atropine could affect a horse.
Probably worth throwing a mask on him just to ease your mind. I am sure he’s fine. Good luck.
Ok, if it starts bothering him (the light that is) he will squint right??? I just got back from checking on him and he’s not acting like anything is amiss. However, that pupil is still wide freakin open. He’s not squinting or anything and looked at me as I was crying like I had lost my mind (yes, I’m really ridiculously upset over this…this is my studdly wuddly and he is very special to me). He can still see just fine and really was acting totally nonchalant about it all.
So, I went and got him a fly mask. Hopefully he won’t freak out when I put it on tomorrow. I’ve called the vet and am waiting to hear back. I mean, this guy is pretty fresh out of vet school but REALLY impressed me yesterday. I would think if this was a huge concern he would have told me. Not second guessing anything anyone has said, just kind of disappointed in the vet that I thought really had his act together.
Thank you all for the advice…I really hope I’m just overreacting. 
Try not to fret. And yes, I have atropine ointment. The pupil can be dialated from one dose for about 12 hrs.
Oh my gosh, years ago one of my horse was hit square in the eye by a hail stone which smashed the cornea to the retina (blood IN the eyeball). I had to use atropine for 3 months to keep adhesions from forming and shutting his vision down in that eye to complete blindness. I kept him in for the day and put him out at night to avoid sunlight problems. But that was in the summer.
If your horse is out during the day now, I would definately put a fly mask on him or get one of those masks with an eye block (for uveitis) for him if atropine has to be used long term.
[QUOTE=sid;3667808]
If your horse is out during the day now, I would definately put a fly mask on him or get one of those masks with an eye block (for uveitis) for him if atropine has to be used long term.[/QUOTE]
Nope, the vet just said to use it just one time. Then finish up with Triple Antibiotic for the next couple of days. It won’t hurt his eye if I use the Triple Antibiotic (no steroid) on him tomorrow if he’s still dilated will it???
And my lord, a hail stone??? I think I would keel over. Bless you and the horse’s heart! How utterly terrifying.:eek:
