It won’t hurt his eye if I use the Triple Antibiotic (no steroid) on him tomorrow if he’s still dilated will it???
No. Deep breath. 
I know- she’s a special one ;). I can’t think of another example right now, but there are some other things where she is opposite what the norm reaction is.
You still use the antibiotic ointment. From your previous post it sounds like you are over the worst if the eye didn’t pick up any stain. They are just having you do a normal run with the ointment just to be sure.
One of my horse’s ripped off half of her corneal layer once and the other poked herself in the eye with a stick while on a trail ride. The corneal layer one was horrible to deal with because I was scared to death. It was in February and I was up all hours of the night putting medicine in her eye to treat it aggressively. Her pupil also stayed dilated for a long time. It will eventually go back to normal.
Oh and my dog hurt it’s eye once, I swear, I don’t what the heck it is with me and eyes (haha funny seeing as I now have optical neuritis and can’t see so good out of my left eye!) and the vet said that sometimes with dogs the atropine will make them drool when you first put it in their eye.
No problem with the triple antibiotic ointment with atropine, typically they are used together for the eye injury you describe. Sounds like your vet is right on…a day or so of atropine, but longer use of the antibiotic.
BTW, the atropine did keep my horse from becoming blind in that eye by keeping the pupil dialated to ward off scar tissue that might close the eye down. But the injury was in his one blue eye…imagine how that pupil looked with atropine in it!
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BTW, the atropine did keep my horse from becoming blind in that eye by keeping the pupil dialated to ward off scar tissue that might close the eye down. But the injury was in his one blue eye…imagine how that pupil looked with atropine in it![/QUOTE]
I can’t even imagine! It’s freaking me out in a brown eye, I can only imagine how much more errr…freakish it would look in a blue!
We’ve had to use atropine after eye injuries and never used a fly mask. Our horses can go into the barn if they want shade.
When you have had an eye exam, you probably had your eyes dilated with drops that are a cousin of atropine. You probably didn’t want to go out into bright sunshine without sunglasses until the drops wore off, but you probably didn’t need a fly mask while you were in the house. I wouldn’t worry about the fly mask or no fly mask. If he seems happier with the mask, use it. If he doesn’t want it, don’t use it. I would make sure he has access to shade so he can decide where he is most comfortable.
I’ve seen it last up to a week :eek:
As someone that has been treating uveitis flare ups over the last year+, here’s what I have been told…
My vets and the equine ophthalmologists I have seen have said that the effects of atropine can last 2-3 days after the last dose, and up to two weeks if the ointment is used for an extended period of time. And yes, my gelding is proof that it will last for two weeks.
I was advised to keep him out of the sunlight or to mask him with a duct tape patch over the eye or the gaurdian mask b/c the eye is not able to protect itself naturally while using atropine.
And it is in an ointment.
My gelding scratched is cornea…and the atropine lasted over 6 weeks!!!:eek:
At first vet was concerned, but then she called an eye specialist, who said in some cases it just lasts longer…
we just kept a fly mask on all of the time w/ UV protection…
Well, I finally got a hold of the vet this morning (He didn’t call me back yesterday:mad:). He said it would maybe take a day or two to wear off and no precautions were needed since the horse had plenty of shade to get in including a run-in (he’s on 10 acres open pasture surrounded by woods).
I got there this morning to check on him and they were still dilated but not as much. Looks like it is finally wearing off. I could see more iris than yesterday for sure. If he keeps going at that rate, he should be back to normal tomorrow I hope.
Thank you again for all the input everyone. I feel a LOT more relaxed about it than I was yesterday.:yes:
It can take a couple of days before the pupil goes back to normal after stopping Atropine. I am really suprised that your vet did not tell you that Atropine would dialate the pupil, and that your horse would be more comforable inside or with a flymask on. :no:
I treated my mare for an ulcer a few months ago. The vet put in atropine. my mare had to stay inside with a flymask on that I sewed a piece of denim to cover light from entering the eye. I was told not to let her out for 2 weeks, that the eye will stay dilated for awhile and the sunlight would be very painful for her.
My vet also said NOT to adminster anymore atropine other than the small drop she did as it can cause colic.
Everything appeared to be back to normal yesterday, thank goodness. That medicine will just be pushed WAY to the back of the medicine cabinet and will not be used again if I can avoid it.
Can my horse go back to the pasture full time in a fly mask if I remove it at night? her eye will be dilated until the atropine effect wears off. She is probably healed by Tuesday when the vet comes.
I have had atropine ointment keep the eye dilated for quite some days in some horses–seems to depend on the horse. While the eye is dilated, I either keep the horse in, or use a mask to shade the eyes when out.
When my horse was getting atropine, we kept her in her stall or was turned out the in almost indoor (only 1 open side) arena for turnout with her flymask on and the one side blacked out.
I did not read all of the replies but wheny horse had atropine put in his eye ONCE by the vet his eye returned to normal on day 19!
At least a good 1.5 weeks my horses eye was fully dilated and after slowly shrunk backto normal.
I sewed a black patch onto his flymask.
