Swollen eyes

[Jane&Ziggy]

Poor Ziggy is in the wars again.

The flies in his field have been really terrible and he keeps taking his fly mask off. Last night both his eyes were swollen - the whole area around the eye. The eyes themselves look normal and shiny, the third eyelid is not up, there is no discharge, but he is not comfortable. I think he has had flies bothering him and rubbed his eyes until they are sore.

I have bathed them with cold water and chamomile tea and he gets some relief from that, applied a little calendula cream around the eye (which he realy appreciated): plus I have found a fly mask that he can't get off so easily and brought him down from the pony paddock, where the flies are really bad. Is there anything else I can do to soothe his poor sore eyes?

He looks so sorry for himself :cry:

 

[Gimp]

Is it worth putting on a fly fringe underneath the mask for if he removes it? My old Sec D suffered with flies, but I found fly spray applied twice daily ( he lived out) and a fringe kept them at bay.

 

[eml]

I tend to 'sponge' them twice a day with used tea bags, the tannin acts as a mild antibacterial and relieves swelling

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Thanks eml, camomile tea bags is what I have been using. Thank you so much both for such matter of fact responses, makes me feel heaps better!

 

[Trewsers]

Poor Ziggy. Healing and soothing from Chloe n Storm.

 

[Kite_Rider]

Jane this is getting weird!
I fetched Belle in last night and guess what? Her eyes were puffy too! I'm starting to think that the grass glands and puffy eyes are a kind of hayfever as she has and keeps her fly mask on so no flies near her eyes, her mask doesn't rub them either
Poor little pair of ponies, I did the teabag thing too and I brought her in for a few hours this morning to have a rest from the pollen, she had a lay down and went to sleep and looked very grateful to be honest.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Gosh that is weird. Horsey hayfever maybe, I have heard of it.

Ziggy is in this afternoon and very happy to be out of the sun and flies. I hope the poor little man gets a good kip.

Healing vibes for Belle too.

 

[TBminx]

would a fringe be harder to get off? My weatherbeeta one is the only one our gelding cannot get off!

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I have a new fly mask on him at the mo. He hates it - becomes about 9hh high when I go to put it on - but he can't get it off.

His eyes are looking a little better today. I am going to get him an anti allergy formula too.

 

[Kite_Rider]

Glad Ziggy is feeling a bit better, Belle's eyes were a bit better tonight too.
With the fly mask and I'm sure you already do this but do you put it over his neck and slide it up over his ears instead of lifting it over his head? This was the only way I could get Belle's on easily when I first got her.

 

[sjp1]

Hope they are both recovering from puffy eyes now.

I found that cutting the ears out of Toby's made him keep it on. He hated it when it covered his ears and got it off every day!! (flymask that is!)

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Ziggy's eyes are improving very slowly.

I have got him a new tonic from James Hart called AllergAllay which is supposed to help in these cases. Fingers crossed.

 

[sjp1]

Actually, for what it is worth, I have been very hayfevery myself this year. Last year not at all.

The grass seems to have seeded earlier this year, so I guess all of us, equine and human, are finding it a bit tougher at the mo.