Oh no... bad eye owie on young animal

[glacierridge]

Bad day at the farm...
Young critter that my brother wanted to try to keep for clean up after AI somehow got his eye injured. Brother told me the lid was dangling, he didn't feel confident in trying to get something that delicate stiched without the animal twitching, so he cut off the part that was dangling.
Has anyone had an eye injury in an animal that was pretty severe and was able to keep them around??
I'll have to help him load another animal for beef in the morning to go to the butcher so I can get and post pics then.
Brother would still like to keep him, even if he may lose the eye. But is infection going to be a constant worry or just a temporary one?

 

[Taurus]

Have an eye injury won't effect his breeding service as long as you keep the infection under control. But I have some experiences with blind cattle or cattle with one working eye that they can be a little spooky/nutty if you startled them.

 

[wbvs58]

It sounds like it is the eyelid torn. They heal very well around the eye as it has a very good blood supply. Infection is not usually an issue because of the good blood supply though can be a bit messy for a while. The function of the eyelid in spreading tears and wiping the eye will be compromised though it is surprising how things remodel and often end up not as bad as you think.
Ken

 

[inyati13]

The guy directly across the road from my farm had the same thing happen about 2 years ago. The vet did just what your brother did. He cut off the hanging eyelid. The cow did fine.

 

[glacierridge]

Glad to hear both those. I was worried about the risk of constant infection. Sounds like that he should heal into a halfway decent state.
Now I gotta go to the farm this morning and see how terrible it looks...
It'll probably make him look tougher than he is.
Hope he'll be alright until it's all healed.

 

[glacierridge]

I think it looks pretty gruesome in person.
One thing is for sure, he won't be as handsome as he once was...

 

[inyati13]

I hate that for you Anne. :-(

 

[glacierridge]

A week later...
Ugly as sin, I want to peroxide it the worst way to clean it, but know I can't because of the eye.
Anyone recommend a gentle cleaner?
If he will even let us at this point?
He is still eating good tho, real good, so I think that it must look worse than it really is and all the gunk is the wound just cleaning itself.

 

[Taurus]

That looks so nasty!

 

[Howdyjabo]

Vetricin- you can just spray the area good

 

[glacierridge]

I know it looks nasty...
Any helpful advice or experience is certainly welcome.
Thank you Howdyjabo.
Is it easy to find Vetricin?
Just glad he doesn't hang back and feel sorry for himself at feeding time.
When they start doing that you know things aren't good...
Wish it didn't look so grotesque.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Any animal supply place will carry it

 

[glacierridge]

Thank you!!
And should not bother the eye will be better!!

 

[inyati13]

Anne, I agree with Howdy.

 

[BRYANT]

Brother told me the lid was dangling, he didn't feel confident in trying to get something that delicate stiched without the animal twitching, so he cut off the part that was dangling.

If it was bad enough to need stiching then you should have taken him to a vet that has a shoot to hold him in and do the job right. not just cut it off . if you can/t take care of your cattle or can't afford to take care of them sell them .

 

[glacierridge]

Brother told me the lid was dangling, he didn't feel confident in trying to get something that delicate stiched without the animal twitching, so he cut off the part that was dangling.

If it was bad enough to need stiching then you should have taken him to a vet that has a shoot to hold him in and do the job right. not just cut it off . if you can/t take care of your cattle or can't afford to take care of them sell them .

Did you not read inyati's post?
That's how the vet treated a similar case?

 

[BRYANT]

Did you not read inyati's post?
That's how the vet treated a similar case?

I did and I Ihave seen some vets do things that made me wonder about them. It seems to me like it will always be a problem with the eye being exposed .looks like if he can't shut it or blink then it will be a problem do to flys and other things getting in the eye I don't know just my thinking ??? but if you watch a cow they do blink fairly often and I think God gave them the eye lid for a reason ????

 

[inyati13]

Did you not read inyati's post?
That's how the vet treated a similar case?

I did and I Ihave seen some vets do things that made me wonder about them. It seems to me like it will always be a problem with the eye being exposed .looks like if he can't shut it or blink then it will be a problem do to flys and other things getting in the eye I don't know just my thinking ??? but if you watch a cow they do blink fairly often and I think God gave them the eye lid for a reason ????

I had the same thoughts when the vet removed the eyelid of my neighbors cow but Dr Stansfeild is very competent and sometimes the best you can do is not going to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. I knew a guy who lost an eyelid.

 

[glacierridge]

Shockingly enough, he still is blinking with that coarse eyelid.
It was actually a little bit in awe of the functionality it still really has.
I think he'll be alright, it'll just take a little time to mend up.

It reminds me of when I had my rook pierced in my ear, and it got infected.
Took a couple weeks to heal, but the hole kept "weeping" and cleaning itself as it got better.
It was icky, but bodies have amazing ways to heal even if things get altered.

 

[glacierridge]

Actually...
http://www.news-medical.net/health/Cesarean-Section-History.aspx


First non fatal c section was achieved by a pig farmer...
I'm sure he didn't have a doctorate.
Just found it interesting.
Not saying I wouldn't have use for a vet, on the contrary, it's just that sometimes you have to act as a first responder and be quick on your feet.
Sometimes it takes a while for a vet to come and/or there are a few things that not much refined can be done.
ie: we've had a vet that cut off the uterus of a cow that kept pushing it out.

Edit to add last bit