Punctured Eye

[Cibster]

I was weighing bull calves this weekend and when I was running them through I noticed one of them had a watery eye and when I got him in the chute I noticed the eye was starting to turn white and a little bloodshot looking. When I looked at it real close it appeared he somehow got poked in the eye with something like a piece of wire or hay. I gave him some Exceed and puffed some neo predef in his eye so hopefully it will get healed up. But my main question/worry is will he get his eye sight back, at least somewhat? Have any of you ever had experience with a poked eye? I've had them heal from pink eye, but I'm sure this is a little more trauma to the eye. And of course, he is one of the best bulls in the pen! :x

 

[tater74]

Had that happen to a horse. You need to get some gentamyacin (sp?) In it fast. Best bet is a vet call if the bull is worth anything. I fnot, the best steak I ever raised was out of a steer called Pirate for that very reason.

 

[milkmaid]

Might be a corneal ulcer... untreated pinkeye and some other diseases will cause the eye to look like that.

If it were a horse or dog he'd be blind, but cattle are unusual; most will regain some/all of the sight in that eye over time.

 

[wbvs58]

If it is as you suggested a punctured eye then he definitely will be blind as the eye will collapse. However it does sound more like an injury to the cornea and providing it is not progressive and ruptures then it will heal up very well. The milkiness is oedema (water) that leaks into the glassy cornea when its water tight surface is breached, as the injury heals and seals over the water is resorbed and contracts to around the injury leaving minimal scarring.
I disagree with Milkmaid though, dogs and horses can heal up from similar injuries very well.
A patch over the eye would be usefull to keep bright light and flies out of the eye.
Ken

 

[Koffi Babone]

FYI, please keep in mind that the withdrawal period for Gentamycin is over a year in Canada...I am pretty sure the waiting time is similar in the USA...

 

[Cibster]

If it is as you suggested a punctured eye then he definitely will be blind as the eye will collapse. However it does sound more like an injury to the cornea and providing it is not progressive and ruptures then it will heal up very well.

I hope you are right in that it is just an injury to the cornea. It does not look like it is progressing and it does not seem to be bothering him as much as it was this weekend. I could see somewhat of a small mark where it appeared something had stuck him, but had no idea of knowing how deep the puncture was. He still cannot see out of it so I might be out of luck on him recovering his eyesight.

Thank you everyone for your opinions. I appreciate them! I'll let you know if he recovers well.

 

[dun]

FYI, please keep in mind that the withdrawal period for Gentamycin is over a year in Canada...I am pretty sure the waiting time is similar in the USA...

It used to be not approved for food animals in the US. Don;t know about now

 

[hillsdown]

Sounds like untreated pink eye to me . At the very least you should patch the eye ,it would be better if you could get the 3rd lid sewn shut for it to heal .

 

[Koffi Babone]

@ Dun:

If I recall correctly, the reason why it is not recommended/approved is because of the long withdrawal period.

The chances of forgetting that the patient was treated 12 months ago with Gentamycin and accidentally sending the animal to slaughter is very high.

 

[Cibster]

Sounds like untreated pink eye to me . At the very least you should patch the eye ,it would be better if you could get the 3rd lid sewn shut for it to heal .

The symptoms do sound a lot like pink eye, but I fed them at 7 AM and walked through them while they were eating and he was fine and when I ran him through the chute at 9AM his eye was a mess so I guess that's why I ruled out the pink eye. But it sounds like I should treat it similar to that of a pink eye case to get it healed up.

 

[wbvs58]

If it is as you suggested a punctured eye then he definitely will be blind as the eye will collapse. However it does sound more like an injury to the cornea and providing it is not progressive and ruptures then it will heal up very well.

I hope you are right in that it is just an injury to the cornea. It does not look like it is progressing and it does not seem to be bothering him as much as it was this weekend. I could see somewhat of a small mark where it appeared something had stuck him, but had no idea of knowing how deep the puncture was. He still cannot see out of it so I might be out of luck on him recovering his eyesight.

Thank you everyone for your opinions. I appreciate them! I'll let you know if he recovers well.

Very early days yet for the cloudiness to clear.
Ken