Can see object in/on goat kids eye

LittleRedHen · #1 02/19/11, 08:58 AM

Remember a week ago I mentioned a goat with a weepy eye? well the eye was again flaring up and getting weepy so I took a closer look. Right on the bottom part of the eyeand a litle bit up towards the black there is a foreign object but I cannot move it around... It has black at the tip and otherwise brown/somewhat the color of her eye. It looks like if there was another layer of skin overtop and that this foreign object is beind held there as it looks like a little bit of fluid around it. But I cannot move it. I tried pulling at it, nothing works to get it gone. I rinsed her eye back out and put some neosporin on it but I am about ready to accept that shes going to be blind in this one eye. the whole eye is clouded over.. Unless this is that third eye lid over top of it?? but I dont understand the third eyelid... is it otherwise clear? how do I find the edge of the third eye lid and force it open so i can remove the object?
if its nto a foreign object, is there like a goat issue that might cause something with that description? to me, it looks like its a piece of soaked straw that is under a layer of film but yet at the same time looks like it could just be a bulge in her eye like she got jabbed hard and it caused part of the eye to come out and then start healing a bit and caused a bubble of fluid around it. Its like the size of half a grain of rice.

If you had a goat with a blind eye, would you keep her or sell her off to someone as a pet goat? shes a purebred nubian and I just paid $50 for her so there is no way she could become dinner. I think if we kept up with being friendly with her that any wildness that might result from being partially blind will be kept down. I bought a pygmy once (it was my first goat) who was blind in one eye and she was a bit wild and nontrusting but she came from a home with a single man who didn't likely interact much with the goats... or it was an issue of the eye- I just have no idea.

Someone help!

LittleRedHen · #2 02/19/11, 09:35 AM

after some googling i think she has an ulceration. Come monday i will check with the Vet and see what he can do for me.

Minelson · #3 02/19/11, 10:32 AM

Sounds like an ulcer. Don't use anything with steroids in the ingredients (Hydrocortesone HC or Dex). Eyes are amazing on how they can heal but you have to be careful. Depending on how bad the ulcer is it might heal with a general eye antibiotic...if that doesn't work talk to your vet about spinning down some of her blood and use the serum in the eye. Once the ulcer seals up and there is no trace of any scratches or openings then use an ointment with a steroid and that will speed up the healing. You MUST do an eye stain before using the steroid to be certain the ulcer is healed enough and there are no other scratches. Don't guess on that or you could loose the eye.

LittleRedHen · #4 02/19/11, 10:41 AM

if she goes blind in that eye- is there a way to keep her from being skittish and still able to be a good milker?

Cheribelle · #5 02/20/11, 03:10 AM

I would think so, do you have a good relationship with her now? Just keep interacting with her, and use some treats, not just treating the eye problem.

Alice In TX/MO · #6 02/20/11, 06:58 AM

I'd take her to the vet. If it's a foreign object, he can remove it. If it's an ulcer, he can provide the meds to support healing.

motdaugrnds · #7 02/20/11, 08:31 AM

I would take her to a vet too. One of our local vet, admittedly knowing nothing about goats, did know about the multiple eyelids. At the time we had a set of twins who both had something wrong with their eyes. The vet saved the eyesight of both.

Eyes are just too delicate for me to want to fool much with them.

That being said, I do have eye antibiotics and various eye ointments for new borns a vet gave me once. If I had a kid with problematic eyes (nothing foreign that I could tell), I would use these.