Hay poke & vet

[Tiamolly123]

Hi, Tia has had eye poke for the last 2-3 days, it’s cleared now, so that’s good!
Rosie had a eye poke yesterday & if it hasn’t improved by this evening, I shall get her in tomorrow for the vet, I am so worried, what do you do about feeding the hay, so they don’t get eye poke all the time. Tia is the worst followed by Rosie. They both have a habit of diving in the meadow hay box. Should I take the meadow hay away it’s so course, at the moment I have halved the amount they have, I can feed twice the amount of Timothy Hay if it’s better for them but this bout is Timothy Hay that’s been in there eyes.
I do hope it improves she must be in a lot of pain. Any ideas about getting it out. We managed with Tia but I don’t like poking, I’ve made up a saline solution with cooled boiled water. i’m Just bathing the outside of her eye. Not in. Fingers crossed.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please do take them both to the vet - eye injuries always need vet care (probably antibiotic eye drops and pain killers). There could still be hay or seeds stuck under the eyelid which only the vet can see. Eye injuries are always considered urgent. Dyes will be needed to check for any ulceration.

How do you serve their hay? If you have any coarse hay its best to use a hayrack, but given even soft hay can cause hay poke, there is very little way of completely eliminating the risk. Its luck of the draw really and some will just get hay poke more than others.

Mine are bedded on meadow hay (which they obviously eat as well) so they have their hutch filled with it all the time. They also have second cut (soft) Timothy which just gets put in a pile on the floor, in amongst the meadow hay bedding.

 

[Flutterby]

Sending healing vibes xx