Alpaca Eyes

[Dena Kotka-Holtz]

I have a cria with her eye watering and closed. Since it's been very windy here I suspect that something has just been blown in her eye. If she doesn't have it open in the next few hours I'm going to flush her eye with water. What do you recommend keeping on hand for eye irritations. I saw some horse eye wash at the feed store. Will that work?

[Maryann Marsh]

I can not say enough about triple antibiotic or neo-poly-bac (neomycin, polymyxin B sulfates and bacitracin zinc ophthalmic ointment.) You have to get it from your vet and it comes in a small tube cream or drops. I always have it on hand for watery eyes, poked eyes or all around problem with eyes. I have given it to cria and adults and with no issues. Call the vet first thing Monday and they can call it in to your pharmacy for pick up that day.

[Theresa Reyes-Stassel]

I agree with Maryann about the opthalmic triple antibiotic or opthalic neosporin. The one thing to be careful of is that some of the other commonly used eyedrops have steroids in them which in very minute amounts can cause females to abort, so be sure your vet does not prescibe an eyedrop that has steroids in it as even being in proximity to the products ( such as when a cria nurses off of the bred dam) can cause females to abort....

[Dena Kotka-Holtz]

Oh, I am so glad I asked. I had no idea. I'll call the vet Monday. Thanks so much.

[Diane Pedrotte]

I had a female that presented with a watery eye one morning. I checked for anything obvious and didn't see anything. I put some of the triple antibiotic in her eye just as a precaution. A few hours later it was still watery so I went to Walgreens and bought some 'Soothing Eye Wash'. I flushed her eye out with it once, getting it under the lids the best I could. Thankfully, this is a really cooperative girl! I never saw anything flush out of her eye, but after that it stopped watering. If there was something in there, it must have been very small. The eye wash is sold by the contact lense stuff and it was $8.50 for 4 oz. Something I will keep on hand from now on.

One other caution about eye meds WITH steroids, don't ever use them in an eye that might be ulcerated. If you're not sure don't use it, it will make the situation worse.

[Bonnie Klingman----Heaven's Gate Alpacas]

Dena,
Hi! I have a cria that one of his eyes was red when you pulled his eye lid back and it also had some matter in the corner of it and it also was watering. When my vet looked at it he suggest using Terramycin in it. I told him I bought a tube of it at Tractor Supply, for my kit and he said that was the same thing he would perscribe and since I had it I could use that instead of buying one from him. I don't know if you have a Tractor Supply near you but if you did maybe you could get it and start putting it in her eye right away. My vet said to use it twice a day once in the morning and once at night. It's just a small tube, about 2 inches long and I think I paid 11 or 12 $'s for it. Since it is cold here I keep it in my shirt pocket to keep in warm. I know I wouldn't want to put something cold in my eye so I figure they wouldn't like it either. I even wipe the eye with a tissue first to clean the junk away, but I make sure the eye is closed first, that way I know I don't scratch the eye. (My hubby tells me I baby them to much but I say I just care alot about them)
I also agree with Diane about the Soothing Eye Wash too. Lord only knows what all they can get in their eyes.
Hope this helps.
God Bless!

[Dena Kotka-Holtz]

Thank you for all of your imput. She's looking fine now. We have allot of wind here in our area all year round and we certainly will keep this stuff on hand.

[Jannette Cox]

You can use human eye wash on them. The only problem is if it is scratched then they need opthalmalic eye solution for about a week for it to heal. That is a very painful thing and should be treated by a vet as soon as possible. They will dye the eyelid and use a black light to find the particle, remove it and treat it. I would not let this go too long. Jannette Cox