Julian - 5 days old - inverted eye lashes

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Erin8607
Knee Deep

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:48 pm


Does anyone have any advice for a baby pig with inverted eyelashes? Julian's eyes have become cloudy and the only thing I can tell that is causing it is the eye lashes are brushing the surface of the eyes. I know that the constant irritation is a problem, but how is it fixed? Is this common? Will it correct itself?

I will post pictures later today.

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:58 pm


It's genetic. More common in Teddies, Rexes, and Texels (both origins). Entropion.

I had a pair of Crested Satin sows from a huge inbred colony (started with two pigs living in a chicken coop and turned into more than 30). Depending upon the degree of problem, BNP can and should be applied. Artificial tear ointment at the least to minimize corneal abrasion. One sow corrected herself giving it a couple of weeks and a steroid ophthalmic. The other had bilateral entropion. She had one eye that got better with the steroids and one that required surgery. The procedure went really well. I lost her to wave jaw a couple of years later.

I'll see if I can pull up the old thread. It is a painful condition, so pain meds should be considered if it is going to be more than a few weeks to surgery. It is difficult, though since you don't want to give NSAIDS. Sometimes a topical anesthethic preparation (proparacaine) can help.

There are several schools of thought on this one. Some vets will "tack" the eyelids when they are very young to prevent going to the full surgery later. It has to be done while they are small. Some wait and do the full surgery later if indicated.

Erin8607
Knee Deep

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:02 pm


He's just 5 days old, would that be too early to start pain med's, steroid ointment, etc? He's an american satin, also from the mass of pregnant (inbred) pigs that I have here.

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:02 pm


[address invalid]/forums/vi ... t=myrtille

This was all I could find. I wonder if the posts were on the old GL board or CG. Probably CG. It was about 1999 I think.

It is important to get the eyes stained to see how much corneal damage there is. You don't want to use steroids if there is any.

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:03 pm


I would definitely start on Artificial Tears +/- BNP like yesterday.

The rest has to wait until he gets his cornea stained.

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:06 pm


If he needs surgery, my vet has done it before and could consult. It was pretty much similar to a canine entropion surgery on a very small scale.

If I had to do it over again, I would have done the surgery a bit earlier. To think my sow was uncomfortable for the first 6 months of her life! We were worried about anesthesia, but many people are getting the pigs neutered at like 3-4 months of age, so it could be done at the same time then.

ottosmom

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:09 pm


I had a foster bunny that had it in both eyes. He had to have surgery to correct it.

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:13 pm


Oh, I did want to add that both sows were approximately 3 days old when I acquired them.

Older pigs (greater than 4 weeks old) with entropion definitely need surgery. If it is going to correct itself, it will do so before them.

Erin8607
Knee Deep

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:18 pm


He was started on BNP last night along with artificial tears.

I'll have to call and get him in this week. I'll call the same vet that Michele had her pigs eye removed at.

Evangeline

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 4:59 pm


Erin-
Dribble had that surgery done on one of her pigs. Maybe you could email her for her experience with it?

Erin8607
Knee Deep

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 8:46 pm


Here is a picture showing one eye, two close up shots to follow.

Image

Erin8607
Knee Deep

Post   » Sat Dec 11, 2004 8:51 pm


Image
Image

Both eyes are affected, one is worse than the other.

I'll send Dribble an email through the mailer.

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