[Jacob-list] Split eyelid

[ARTHUR PARTRIDGE]

--Previous message: 
james robey <jrobey at basicisp.net> wrote: I have a yearling four horn ewe
with split eyelids. I just noticed this morning that one of her eyes turned
all cloudy and I think she's going blind. She can still see out of it a
little bit. This eye was always a little worse than the other as it always
leaked more. Is there anything I should do for her eye? Should I breed her
or cull her? I read in Ingrid Painter's book that you could breed ewes with
split eyelids but you really shouldn't breed rams with it. 
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Others mentioned pinkeye.  There is another cause of cloudy eyes called
'Hay Poke', basically the cornea is scratched from a stiff piece of hay or,
I suppose, the eye lash rubbing on it for a long time.  I thought my ewe
was blind in one eye because the entire thing turned cloudy white.  I took
her to the vet and they did a test first, a color test to determine....I
forgot...they were trying to diagnose the cause.  Anyway, the scratch turns
blue with this chemical and that means.... something, it was a long time
ago.  Maybe they were testing for Pinkeye.  They diagnosed Hay Poke.  I
treated the eye for five days with triple antibiotic cream made for eyes
(from the vet) and gave her a daily penicillin shot.  The eye recovered
completely and she hasn't had a problem since.  Her sight is just fine.  A
cloudy eye looks horrible and someone's first thought is that she is going
blind, but in many cases, it can be treated.  It is important to treat the
cloudy eye as soon as possible.

Cathy
Moscow, Idaho