# Shots for Inverted Eyelids



## mcdowedd (Mar 2, 2007)

I am so excited that I found this board! 

We have a lamb (2 days old) with an inverted eyelid. Our vet has told us to inject pennicilin into his lower eyelid, causing it to swell up and correct the inversion. I am having a difficult time injecting into this area. When I try to inject the meds into his eyelid, I can see the meds seeping out- they don't stay in his skin. I am assuming that I don't have the needle in correctly. I am using an 18 gauge needle. Do you have any tips for injecting into the lower eyelid?


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## veme (Dec 2, 2005)

Hi  

Try a finer needle (24 gauge) with 1 cc penicillin. Pull the lower eyelid away from the eye. Insert tip of needle at 45Â°, slowly inject. You want to make a bubble under the skin so that it doesnât turn back on the eye.

Another way to go is the rubber band method
http://www.quintillion.com/sheepbreeders2/reader/1999/jan_1.html

I'm thinking of using super glue (fleece to fleece) to hold the eyelid in place the next time I get one.

veme


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## SilverVista (Jan 12, 2005)

We've done the shots (difficult even with experience), and super-glue (also difficult to get the area dry enough to work well. Finally this year a friend brought us some surgical clips and an applicator, and I'll never use another method again. You can order from Pipestone ( www.pipevet.com ) or from Wiggins ( http://www.wigginsinc.com/ ) on the internet. 

Keep in mind that inverted eyelids seem to be strongly genetically linked. We've had them here and there for 20 years, but not a lot and no definable pattern. This year's gorgeous new ram has unfortunately given us dozens of inverted eyelids in addition to the level toplines and sturdy feet and legs we wanted, so we'll be culling some beauties I'm afraid.  It's always something, isn't it?


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## Liese (Dec 12, 2005)

If you can get very small alligator clips at the Radio Shack kind of store they can be used instead of surgical clips. Another thing we were taught at the VA Tech sheep seminar is to just roll the eyelid outwards several times a day but this works best if caught early, this was something to check at the time of birth but I didn't get the impression from the staff that is was anything more than a simple happenstance- we have had 2 lambs that I rolled outward and then they were fine. I take it some here are experiencing severely inverted lids that don't respond to treatment? That would be very sad.


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

sometimes, gaining/losing a bit of weight will correct the inversion. a lot of eyelid issues can be related to the layer of fat that cushions the eyeball from behind. I had to watch this with a few dogs I have had-- too fat, they invert, too thin, they turn out. Entropian and ectropian are so dependent on more than simple genetics--excess skin alone can be the issue, as well. sopmetimes, the lids will tighten or loosen depending on the weather. Cold weather-- nice lids, warm weather- loose, droopy, dust collectors!!!


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## mcdowedd (Mar 2, 2007)

Thanks for the replies - I'm glad to see that there are other alternatives to injecting pen. into the eyelids. Also...is the inverted eyelid trait passed through the ram, the ewe, or both?


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

look for a polygeneic issue on this--meaning-- ram and ewe, and some breedings will be okay, others will not-- since so many factors s come into play-- you must pay attention to every little detail--- if you want to "breed out" the issue, you also need to pay attention to other related animals to see what trhey are passing on to their offspring-- this can pin down which side of the family tree is more 'at fault"


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## kirsten (Aug 29, 2005)

Just make your vet do it!!!
I do. My vet does all kinds of stuff for me that I need time to learn. You NEED an example!!! If your vet won't do it for you adn show you- geez, get another vet! Pen works the best.


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## sheepish (Dec 9, 2006)

We haven't had inverted eyelids for the past 20 years or so, since we bred it out, but I seem to recall that either neosporin or polysporin ointment, once or twice along the eyelid cured it.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I've only seen it in the flock once and as fortune would have it the vet was at the farm that day. All I remember about it was pointing to the lamb and asking her to fix it if she could. She fixed it but I don't remember what she did!! I was too busy to watch as i recall.


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## ALClublambs (Feb 22, 2007)

Giving a sharp pinch to the delicate skin just below the eye will be enough to cure most cases of inverted eyelid (Entropion). If that doesn't work, extremely careful stitches with needle and thread to take up a temporary tuck will work the same way. Remove stitches in a week or so. 
As to giving those pen. injections, I wonder if sheep and goats are a bit different than cattle? I've never had much luck giving them either.
Bess


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## mawalla (Oct 28, 2002)

I had one lamb that had one eye that inverted. I used good old duct tape to pull the lower lid down and out of the eye. I ran a strip of it just below the eye all the way under the lambs jaw and pressed it down good. Then I put some eye ointment in the eye since it was gookey from being irritated from the lashes. This lamb was not born with it, I don't know why it all of a sudden turned in. The duct tape worked. If I recall, I took it off in about a week and the lid stayed where it was supposed to be. Since then I saw in SHEEP mag a trick to use the little alligator clips. THAT sounds better than the duct tape, and won't leave adhesive behind! Personally, I'd be reluctant to attempt to try to inject the fluids into the eye lid area of a squirming lamb because Murphy's law flourishes at my place!


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Entropian eyelids are thought to be passed down via the ram but that aside, I would not be injecting the lower eyelid with Pen. to right the problem and I'm amazed that a vet would offer this as a cure.

Often entropian eyelids will come right as the lamb grows and the muscle below the eye firms up but when I can catch the little sods I dry the area off with a tissue and apply vaseline to the eyelash and the wool of the face. The eyelash then stick to the wool and holds the lower lid out. I will often do this several times a day and by the end of a week the eyelid is staying out on it's own.

Last season I noticed a lamb in the mob with entropian but there was no way I could catch it so I left it. When they ewes and lambs were brought in for docking I looked for it - nowhere to be seen. It had fixed itself and all 28 lambs were bright eyed.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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