eye ointments

[Paula C Gentry <pgentry@U.Arizona.EDU>]

What are the major differences between human eyes and equine eyes that
would contraindicate steroids for scratched eyes? I scratched my own eye
last week and was soon suffering a protozoal infiltrate because I
harassed it by rubbing my eye (duh). My eye doctor said that the protozoa
are ubiquitous but not normally a problem unless the epithelium (outer
cell layers of the eye) is damaged. She prescribed an antibiotic/
steroid drop that cleared up the problem in a couple days, to my intense
relief. She also said that the protozoa could do very serious damage in a
very short time. The antibiotic was to clear up the infection, the steroid
tamed the inflammation. So why are antiinflammatory steroids indicated for
human eyes with scratches, but not for equine eyes with scratches?

Paula
----------------------
Paula C Gentry, PhD
Department of Animal Science
University of Arizona
pgentry@U.Arizona.EDU

It is not knowing a lot but grasping things intimately and savoring them
which fills and satisfies the soul. 

--St. Ignatius--