SIM

Sim – short for Simone – is a 12 month old black and white Hamburg hen from Mindaribba, Maitland whose right eye was weeping and sore.  The owners had been bathing the eye in salt water for a week or so before we saw her, but it had not settled down, and her owners were concerned that she was in pain.  When we examined Sim we could see that she had had an accident on the farm which had caused her eyelid to tear.  It had healed but now she was unable to close her eye properly. This was causing the eye to become inflamed as the normal protection of the eyelid was absent.  We were not hopeful that we could fix the eye, as time had passed since the original accident, and the scarring prevented us from reconstructing the eyelid. After a few days of applying antibiotic cream to the eye (which soothed it a little) the decision was made to remove the eye to save Sim from chronic pain and irritation.  Sim was given a full anaesthetic, including of course intubation and connection to the anaesthetic machine.  In a relatively simple procedure the eye was removed and the very fine skin around the eye sutured together.

Sim is now back at the farm, doing well, and as you can see by her photo, looking gorgeous! Best of all her tall and handsome boyfriend, pictured right, still loves her!!