Post Eye Removal Surgery ~ Days 1-8

One the way home from the Vet Hospital to bring Apache home after her eye-removal surgery, big wet snowflakes came falling out of the sky. When I woke up the next morning, I was greeted by a winter wonderland on April 28th!

There was about 8" of heavy, we snow on the ground...and coating everything it could stick to. Like my chicken coop.



I was relieved that I had checked the weather before picking up Apache and had brought up several sections of my portable camping corral. As per the Vet's instructions, Apache was not supposed to get her surgery site wet. Although the snow made that challenging because the wind had changed direction and blown in from the east, into the barn stalls.
Between the corral panels and Apache's fly mask I did a pretty good job at keeping Apache's surgery site mostly dry.

But Apache doesn't like being stalled and I rarely ever keep her stalled, so she was feeling pretty cooped up inside her small area under the barn roof.
At least she had a good view of everything.

I wasn't supposed to feed Apache much unless she continued to poop equal to the amount she was fed. The problem with that was that Apache doesn't like to poop in her stall. But it was cold outside and the best way to keep a horse warm is to feed them.

Apache's appetite was great, so I continued to feed her small amounts of grass hay and grass hay pellets mixed with applesauce and her powdered antibiotics, while I monitored her and listened for gut sounds.

But Apache would have rather been let out of her stall. haha!
She was a good girl, though. And thankfully, all that heavy wet snow melted by the next day. 

The Vet's instructions required me to check her incision site each day for any drainage or excessive swelling. Although, it was a bit shocking to see her surgery site for the first time, it was also a relief. Because it looked like the surgery was a success and the area was already healing.
This was taken on Day 4 after surgery.

Apache was a little sensitive at first about me being on her blind side and I had to continue to remind her I was there if I needed to do anything to that side. Sometimes she bumped her nose into me, but it was always very gently.

As soon as the snow melted, I removed the portable camping corral panels so Apache had a much bigger pen to move around in. Even though it had been 7 days since her surgery, I was a little nervous about letting her out into the main paddock which is just over an acre in size. There are many trees and branches and logs and even the fenceline and I could picture her hurting herself.
So, I asked my Vet if she recommended me letting Apache out during the day and she said "Absolutely!"
So, I did.

Apache was happy to be able to move about freely and eagerly went down my neighbor's shared fenceline to visit with her horses and alpaca.

I left Apache out all day to enjoy herself and acclimate to navigating her space with only one eye.
But quite honestly, anyone walking past my horse paddocks would have never known that Apache was a one-eyed horse. She moved around with ease.



The next day, I let the llamas out of their paddock and opened up both paddocks for Apache and the llamas to move about and explore.
The llamas are always happy when I let them into the larger main paddock. 
Catlinite is one handsome dude!



Apache tried to befriend them and hang out with them, but Cataleya would spit at poor Apache. Naughty Drama Llama!

Apache "helped" me repair some loose fence sections on the shared fenceline, but she made me a little nervous because she liked to rest her chin on my head or put me on her blind side. I was concerned that she might forget that I was still there and step on me or bump into me. But she never did.

Apache also enjoyed scratching her belly on this stunted juniper bush.

I'm so happy that my Apache is enjoying life again and just doing what horses do.