Heifer blind in one eye, symptoms include....

[stlhdr2]

I have an Angus heifer and, while I was gone on a fire assignment, she appears to have gotten an infected eye. The eye appears to be white and there is considerable weeping. I'm calling my vet as soon as he opens, but wondered if anyone else has had cattle with the same, or similar, symptoms and what might have caused her blindness. She has had all the recommended shots.

Thanks...

 

[angie1]

Pink eye? Sounds exactly like it to me.

 

[c farmer]

Problaly got the pink eye from flies.

 

[hillsdown]

As everyone has stated above ,I would agree as well.
If the eye is completely white I would be aggressive with the treatment and get the third lid sewn shut, many on here are talented enough do that themselves but I am not and the one occasion that I had to have it done my trusty Vet did it. My beautiful heifer is fine as well as her big brown eyes and she has raised a gorgeous first calf this year.

In other words get your vet out ,as if the eye is all white and not just a dot she may not only go blind but there is a possibility of her losing the actual eye.

 

[stlhdr2]

Thank you all for your help. Sounds unanimous...Pinkeye...I have called my Vet and as soon as he gets back to me I'll load her up and get her in for treatment. I hope I'm early enough to save her eye and restore her vision.

Thanks again...

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Give her the LA 200 and you can put a patch over the eye, instead of having it sewn shut.

 

[stlhdr2]

Hi all,

I was able to get my heifer loaded up and off to the vet on Monday (first day they could get her in) and her eye was, of course, in bad shape. Doc gave her a shot of LA 200, something else to numb her eye and dull the pain, then sewed her eye shut with biodegradable thread. So, in ten days or so I'll be able to see if she has any sight in her eye. Doc say's that it's a pretty slim chance, especially since I can't treat her with powder every day (she's NOT tame). Although she may lose her sight, he's confident that the treatment will keep her from losing her eye. She's up and eating, moving with the rest of the herd, and acts like she's feeling better. I'll post another note when I know more.

Again, thank you all for your help.

 

[stlhdr2]

the Doc did give her a shot in the eyelid, still hopeful that she'll be fine. Her eye was certainly ulcerated and distended and though he wasn't completely optimistic about her regaining full vision, he was confident that the treatment would keep her from losing her eye. We'll see what the next few days bring...of course I'm hoping for total restoration of her eyesight. It is obvious she's feeling better, moving with the rest of the herd and feeding.

 

[dun]

No need to patch the eye. two cc dexamethasone either im or in the gland in the eyelid and la 200 would have done the job just fine. He did all that work for nothing. I have had it where their eyes were ulcerated and nearly about to pop. I gave em 2 cc dex im and a shot of LA -200 and the next day all that was left was a little bitty white spot.

So, you were there and made an observation of the eye like the vet did and still think the treatment given was wrong/unnessarry?

 

[hillsdown]

the Doc did give her a shot in the eyelid, still hopeful that she'll be fine. Her eye was certainly ulcerated and distended and though he wasn't completely optimistic about her regaining full vision, he was confident that the treatment would keep her from losing her eye. We'll see what the next few days bring...of course I'm hoping for total restoration of her eyesight. It is obvious she's feeling better, moving with the rest of the herd and feeding.

Sounds like what I thought, the good news though is that my gal was really really bad too .I was ashamed for my vet to see her like that and that I let it get that bad. I will never make that mistake again as I was treating her with penicillin and she was not responding..

Oh yes the good news ,we did the exact same as your vet the ,shot of meds directly in the eye and other stronger meds in her as well as sewing the third lid shut.

It took forever to see results every time I went out there I thought for sure she lost her eye and then gradually the eyeball was more defined and eventually it was back to almost 100% perfect ,,the most beautiful brown eye you could ever want to see.

You did the right thing by getting your vet to look at her , now you just wait .Good luck and I hope you soon will see her beautiful brown eye as well.

BTW Dr. U charged me for the sutures only as he was out already doing herd health, although I would never expect a break in payment as they know what they are doing..He does although always receive a nice bottle of his favorite Rye at Christmas.

When it comes to eyesight, yours or an animals, the few pennies are worth the effort. I think sometimes we take vision for granted.

 

[stlhdr2]

First off, I'd like to thank you all again for your help and concern for my heifer. A few more tidbits of information might help clear up some of the discussion points. I don't have a squeeze chute for my pasture yet, so I'm unable to immobilize my animals for any sort of treatment...which means a trip to the vet when something like pinkeye hits. I have no problems giving shots to animals, or people for that matter. My vet is great, he treats folks' animals from several communities and he's very trustworthy. I also understand that every dollar I spend on my animals is lost profit and it makes sense to treat you own animals if you can, and I plan on investing in a squeeze chute as soon as I can.

I'll get back with a progress report when I know something.....

 

[milkmaid]

Up to 45cc la 200 for 1200 pound animal.

I like to give 2cc dex to make the pain and swelling go away and also the la-200 in combination with that per label recommendations.

Read the label TN... 4.5mL/100lbs of body weight. That's 54cc of LA200 for a 1200lb animal.

 

[cfpinz]

No need to patch the eye. two cc dexamethasone either im or in the gland in the eyelid and la 200 would have done the job just fine. He did all that work for nothing. I have had it where their eyes were ulcerated and nearly about to pop. I gave em 2 cc dex im and a shot of LA -200 and the next day all that was left was a little bitty white spot.

Where did you get your vet degree, Playskool?

stlhdr2, we glue patches over the infected eye whether it's severe or even a minor case. The patches serve more than one purpose: They keep foreign objects from entering the eye and annoying it further, the keep flies from accessing the eye and transmitting the virus unto other animals and they block sunlight from the eye. Think of how sunlight feels against your eye when there's a problem with it. I don't know of any shot or combination of injections that can accomplish these things.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Cfpinz i thought i was the only one left that used patches on there eye. I some times think the patch dose as much good as the meds. I am sure it helps about it spreading to other cows in the herd.

 

[cfpinz]

Cfpinz i thought i was the only one left that used patches on there eye. I some times think the patch dose as much good as the meds. I am sure it helps about it spreading to other cows in the herd.

If you prevent spreading the virus to one other animal, the patch has paid for itself. I like the shut-eye patches from valley vets - always buy the cow size, don't bother with the calf size, the big ones can be trimmed. Or in a pinch you can cut a patch out of your wife's britches!

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I do pants leg thing got a buddy at the sale barn i get can of the glue they the tags on with and just stick on. I leave the patch on till it falls off, haven't had one yet that wasn't well when it came off.

 

[hillsdown]

Cfpinz i thought i was the only one left that used patches on there eye. I some times think the patch dose as much good as the meds. I am sure it helps about it spreading to other cows in the herd.

If you prevent spreading the virus to one other animal, the patch has paid for itself. I like the shut-eye patches from valley vets - always buy the cow size, don't bother with the calf size, the big ones can be trimmed. Or in a pinch you can cut a patch out of your wife's britches!

I sure hope she wasn't/isn't wearing them at the time .. :lol2:

I had a calf this year that had pneumonia really bad,,when I finally put her back out with her mom she was wearing one of my hubbies carharts <sp?> that I had "cut and sewn" to fit her..He was not impressed ,,,,,,,,but the calf was, she is AOK now..

 

[cfpinz]

I sure hope she wasn't/isn't wearing them at the time .. :lol2:

I prefer to use her jeans, she has much nicer legs than me!