Pink Eye Treatment

Help Support CattleToday:

A

Anonymous

I have a 5 week old bottle-fed heifer calf purchased from the local market that began showing signs of pink eye a week ago. At the first signs of clouding, I flushed her eye with salt water and her eye cleared up for about 3 days. But the infection keeps coming back. I have heard and read of several remedies,i.e. portwine, to salt, to penicillian eye flushes; even eyeball injections. What is the BEST treatment for pink eye? Also, this calf is in the pasture with goats and I have no way to separate them right now. Is there anyway to protect the goats from this pink eye?

[email protected]
 
Flush the eye with hydrogen peroxide and let it set for 30 seconds then follow with penicillin. I used to use the oxy-tetracycline also, but stings and makes them harder to get through a chute in the future. This treatment was recommended by a vet to be as good as the oxy-tet and not as hard on the critter. I use a small syringe with the needle removed and get it under the third eyelid. ½ cc to 1 cc is enough under the eyelid. I would add an oxy-tet injection in the neck muscle to this treatment, if the eye is beyond the cloudy stage and has an ulcer. Oxy-tet stays in the system for two days and comes through in the tears.

[email protected]
 

Latest posts

Top