Pink eye

[Lucky_P]

There's no scientific evidence that I'm aware of, that feeding levels of iodine higher than NRC recommended levels has any beneficial effect on pinkeye or any other disease condition, no matter how many folks make that claim.
There is ample evidence, however , that excessive iodine is detrimental to many systems...particularly mucous membranes and the immune system... so I'd say that those unsubstantiated claims are more likely wrong than right.

CTC...if they consume it regularly and at appropriate levels, will undoubtedly help - so long as the bacterial strains present are not resistant to CTC.

 

[Koffi Babone]

FYI:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/eye_a ... eye&alt=sh

 

[inyati13]

FYI:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/eye_a ... eye&alt=sh

Good read. Thanks

 

[Waterway65]

How many of you vaccinate for pinkeye and what are your results? I have vaccinated for years. Not sure if it's for my peace of mind or if it helps. I haven't had a case in several years but I keep my cattle fairly isolated to.

 

[inyati13]

How many of you vaccinate for pinkeye and what are your results? I have vaccinated for years. Not sure if it's for my peace of mind or if it helps. I haven't had a case in several years but I keep my cattle fairly isolated to.

I do not. If you read the publication posted above, it states that the efficacy of generic bacterins has not been demonstrated. On the other hand, my vet believes that custom bacterins with local strains in it may provide some protection.

Copied:
The efficacy of current commercially available M bovis bacterins is controversial and likely varies because of vaccinal versus outbreak strains of M bovis and varying degrees of cross-protection afforded by vaccination. Vaccination may reduce the severity and duration of infection in affected animals.

 

[kenny thomas]

I vaccinate with tri-view which is advertised to protect against more strains of pinkeye that any others. I still have had over 20 cases this year.

 

[TCRanch]

How many of you vaccinate for pinkeye and what are your results? I have vaccinated for years. Not sure if it's for my peace of mind or if it helps. I haven't had a case in several years but I keep my cattle fairly isolated to.

I do not. If you read the publication posted above, it states that the efficacy of generic bacterins has not been demonstrated. On the other hand, my vet believes that custom bacterins with local strains in it may provide some protection.

Copied:
The efficacy of current commercially available M bovis bacterins is controversial and likely varies because of vaccinal versus outbreak strains of M bovis and varying degrees of cross-protection afforded by vaccination. Vaccination may reduce the severity and duration of infection in affected animals.

We vaccinate per our vets' recommendation & our cattle always have access to mineral with CTC (primarily for anaplasmosis). We have never had an "outbreak" of pinkeye - knock wood, for what it's worth.

 

[Cross-7]

What affect is the veterinary feed directive going to have ?

 

[kenny thomas]

The effect for me will be that I will buy next years mineral early before the directive goes into effect. After next year guess I will have to ask the vet.

 

[Banjo]

Have probably treated 15 or more this year... a couple have had it in both eyes - but not both at the same time.
Two were white-faced SimAngus... but every other one has been a solid black or red cow. I don't believe white faces have squat to do with susceptibility to pinkeye.

Haven't read any new studies any time recently, though did see burdock seed incriminated as a cause of 'winter pinkeye', back earlier this year. I suspect that anything that causes a corneal abrasion or irritation sets the stage ... I'm not convinced that bacterins - commercial or autogenous - are particularly effective.

Probably if I had any injectible Vit.A on hand, I'd give a dose to any that I had to treat... merely because it has an indirect effect at helping the immune system function more effectively

I would say that's some good advice. We have been told all our life to eat carrots there good for your eyes. They contain Beta-Carotene which converts to Vitamin A. I read an article recently where someone/Vet. suggested that pinkeye was caused primarily from a Vitamin A deficiency.
They say when hay turns brown or loses its green color, most if not all the vitamin A is gone. So if were not feeding real good hay that's nice and green, but brown with no stockpiled grass...for several months in the winter and not supplementing with adequate Vitamin A, it could be a recipe for pinkeye....just sayin.

 

[inyati13]

Have probably treated 15 or more this year... a couple have had it in both eyes - but not both at the same time.
Two were white-faced SimAngus... but every other one has been a solid black or red cow. I don't believe white faces have squat to do with susceptibility to pinkeye.

Haven't read any new studies any time recently, though did see burdock seed incriminated as a cause of 'winter pinkeye', back earlier this year. I suspect that anything that causes a corneal abrasion or irritation sets the stage ... I'm not convinced that bacterins - commercial or autogenous - are particularly effective.

Probably if I had any injectible Vit.A on hand, I'd give a dose to any that I had to treat... merely because it has an indirect effect at helping the immune system function more effectively

I would say that's some good advice. We have been told all our life to eat carrots there good for your eyes. They contain Beta-Carotene which converts to Vitamin A. I read an article recently where someone/Vet. suggested that pinkeye was caused primarily from a Vitamin A deficiency.
They say when hay turns brown or loses its green color, most if not all the vitamin A is gone. So if were not feeding real good hay that's nice and green, but brown with no stockpiled grass...for several months in the winter and not supplementing with adequate Vitamin A, it could be a recipe for pinkeye....just sayin.

If Vitamin A was a primary factor, then pinkeye should disappear by the beginning of summer as a result of green forage in the spring.

 

[Banjo]

Have probably treated 15 or more this year... a couple have had it in both eyes - but not both at the same time.
Two were white-faced SimAngus... but every other one has been a solid black or red cow. I don't believe white faces have squat to do with susceptibility to pinkeye.

Haven't read any new studies any time recently, though did see burdock seed incriminated as a cause of 'winter pinkeye', back earlier this year. I suspect that anything that causes a corneal abrasion or irritation sets the stage ... I'm not convinced that bacterins - commercial or autogenous - are particularly effective.

Probably if I had any injectible Vit.A on hand, I'd give a dose to any that I had to treat... merely because it has an indirect effect at helping the immune system function more effectively

I would say that's some good advice. We have been told all our life to eat carrots there good for your eyes. They contain Beta-Carotene which converts to Vitamin A. I read an article recently where someone/Vet. suggested that pinkeye was caused primarily from a Vitamin A deficiency.
They say when hay turns brown or loses its green color, most if not all the vitamin A is gone. So if were not feeding real good hay that's nice and green, but brown with no stockpiled grass...for several months in the winter and not supplementing with adequate Vitamin A, it could be a recipe for pinkeye....just sayin.

If Vitamin A was a primary factor, then pinkeye should disappear by the beginning of summer as a result of green forage in the spring.

I am no expert at all. I thought the same thing at first. I guess it would depend on how deficient a cow was and how long it takes to correct the deficiency. I can tell you this. I have two herds about 15 miles apart. One herd I was able to graze all but two weeks this past winter. Fed hay those two weeks and that was it. One mild case of pinkeye in a calf that was about healed up by the time I caught it. That's it. They are a bit isolated.
The other herd, I somehow mismanaged my grass and had to feed hay about 60 to 70 days. Out of 60 cows plus calves in this group, about 10 or so cows got pinkeye, one with it in both eyes and about that many calves got it.
They aren't as isolated as the other group. Both groups were getting just trace mineralized salt for most of the winter, no Vitamin A supplementation except for some hi mag mineral for about 6 weeks starting in March.
I've started feeding the 2:1 Beef mineral from SS that has 300,000 units of Vitamin A.
So...plenty to think about.

 

[ClinchValley]

Dumb question potentially… Do our animals get pinkeye from fecal matter? Close quarter hay feeding....

 

[inyati13]

Dumb question potentially… Do our animals get pinkeye from fecal matter? Close quarter hay feeding....

No. Pinkeye is caused by Moraxella bovis. Fecal microbes are of different genera.

Close quarters feeding of hay has the potential to cause abrasions to the eye which can facilitate the action of Moraxella. Discussed above in this thread.

 

[Banjo]

What puzzles me is why some or most of my cows were totally unaffected by it as if they were completely immune to it.

 

[Bigfoot]

I spent $1500 last year treating it. Several cases a day some days. I've not had the first case this year. A friend of mine has 7 cows and calves. I've treated 10 for him to date. I probably jinxed myself saying that. I never even try to fight flys. Gave that battle up years ago. Only thing I've done different this year is grazed a little closer, before I rotate. I doubt that was what caused my good fortune.

 

[inyati13]

What puzzles me is why some or most of my cows were totally unaffected by it as if they were completely immune to it.

Banjo, I have seen similar circumstances here. I believe some cows are immune or they are inherently less susceptible.