Pink Eye?

[wobbie1775]

Pics below... 1 calf (4.5 mths old, weaned for a month) and 2 cows are basically blind. A couple other cows with 1 eye that's leaking/watering and they hold it shut. The affected eyeballs are grey and look like a cataract in a human. I bought these cows from middle men so I have no idea what vaccines they may have had/not had. I also haven't worked them or given them anything. They have been on my place for 2-5 months. My real question... Will this solve itself over time? I am interested if any of you have had this and they eventually heal/get over it. The google machine implies that one could do nothing and eventually they will get over it.

 

[rollinhills]

Pics below... 1 calf (4.5 mths old, weaned for a month) and 2 cows are basically blind. A couple other cows with 1 eye that's leaking/watering and they hold it shut. The affected eyeballs are grey and look like a cataract in a human. I bought these cows from middle men so I have no idea what vaccines they may have had/not had. I also haven't worked them or given them anything. They have been on my place for 2-5 months. My real question... Will this solve itself over time? I am interested if any of you have had this and they eventually heal/get over it. The google machine implies that one could do nothing and eventually they will get over it.

give them a shot of LA300

 

[Dave]

A big blast of LA. In most cases they will eventually go blind in the eye.

Edit: They will go blind if you do nothing to treat it. Treat in time and they recover.

 

[coachg]

Watery , sort of glassy you might can save it with the antibiotics shot . Already white they have probably lost it and will be blind in that eye . I have seen a few recover but it's rare . I've battle some cases already this spring. Flys are awful and long stem grass also irritates as they graze .

 

[Ky hills]

I've had pretty good success with them healing up when given LA 200 or LA 300 early on. Most times they heal up or have just a small scar ( white or cloudy spot in the eye.
Occasionally, there will be one that the eye bulges out.

 

[moses388]

If you run the cattle in a chute to administer LA 300, I would also wash eyes with Vetericyn Pink Eye spray.

 

[salebarn junkie]

Make sure your feilds are brush hogged. The seed heads, especially fescue will get in there eyes. Its hit or miss wither a pink eye vac will prevent it.

 

[angus9259]

"Do nothing" is rarely a prescription for success with pinkeye. I vaccinate. Does it work? I don't know. I don't get much pinkeye. Would I otherwise? I don't know. But when I see weepy and squinting combo, I give LA300 immediately. Sooner the better. Grass is tall this year so I'm keeping watchful for it.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I cover with a patch and let them go. Seems to heal up perfectly. No loss of vision nor spots. Can't tell they ever had the problem. The sun has to be aggravating.

 

[wobbie1775]

I cover with a patch and let them go. Seems to heal up perfectly. No loss of vision nor spots. Can't tell they ever had the problem. The sun has to be aggravating.

So you don't do any medicine/LA? What function is the patch performing?

 

[Ky hills]

I have used patches in conjunction with antibiotic treatment. The patches help to keep out light, dust and flies.
I don't always use the patches, but if I have them on hand it's a good practice I believe. I have kept the affected animals up in a barn for a few days after treatment too instead of patches.
Main thing is prevention and early treatment.

 

[Logan52]

Nutrition is also important, a good mineral mix can help.
I have tried all the remedies over the years, shot of LA 300 in the eyelid, patches, vaccines and others. 50 years ago we threw a handful of salt in the affected eye.
Control flies as best you can, mow pastures and hope for the best. Usually mine recover with few lasting problems, maybe a mild blue eye.
I think cattle with access to good shade i the summer are less affected.

 

[WestTexasLivestockGrowers]

Keep them separate from the ones that are not showing the signs of it and give the infected cattle a treatment from long-acting oxytetracycline such as Bio-mycin 200 or LA200. The recommended dose that you should give is 4.5cc per 100lbs of body weight subcutaneously or under the fold of the skin. A second dose given within 48 to 72 hours may increase the percentage that will respond to treatment.

 

[ClinchValley86]

So you don't do any medicine/LA? What function is the patch performing?

Most of the time I do not medicate. Only if I happen to have it on hand. I have had a couple get it at the same time, gave both patches, only had LA for one. They were both healed up at the same time and recovered about the same.

I think for me it's usually that they've poked their eye on something and got an infection. But I'm assuming and not really sure.

Don't have but maybe a single case per year now.

I heard a compelling argument last year that said pinkeye is a result of their body's PH being off which results in an imbalance of sorts allowing the bacteria to thrive. I think it was Dr Allen Williams, maybe.

The patch keeps the sun off their eye mainly IMO. But it also keeps flies from getting on the eye and potentially spreading it. I don't remove the affected animal from the group.

Maybe I'm asking for trouble with my pinkeye method.

 

[wobbie1775]

Most of the time I do not medicate. Only if I happen to have it on hand. I have had a couple get it at the same time, gave both patches, only had LA for one. They were both healed up at the ae time and recovered about the same.

I think for me it's usually that they've poked their eye on something and got an infection. But I'm assuming and not really sure.

Don't have but maybe a single case per year now.

I heard a compelling argument last year that said pinkeye is a result of their body's PH being off which results in an imbalance of sorts allowing the bacteria to thrive. I think it was Dr Allen Williams, maybe.

The patch keeps the sun off their eye mainly IMO. But it also keeps flies from getting on the eye and potentially spreading it. I don't remove the affected animal from the group.

Maybe I'm asking for trouble with my pinkeye method.

I appreciate your candor and response. This might be a good time for me to confess that I don't have any working facilities. That is in the plan for the next few weeks but we aren't there yet. So I guess I could get a dart gun but I am not-yet convinced they "need" to be treated. I know most people "do" treat it...but your evidence and others I have seen outside these forums seem to suggest that, in many cases, they can heal given time alone.

 

[dave_shelby]

I don't see evidence of that. Perhaps it's because a runny eye is not necessarily infection? I've had some that lost sight in an eye (didn't catch it in time) and they then become harder to work. A dart gun pays off quick when you factor in a decline in weaning weights. I've read that mineral also helps with prevention and recovery too, which makes sense.

My other thought is that there has to be a genetic association. How else would people have handled cows a century ago? https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2011/sep/cattle#:~:text="Half of the offspring inherited,to a QTL was identified.

 

[Ky hills]

For the folks who don't treat pinkeye, do you have many that have significant white scarring on their eyes or blindness out of the affected eye, or eyes that bug out?
It seems if we treat early on it seems we have a good rate of eyes clearing up completely or with very minimal scarring just a small spot. If treatment is delayed seems as if the damage to the eye is more severe.

 

[jltrent]

Can you get any antibiotics without taking them to the vet? I had a calf coughing and went to get some Draxxin at the vet and they told me either bring him in or sorry that was the law on antibiotics. I found some when I got home generic brand and treated the calf and was better the next day. I had some calves with pinkeye a couple years ago and it was a waste giving them Draxxin.

 

[Logan52]

I rarely treat for active pinkeye anymore. I do take a lot of steps that I think helps prevent it (or at least its severity).
Most get over it without any lasting sign, perhaps a minimal cloudiness or small spot.

I had an uncle that had a bugeye calf or two every year. He did not treat individual cases. He was a tobacco man and viewed his cattle as a sideline to that. He was overstocked, had less shade, more stress on the cattle and less attention to nutrition.

 

[Ky hills]

Can you get any antibiotics without taking them to the vet? I had a calf coughing and went to get some Draxxin at the vet and they told me either bring him in or sorry that was the law on antibiotics. I found some when I got home generic brand and treated the calf and was better the next day. I had some calves with pinkeye a couple years ago and it was a waste giving them Draxxin.

Here, it's said you need to have a working relationship with a vet, ie they know your program and have been to your farm.
We have 2 vet offices that we work with, one local and one about 25 miles from here in a next county over. We have been able to get what we need just by talking with them about what's going on pretty much the same as before, except now we have to do that for our LA 300 or 200.
That would be a big problem to have to take every calf that needed something to the vets.