There are basically two causes of pinkeye. That which is caused by externa irritation of the eye, i.e., grass seed, being poked with still grass stems, dust, etc. The other is caused by flys. In theory it is caused by a particular bacteria or is it a virus. That is the stuff that the vaccination will work for. The best method is still sanitation and decreasing the fly population. Flys will crawl around the eyes of an affected animal and pass it to others by crawling around their eyes. We use fly wipes with permectrin and diesel and inerals with a larvacide. We haven't had pink eye in years other then one black angus, but I think that was IBR rather then actual pinkeye. For treatment there are just short of a zillion ways that work for different people. Some quirt penecillin or some other antibiotic into the eye, others inject various anitbiotics either in to eye itself or in the neck just like any other application. There is salt thrown in the eye, others just patch the eye, and then there are combinations of all of the above and others that I can't recall right now. We have a neighbor that vaccinates every year but pays no attention to the fly situation. Each year they have a few more cows that get it then previous years.
dun
> Greetings. What causes pink eye?
> We got some eye trouble in the
> herd no new cattle have been
> introduced in a couple of years
> and my experience has always been
> an animal being brought in and
> cutting it loose through the rest.
> What is the most efficient way to
> get rid of it?
> Regards,
> Duncan
