Double R Ranch":15qf1zhr said:
I'm guessing you didn't patch her eyes in the beginning? I feel that this probably would have made a HUGE difference in her recovery. Light plays havoc on pinkeye eyes. Especially when you can't access the animal on a daily basis for treatment.
If I was going to keep her and try to salvage her I would get her in and put patches on her eyes. In a few of my cases I used a horse fly mask when both eyes are effected and I don't have a secure enough pen to keep one in. If I can patch both and pen it I add a calm cow to allow her to use as a crutch until the patches come off. Fly masks allow a slight amount of sight if she has any while still shading the eyes. Not as good as patches because it still allows light but does shade the eyes and keeps flies away.
Maybe you can regain some sight? Patch them and pen her up. Check them in a week or so. See if they've gotten any better. Take pictures to compare sometimes helps. Be sure she's in a good sturdy pen.
Personally I wouldn't breed her. At least not until I knew she would be able to see reasonably. I hate to say that but unless I knew the eyes could be cleared up enough I don't feel it would be a good idea. At this point I'm not confident clearing up will happen. In my opinion it wouldn't be fair to her to ask her to "survive" almost or completely blind let alone being blind and calving, mothering up, protecting her calf etc. Hard being a 1st time heifer as it is. My guess is she feels even more need to be with the herd because she can't see. More eye injuries seem to follow on blind cattle. They don't see the fence or sticker bush or whatever until its poked them.
Is this a registered animal? You said it wasn't a pet so Im just trying to understand the situation :)
They are herd animals (as I'm sure you know ;) ) and add a visual disability to that and it can be a nightmare. That escaping incident will probably just be the start of your headache. Doesn't sound like that event had any man made pressure :( Trying to bring up your herd, you could have major fences run throughs among other disasters. Blind cattle keep going in a panic in my experience. Had a neighbor with a few. :(
Last opinion :mrgreen: If she's already getting beat up it will probably just get worse. Every one of your cows who wants to show dominance or keep her away from them (which she wants to be close because she's relying on them to see) will beat her up. If she gets scared and cant escape.......
I wish you luck however you decide and look forward to an update.
Thanks for the thoughts--very appreciated!
We did put a patch on but it fell off right away. (I don't think we gave her enough time in the chute for the glue to "set up."). She is registered; we bought her last Nov. She will be 16 mos tomorrow. Her body condition is good; she is eating well and drinking. Today she is laying down contentedly in the shade, with the cows all touching and no one feisty. I think maybe a couple of the big mamas were in heat earlier in the week and (as you predicted) she was "annoying" them. Today she's resting against one of them that butted her a little two days ago, and no issues (knock wood). i keep hoping she will get a bit of sight back; she does turn her head a bit like she can see a little in the one eye.
When the patch came off, it left a big glue ring (like a bandit!) and I wonder if the 2 other cows she was having an issue with picked on her since she looked funny (I've heard chickens do that)?
If I had to guess, I think the infection itself has run, or mostly run, its course with her, so it's just a waiting game.
The vet can take a closer look at her when she comes to start the AI protocol in a week, and we'll see what she says.
Just had the soil extension agent out, and he suggested putting the feeder cows into the brushy pasture, and keep the registered ones out until it's stomped down more, so we're doing that this weekend.
Thanks again!
