Pink eye

Grueller

Folks, I am getting cases of pink eye left right and centre at the moment. I have been treating stock in one shed for a couple of days and now it is appearing in another shed 30 yards across the yard. I haven't had it in 20 years. I am treating it with opticlox tubes.
How do you all deal with it or stop it from spreading like so.

Tonynewholland

Grueller wrote: »

Folks, I am getting cases of pink eye left right and centre at the moment. I have been treating stock in one shed for a couple of days and now it is appearing in another shed 30 yards across the yard. I haven't had it in 20 years. I am treating it with opticlox tubes.
How do you all deal with it or stop it from spreading like so.

Are you feeding silage bales. I’ve heard of lads leaving the plastic of them for a day or two before feeding

greysides

True Pink Eye is a summer, fly-spread infection. Given the time of year this is more likely Silage Eye, picked up from soil contaminated silage or, less likely, blown dust.
If caught early (white specks) in a weepy eye, external antibiotic application may work. Otherwise, save yourself and the cattle some hardship and give the affected animals long acting antibiotic ASAP.
It takes time for the appearance of the eye to return to normal but the tears and swelling around the socket decreasing tells you its working. Bad cases may need a repeat injection.

_Brian

Sounds like silage eye.

Have used amacyllian spray effectively on pink eye so I presume it would work similarly.

I don’t think you can do anything proactively.

Interesting suggestion above to leave bales unwrapped, hadn’t heard that before.

greysides

_Brian wrote: »

Sounds like silage eye.

Have used Alamycin < spelling edit> spray effectively on pink eye so I presume it would work similarly.

Should work, as long as it's early.

I don’t think you can do anything proactively.

Interesting suggestion above to leave bales unwrapped, hadn’t heard that before.

I'm not sure if it's a sop, or not, but it's worth trying. The bug likes micro-aerobic conditions (same as the moulds that grow on silage bales, hence the association) so it might make sense.

endainoz

Definitely sounds like silage eye, by any chance do you shove fresh bales into them that they can rub their faces off as opposed to forking the bales out in front of them?

I used to get it a bit when I shoved bales into them, never get it when they have it forked into them.

Grueller

endainoz wrote: »

Definitely sounds like silage eye, by any chance do you shove fresh bales into them that they can rub their faces off as opposed to forking the bales out in front of them?

I used to get it a bit when I shoved bales into them, never get it when they have it forked into them.

Ya I shove in fresh bales. I would say I will have a calf blind in one eye from it. It's gone a bit too far to save the eye I would say. There is a bulge on the eye that is stopping it closing. This calf has an awful habit of popping through the barrier to lie in the silage.
I am raging with myself for not seeing it in time but she is a flighty little lady and it is hard to get close to her.

greysides

Grueller wrote: »

... I would say I will have a calf blind in one eye from it. It's gone a bit too far to save the eye I would say. There is a bulge on the eye that is stopping it closing. ....

You'd be surprised. If it's not burst there's hope so get some antibiotic in quick.

Grueller

greysides wrote: »

You'd be surprised. If it's not burst there's hope so get some antibiotic in quick.

I have opticloxin the eye and have injected with pen and strep. I have no long acting antibiotics in the cabinet and my vet is gone for Xmas.

greysides

Grueller wrote: »

I have opticloxin the eye and have injected with pen and strep. I have no long acting antibiotics in the cabinet and my vet is gone for Xmas.

That'll do, just keep in the antibiotic daily. The 'long-acting' is just for ease.

emaherx

greysides wrote: »

You'd be surprised. If it's not burst there's hope so get some antibiotic in quick.

Had a cow last year that I was sure would loose the eye, but like you said I was very surprised to see it return to normal after the antibiotics.

It was while feeding a particularly mouldy batch of bales. Had a few other that had runny eyes that just cleared up with the ointment.

Lime Tree Farm

Vet told us to remove the plastic day before feeding, if I remember rightly I think he said something about listeria being trapped under the plastic. That was some time ago, but we still strip the bales the day before feeding.

Base price

We've had a few over the years but we would have more of a problem with pink eye. Many years ago a Vet taught me how to inject into the upper and lower eyelids. It's a two person job and imo the most effective remedy. We use a combination of 2mls oxytetracycline/duocycline and 1ml of dexameth split between the upper and lower eyelid.

Can you get your Vet to show you how to do it cause it's a valuable tool in a stockman's arsenal.

greysides

That's more of a trick for Pink Eye, where the infection is more superficial. With Silage Eye, which goes deeper, it's simpler to just inject intramuscularly.

Bass Reeves

I had a bit earlier this winter. Now it stores so I used to watch them feeding and spray amalycin on any animal with a tear. Now there is 2-3 with a year that is from some sort of virus. However I kept it under control. I only had to get one bullock out to treat with optci tube. Even if I treat with a tube I use amalycin spray as well. Leave 48 hours between treatments with tubes. It takes that long to start working. When the weeping stops the infection of is gone and it is time after that.

I have had a few blind in one eye bullocks bought in over the years. It rarely effects thrive after clearing up but you have to watch yourself with an animal blind in one eye they are alway turning towards you if you have them in a pen. It can be hard to get them.up the crush

dohc turbo2

Had a good bit of it two years ago , always open the bales the day before now , I was told the older the silage the ones to watch out for , the ones I wouldn’t clear the vet injected into the eye ball if I remember correctly

minerleague

dohc turbo2 wrote: »

Had a good bit of it two years ago , always open the bales the day before now , I was told the older the silage the ones to watch out for , the ones I wouldn’t clear the vet injected into the eye ball if I remember correctly

Into the skin below eye, can get needles for dogs/cats in vets. need them well held

memorystick

Would they clear when they go to grass?

Bass Reeves

memorystick wrote: »

Would they clear when they go to grass?

No it similar to pink eye in that it gets worse I'd untreated. You can end up with cattle blind in one eye or worse them losing an eye

1373

We used to get 20 to 40 cases of pink eye every year in weanlings . Last year and this year we vaccinated the for IBR in early June instead of late autumn and did not get a single case of pink eye either year . Conjunctivitis is one symptom of ibr .My vet totally disagrees with me on my opinion but it’s hard to argue on what I’ve seen

Hershall

Bass Reeves wrote: »

I had a bit earlier this winter. Now it stores so I used to watch them feeding and spray amalycin on any animal with a year. Now there is 2-3 with a year that is from some sort of virus. However I kept it under control. I only had to get one bullock out to treat with optci tube. Even if I treat with a tube I use amalycin spray as well. Leave 48 hours between treatments with tubes. It takes that long to start working. When the weeping stops the infection of is gone and it is time after that.

I have had a few blind in one eye bullocks bought in over the years. It rarely effects thrive after clearing up but you have to watch yourself with an animal blind in one eye they are alway turning towards you if you have them in a pen. It can be hard to get them.up the crush

Totally agree with Alamycin spray has never failed here if used in time

Bass Reeves

Hershall wrote: »

Totally agree with Alamycin spray has never failed here if used in time

Yes it all about catching it early with the alamycin. The other think is that when the can get 3/4 empty it hard to get them wit it so you need to atar a new can. I taught about getting the straws you use with the oil sprays to see if you get more direction and you might not need to be as bear them. They get cagy after a while and will go away from the feed face as you come near them that what caught me with that bullock. But it's a great way of keeping it in check if you get a dose of it

Good loser

Out the field if stock were a long way from yard used to put 1 or 2 mls Alamycin in a 20 ml syringe, draw the plunger back full, remove needle and squirt as closely as possible to subject. On the upwind side if breezy.

Worked most, if not all, of the time.

cjpm

1373 wrote: »

We used to get 20 to 40 cases of pink eye every year in weanlings . Last year and this year we vaccinated the for IBR in early June instead of late autumn and did not get a single case of pink eye either year . Conjunctivitis is one symptom of ibr .My vet totally disagrees with me on my opinion but it’s hard to argue on what I’ve seen

www.conjunctivitis.com is a good resource......


It's a site for sore eyes

minerleague

Hershall wrote: »

Totally agree with Alamycin spray has never failed here if used in time

Never knew you could use that spray in such a fashion, thanks for that , learn something new every day!. Suppose people know this but if compressed gas goes in them sprays you can cut off outer canister and active ingredient is in a sealed bag inside ( use disposable plastic injector to use up)

Jb1989

minerleague wrote: »

Never knew you could use that spray in such a fashion, thanks for that , learn something new every day!. Suppose people know this but if compressed gas goes in them sprays you can cut off outer canister and active ingredient is in a sealed bag inside ( use disposable plastic injector to use up)

I didn't know that, thanks for tip.