Silage Eye

funkey_monkey

Got a cow which has just started to present symptoms of what I assume to be silage eye.

Is this silage eye and what way should I be treating this?

bogman_bass

It sounds rough but <modsnip> spray (not engamycin or cyclo spray they don’t work)

that way my vet recommends. Has stopped stocking opticlox.

Offering Treatment:

Discussion of over-the-counter medicines is fine. For the more day-to-day conditions treatments can be discussed, but specific (POM) antibiotics should not be prescribed. 

893bet

I use <modsnip> tubes.

Mod Note:

Offering Treatment:

Discussion of over-the-counter medicines is fine. For the more day-to-day conditions treatments can be discussed, but specific (POM) antibiotics should not be prescribed. 

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058283997/silage-eye

You could use a mastitis tube in the eye

Lime Tree Farm

Last time we had one, blue eye & head jerking. Vet said 60 ml IM <modsnip> plus dry cow tube in eye, repeat same again 2 days later. She was put on grass & hay for a week.

Offering Treatment:

Discussion of over-the-counter medicines is fine. For the more day-to-day conditions treatments can be discussed, but specific (POM) antibiotics should not be prescribed. 

Anto_Meath

It's a bacterial infection in the eye. Sometimes a bit of mould from silage can be put down as a cause. I find marbocyl the best for clearing it up.

Bass Reeves

<modsnip> or a mastitis tube. You are putting an antibiotic straight into the infected area. The same again two days later.

The <modsnip> spray is good as well.it works very well where the infection is caught at tear stage. Mind you the rings do as well at that stage.

If it more advanced than tear stage I always use an <modsnip> tube and <modsnip> spray on the days between. <modsnip> injection is effects well however you may need 2-3 injections as the other methods as above deliver treatment straight to the infection.

The eye is like the hoof it's hard to deliver treatment to through standard injections

Mod Note:

Offering Treatment:

Discussion of over-the-counter medicines is fine. For the more day-to-day conditions treatments can be discussed, but specific (POM) antibiotics should not be prescribed. 

funkey_monkey

Cefimam LC is what I've got. Is that okay?

_Brian

<modsnip> spray worked a treat here when we had a case few years ago.

Bass Reeves

Where <modsnip> spray is brilliant is if you see a lad in the pen with the start of a year and can give him a spray of it. This usually clears it up nine times out of ten

Donald Trump

Yeah. Usually clears them up fairly quickly.

It's something I never saw until the last few years and now we'd have it on and off during the winter. When you don't spot them early enough it gets fairly bad. Maybe it's something different though as we'd see red rather than blue! I often wondered if it was something due to the straw blower! I didn't know it was called "silage eye". Google tells me it's due to them buying their heads in the silage in the feeders

Bass Reeves

Any tube will clear it up quickly if applied before a white spot appears. They are all just an antibiotic cream. The <modsnip> is exactly the same. Where the problem lies with mastitis tubes is strictly speaking you cannot any longer get them from Co-ops, pharmacy or independent merchants without a prescription. The <modsnip> is a LA similar to a lot of mastitis tubes. Cannot understand why a vet is not stocking them unless he is afraid of them going out of date

kk.man

I have used <modsnip> neat, in the past. Wear gloves, take 10ml using a syringe, take off needle and apply from one end of the eye lid to the other. Rub it in with eye lid closed.

MfMan

What kind of silage do you have? Baled or well-chopped pit from a precision harverster?

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120237663#Comment_120237663

I thought "silage eye" was listeriosis caused by mouldy silage, with the symptoms being the cloudy or blue eye along with facial paralysis.

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120237723#Comment_120237723

It was previous year silage from a round bale - chopped. Bale was left in front of them. Not had this issue before, but I did notice that their was a bit more spoilage than usual in front of them. So, I'm guessing that she got a bit of spoiled silage in her eye whilst rummaging through it.

I've it all graiped out now and a fresh bale in with them. Not common here at all. Ended up using Orbenin from the vet.

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120237914#Comment_120237914

I titled it silage eye as that was my assumption. The eye is cloudy and there was some off silage. No facial paralysis though, thankfully. Hopefully I've got it in time. I really don't like have to use the nose ring on them, but it was the only safe way to get it in the eye.

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120238044#Comment_120238044

That's where a head scoop is invaluable, well for most animals - some get wise to it and won't lift the head off the floor.

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120238216#Comment_120238216

I'm in the middle of a long and tedious process of updating handling facilities. I want to put in a head scoop that can be lifted and moved about between them.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120238263#Comment_120238263

I think there are a few that are marketed as being designed to be quick to move from one gate to another.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120237914#Comment_120237914

I don't know exactly what it is. The vet here basically just said it's a cu^t of a thing and kind of indicated that it is just something they get from time to time without giving a specific reason. I've never noticed any paralysis. Just the white dot and then redness and soreness of the eye. When it gets bad they can't see through the eye but they seem to recover well once treated.

We wouldn't have moudly or contaminated silage here. We see it in younger animals and we wouldn't be feeding them the held-over bales either.

funkey_monkey

<modsnip>

That was my next step if those tubes aren't appropriate. Was out looking at her again earlier and I think her eye weeping has probably washed out most of the cream. I'll see how she is in the morning, but I'd say a follow up treatment will be required to get her on the right path.

Bass Reeves

With tubes put it under lower lid especially. Would take no notice if it being washed out. Half of it comes out straight away anyway.

Silage eye and eye infections take time anyway. I use <modsnip> spray tomorrow and tube the day after. Eye infections take time to clear. It may well happen that she will be blind in one eye.

When the eye stops weeping (4-7 days) the eye will continue to heal. However often it will only heal so much

Good loser

When the eye gets white, best use the <modsnip> L A injection. Might need two of these. Caught early, especially before the white starts in the centre of the eye, <modsnip> spray will stop progress. Have rubbed ,modsnip> and <modsnip> into the eye.

Have less of it in recent years; some years ago (younger) would go into pen with <modsnip> ointment smeared on fingers, bunch the cattle and rub it on/over the infected eye. Saved extracting stock.

Also in field often arrested development by spraying <modsnip> from windward side to the eye of a starter animal - usually worked.

kk.man

all eye infections i had with cattle here i used it. Even the 'wilder' ones calm down when you rub it in..almost like a relief for them. I think from memory i only ever did it once per infected animal.

If you catch the eye while it is still weeping then you save the animals sight. That’s my understanding anyway. They lose it partially or fully otherwise in the impacted eye.

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120238263#Comment_120238263

We move our head scoop between 3 locations. It has a base plate that's screwed down onto the concrete.

The <modsnip> spray make sense as it's <modsnip>. How do they react to it, does it sting?

funkey_monkey

What make is it? Sounds like a unique setup that is plated into the concrete.

I've read the the <modsnip> spray does sting them. I was able to put the cream in the eye myself using nose ring. When I started massaging it in she just stood there and I could see the strain coming off the rope.

From what I have subsequently been told that neat <modsnip> solution put into the eye with a syringe (no needle obviously!) will provide a higher concentration than a tube. Not sure how true that would be or how effective the solution take up would be in comparison to the cream.

Seems to be getting slightly better. Gave her a <modsnip> tube tonight. So that's two days in a row now. Will maybe leave her tomorrow and tube again Thur/Fri if needed.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120241632#Comment_120241632

The advantage of tubes compared to using neat <modsnip> is that the tube solution isa cream and there is an oil in it which makes the antibiotics in it stay there longer.

Like I said it's all about time. I would leave here tomorrow apply solution on Thurs or Friday. After that it will start to clear up

Lime Tree Farm

" What make is it? Sounds like a unique setup that is plated into the concrete?"

I don't know the make, it's been there for a long time. The cogs on the lifter are beginning to wear. There are holes drilled at the 4 corners of the base plate that fit over 4 screws not fully embedded in the concrete. It's then bolted on. At first I thought the protruding screws would be a tripping hazard, so far nothing untoward has happened.

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120241648#Comment_120241648

"The advantage of tubes compared to using neat alamycin is that the tube solution is a cream and there is an oil in it which makes the antibiotics in it stay there longer."

Using modern dry cow tubes to treat pink eye or silage eye is less effective because they are oil based. Oil is repelled by water therefore the product get washed away by the tears. Years ago dry cow tubes used to be water based and they were very effective for treating pink and silage eye.

Many years ago as a teenager my Vet showed me how to treat pink eye and silage eye in cattle by injecting into both the upper and lower eyelids. I've been doing it ever since with complete success although it's a two person job.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120242213#Comment_120242213

I have been using <modsnip> for years and find it effective, ya if caught early <modsnip> spray works a treat at the feed face.

Two person solutions is not really an option on most farms especially where sheds or land are away from the house.

I have not used dry cow tubes in year(6-8+ since you needed a prescription), usually have a couple of <modsnip> tubes in a medicine box to use if spray not appropriate.

Base price

TBH I'd hate to be a bovine with pink/silage eye and some fecker coming at me with a can of <modsnip> spray. Jaysus, imagine the pain with that force hitting your eye at millimeters per second.

greysides

MOD: This thread is closed until I get time to go through it.

I'll refer you to the Constitution for the reason why.

greysides

Thread re-opened. Probably looks like a dog's dinner now with all the deletions but them's the rules!

I'm sure with the time the thread has been open those who have been following it have had a chance to see the details, but if you need to, then PM the respondents.

In response to one of the suggestions, and as an example of why the rules exist, I would caution against rubbing the mentioned antibiotic into the eye in neat form, until you've at least tested it on yourself.

No, I'm not serious.

Experience of using the antibiotic as indicated on its datasheet, frequently results in large, painful swellings in the muscle. Expensive/original varieties of the injections have better ingredients in the mix to counteract the acidity of the active. Cheaper versions of the preparation, curiously, have cheaper bases which don't work as well.

As antibiotics have to be sourced from your vet anyway, why not ask him/her(/them) what to use?