2012 has been a year full of extreme weather. From one of the mildest winters on record to one of the hottest summers; flies, dust and bacteria have become prevalent bothers in the past weeks. Thus, bacteria like those that contribute to pink eye are out in full force this season.
According to Dr. Yalonda Burton, a veterinarian at Patterson Animal Hospital in Stilwell, Okla., after a mild winter, insects and bacteria come back sooner in the year, thus becoming more widespread more quickly.
Eldon Cole, a University of Missouri livestock extension specialist from Mt. Vernon, Mo., said, “Summer brings irritants that injure the eye and gives the bacteria a chance to do its thing. These irritants include sunlight, dust, weed pollen and flies.” (All of which are more prevalent this dry, hot year).
The best way to combat pinkeye is prevention. Cole said to manage flies as best as possible.
“Face flies are blamed the more for the spread from animal to animal,” he said.
Burton follows with encouraging famers to give vaccinations, especially to young calves. Cole noted that some veterinarians also take a culture from the herd in order to make an autogenous vaccine that’s specific for the herd since there are a number of different strains of the bacteria that cause pinkeye.
Both specialists agree that observation of the animals is very important and early treatment is critical for successfully ridding the herd of pinkeye.
Pinkeye spreads very quickly. If a cattle producer (or sheep and goat producers) notice the early signs of pinkeye – which are squinting, runny eyes and a gradual clouding of the eye – then antibiotic should be given immediately. Cole also recommended separating out the infected animal(s) until the pinkeye is completely gone. Burton noted that care of the damaged eye is also important for a positive outcome.
If left untreated, as the condition worsens it can cause an ulcer or pimple in the middle of the cornea. Sight can be temporarily lost or totally lost depending on the severity of the infection.
Cole noted that, “the problem is really serious when both eyes are totally affected, which can happen.” One of the major concerns for pinkeye is that nursing calves can have a weight gain reduction of 40 pounds or more if they’re suffering from pinkeye. Some markets will severely dock the price of a calf with pinkeye. Some pinkeye cases can even lead to complete loss of the eye.
Another preventative measure is breeding for darker colored skin and eyes.
Dr. Burton said that, “Lighter colored cattle have more problems with pinkeye because the light skin does not reflect the sun well. Often times cattle with lighter colored skin are crossed with dark sinned cattle to producer darker colors around the eye to allow for reflection of the sun.”
Cole recommended that producers keep a close record on their cows and bulls to determine which ones (and which of their offspring) seem to have fewer pinkeye problems, as there is some evidence that some genes give animals more overall disease tolerance.
