Calf Talk Calf Talk

June, 2004

Volume 10, No. 6

PINKEYE - A PERPLEXING PROBLEM

By: Russ Schnepper, D.V.M.

Pinkeye affects cattle of all ages, especially those with white hair around their eyes. The flies are attracted to the white eyed animals. The disease we commonly refer to as "Pink Eye", is usually caused by a bacterium Moraxella bovis. Other bacteria and Mycoplasma species can be involved.

There are other conditions that are mistaken for Pinkeye that are not caused by a bacterial infection. Commonly a viral "Occular IBR" will run rapidly thru a group of cattle. Occular IBR produces conjunctivitis. The eye appears red and has a pustular discharge. I differentiate between the two eye infections by checking as to where the pus is located. In Pinkeye the pus is inside of the eyeball. With Occular IBR the pus is on the outside of the eyeball. Occular IBR will run thru a group of cattle in a matter of two or three days. It affects entire veal barns, shortly after the room has been filled. Occular IBR will clear up in a matter of a week or so without treatment. Usually there are no remaining lesions from the Occular IBR. The bacterial form produces long-lasting lesions.

Cattle on pasture will often develop a conjunctivitis due to weed seeds, or awns becoming lodged in the eye. Control is to clip the pastures so the grass and weeds are not at eye level. Blowing dust in feed yards will duplicate this condition. I worked with a group in Hawaii that was having lots of eye infections, and it was due to blowing lava sand in the yards. The condition was corrected by putting up a wind break on one side of the feed yard.

The usual bacterial pinkeye is spread by flies. So fly control is the most important factor in controlling pinkeye. Pinkeye vaccines do help, but if fly control is not adequate the vaccinations will be overwhelmed. Flies can be controlled by insecticide ear tags, pour ons, spraying, etc. Fly bait such as Schering’s, QuickBayt, is very helpful. Removing the source of the fly breeding grounds is also beneficial.

Most veal barns control the flies by moving large volumes of air. The flies do not do well at flying against the wind. However, some veal barns that are curtain-sided do have fly problems.

Pinkeye treatment is frustrating, as even though you have killed the bacteria causing the problem, the eye is very slow to heal, and many will have spots on their eyes a year later. Eye patches help, and keeping the animal out of the sun is also a big assist. I find oxytetracycline to be an effective antibiotic for treatment, subcutaneously or I M. If I am called to treat a case of pinkeye, I use a three cc disposable syringe with a 20-gauge one inch needle and roll the eye lid back and inject one cc of dexamethasone with two cc of penicillin into the underside of the eyelid.

CONTROL THE FLIES AND YOU CONTROL THE MAJORITY OF THE PINKEYE!!

Contact information for ordering information and questions about our products:

Schnepper International, Inc.

3162 County B, Platteville, WI 53818

608-348-6141, Fax: 608-348-6146