We are currently in the middle of a pinkeye outbreak in the cattle here at the house.
Pinkeye in cattle is different than in people and can cause a temporary blindness or even loss of the eye.
Otoelene, Emma and I went out the other day to check on the situation.
It is a contagious bacterial infection that first starts as tearing,
and progresses to corneal ulceration and keratitis.
When both eyes are affected the calf is essentially blind.
The bull was not immune to its effect,
and the cows aren't either. When just a few are affected we get them up and treat with antibiotics, eye ointment or steroid injections but unfortunately these were on the part of the grazing rotation without any working facilities and really too many to treat. Most of the time once it heals there is only a small scar on the eye.
But until then, kind of creepy, isn't it?
Now for the lighter side of pinkeye here is a very funny Corner Gas Episode
HERE.
Ugh! Hate pink eye! We've treated a few calves so far!
ReplyDeleteI don't understand how they get pink eye when we vaccinate them for it. The vet says it's from irritations for grass seeds. But still!
Cheri
we sure are watching close this year with all the flies, so far so good. We had one that was so bad a few years ago we had to have the eye removed. Though I am not convinced it started out as pink eye, maybe cancer eye but it didnt really look like that either
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