reminder 4 those with cattle

[collegeboundgal]

sigh... just a reminder, don't forget to vaccinate for pink eye... like I did. sad face.

[gone-a-milkin]

Pinkeye sucks. It is probably too late to vaccinate now, anyways.

FWIW, not all strains of pinkeye are preventable with vaccines.

I hope your cow feels better soon. It is hard to see them suffer, I know.

[collegeboundgal]

thanks goneamilkin. I feel bad that it took me a few days to relize what was going on. I am going to vacc the calfs that don't have any symptoms now and I've been treating the rest. poor little critters.

[agmantoo]

Were these animals that got pinkeye dark or pink pigmented around the eyes? Most cattle will spontaneously heal within 2 weeks. Reducing the amount of flies and tall grass control that injure the areas around the eyes are the best controls for reducing pinkeye incidents.

[gone-a-milkin]

I have seen cows with both pigmentations get pinkeye. It does seem that cows who are in poorer condition are more prone to it.

[collegeboundgal]

these wer black calfs. we have LOTS of flys this time of yr and it's been wet. they can get into the taller grass but I've mostly seen them in the mowed area. this area is getting slamed with pinkeye right now. I was talking to my aunt that works in the towns vet supply and she said that just last week she sold all but one bottle of LA 200 for mostly pink eye.
agmantoo I've found that if left to heal on their own u run the chance of scar tissue on the eye (making it look blind) these cows, well, steers really, don't sell as good. these are weaned, getting grain every day, and loves when I bottle the new calfs. sigh... just a day in the life of...

[gone-a-milkin]

The flies are really extra bad this August, IMO. So much rain and a little cooler. It is pretty intense.

[SpaceCadet12364]

We keep that vet spray (forget what the actual name of it is) for pink eye, and usually some LA-200 around. When we notice the eye starting to cloud, we use the spray or the LA200 (use syringe but take the needle off before squirting) directly in the affected eye. We dont seem to have near as much trouble with the Highlands and pinkeye, compared to the neighbor and his angus ladies.....but, if his get it, usually at least one of ours will end up with it shortly afterwards.

We also use a permethrin & oil mix on the back rubs that hang at the entrance of the loafing barns, and if the flies are particularily bad we also have one of those portable hand sprayers that we will go out into the pasture with (loaded with a permethrin & water mix) and spot spray their horns and such. Little ones that cant quite clean themselves that great get a shot of spray on their hind ends to try and prevent fly-strike.

[krvstopp]

I just bought 2 miniature dairy cows and 1 miniature dairy bull. How do you know if they have pink eye?

The people I bought from are totally organic, and they have never been vaccinated for anything, and eat totally organic food including organic hay...

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by krvstopp

I just bought 2 miniature dairy cows and 1 miniature dairy bull. How do you know if they have pink eye?

The people I bought from are totally organic, and they have never been vaccinated for anything, and eat totally organic food including organic hay...

I do not vaccinate for pinkeye either.
Pinkeye is noticable to begin with as an eye that is teary and is squinted against light. Sometimes before you notice it there will be a white film over the eye. As it progresses, it sometimes turns pinkish.

[collegeboundgal]

Emily is right. If you see the area under the eye wet down to the jaw take a better look. If it's swollen, white (think of cataracts) or, if left to long, a raised area of white with a red middle (scaring of the eye at that point) get them on antibiotics. If you're in an area that is more prone or have neighbors that have cows (lots) I'd rather be safer than sorry. And while it is true that not all vaccines work all the time, for the small price it's worth it to me.