Cows going blind

sv.maple · #1 05/29/14, 07:52 PM

I dont know if anyone might know a reason why cows goin blind. I had a 4 yo cow i noticed had a white eye figured musta been white n didnt notice. Last week noticed another 4yo cow with runny eye n thought got poked. Then sunday the first cow i saw had both eyes white n blind. Shes had to many problems other than eyes so i put her on beef truck monday. Then today i saw the second cow had other eye waterin and looked at it and looks like a blister on eye. Last fall had a cow that her eye was almost out of her head. Not sure whats goin on but i called vet this afternoon and they comin in mornin. Its not pink eye ive seen plenty of that. Any ideas?

M5farm · #2 05/29/14, 08:05 PM

Pink eye, start antibiotics NOW.

G. Seddon · #3 05/29/14, 08:19 PM

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/400/400-750/400-750.html

Above link is about pinkeye, complete with pictures. Please post back after the vet visit to let us know what happened.

sv.maple · #4 05/29/14, 08:33 PM

Im pretty sure its not pink eye ive seen plenty cases of pink eye. I grew up on dairy farm had dairy farm n now beef. Had my father look at them and he says not pink eye to. Im not saying i know all. I was thinking might have found a bad weed or somethin possibly. Maybe mineral deficency but they got minerals and been in good pasture that has plenty to eat and git rotated.

G. Seddon · #5 05/29/14, 09:16 PM

Did your cows appear to have anything that looked like the photos on the website link?

With that many incidents of eye problems and the fact that pinkeye is quite contagious, everything points to pinkeye.

Where are you located; are the flies out where you are? Everybody will want to know the results of the vet visit and the treatment, especially if it's determined not to be pinkeye.

sv.maple · #6 05/29/14, 09:31 PM

Nothing in photos looks like it. Im in northwest vermont flies just starting to come out. Ill try to get a picture of it tomorrow and let you know what vet says

MO_cows · #7 05/29/14, 10:34 PM

Almost everything you described sure sounds like pinkeye. Be anxious to see what the vet says. Please do a follow up post, don't leave us hanging!

Any chance they have lice and in the process of scratching for those, they are rubbing across their eyes and injuring them?

idigbeets · #8 05/30/14, 05:49 AM

I've had cattle that have the white spot on their eye, and were partially/all blind in that eye. I too thought pink eye, until I had a vet over and he said nope, not pinkeye. (not saying this is not the case at your place...) When the cattle were grazing taller, mature grasses w/ developed seed heads, those would scratch the surface of the eye, leaving it open for infection from flies, and other sources. Eventually the infection cleared up, but the cow would remain partially blind (some gained all their sight back).

billinwv · #9 05/30/14, 01:05 PM

white faced cattle are prone to cancer of the eye. I had 3 older sisters that all got it at about 6yrs. Lots of snow cover reflecting sun can contribute.

sv.maple · #10 05/31/14, 07:40 AM

Vet came and said it dont look pink eye like. Says vaccinate for IBR that might be causing it and give antibiotics and see what look like in week 10 days. Just went out and did eyeball check and got another starting i think.

sv.maple · #11 05/31/14, 07:46 AM

Got two started ones both eyes and others one eye

momagoat61 · #12 05/31/14, 10:36 AM

we run about 45 beef cows with calves and we vaccinate the calves for pink eye when we given them their shots when their are a couple days old, we clamp all bull calves at that time also and for the cows we put out aueromyacin crumbles mixed in with their minerals and that has worked really well for pink eye.

G. Seddon · #13 06/05/14, 09:33 AM

sv.maple, here's a recent article about pinkeye; it also mentions IBR virus.
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/e-newsl...m=&utm_content=