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Focusing on Eye Health By Cheryl Kepes
Detecting and treating pink eye
When pink eye strikes a herd, it can be a pain. Not just for the producer tasked with treating the outbreak, but especially for the infected animal. “It is an irritating and painful disease,” Barry Whitworth, DVM, specialist with the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension, said.
SIGNS
The first signs associated with pink eye are discharge and tears running from the animal’s eye. Other indicators of infection include a water stain below the eye, squinting or keeping the eye closed. The next stage of pink eye is inflammation of the eye. “As the disease progresses it is obviously going to get that
what do you say? How do you provide shade for your livestock?
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typical redness, bright red color because the sclera (white of the eye) and the conjunctiva (thin membrane that covers the white of the eyeball and the eyelid) are infected,” Whitworth explained. The most obvious sign of the disease is the cloudy, hazy, bluish or grayish color of the cornea. Veterinarians say this is when most producers realize their livestock has pink eye. When the animal’s eye starts to show discoloration, the disease has significantly progressed. If producers catch pink eye in its beginning stages, then the easier it is to successfully treat it. “If you can treat early most of the time you are not going to have any trouble with it,” Whitworth added.
“Shade is no problem on this farm, which is half pasture and half woods. The pastures have some mature trees scattered throughout and some cedars by a pond that also provides shade.”
Danny Abshier Washington County, Ark.
CAUSES
Conjunctivitis commonly known as pink eye, is caused by bacteria called Moraxella Bovis. The bacteria are a common inhabitant of the eye. “We think something has to happen to that eye that lowers the immunity and that gives the Moraxella Bovis a chance to take a hold in that eye and start an infection,” Whitworth explained. If a different virus is already infecting animals within the herd, then producers may see pink eye spread rapidly through the herd. However, typically pink eye cases are isolated to a few animals. Flies are another culprit in the spread of pink eye. When flies feed near an animal’s
“Trees. We have a wooded area in our pasture that our cattle have access to.”
eye, it can pick up the Moraxella Bovis bacteria and spread it to other animals.
“With our cattle, when it’s super-hot, we move them to pasture with a wooded area. The ponds are there in the woods, too.”
Dori Davenport Benton County, Ark.
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
TREATMENT
Dr. Whitworth recommends examining the eye before taking any other action. Many times, a grass seed, thorn or other foreign body gets lodged in the animal’s eye. The foreign body in the eye creates irritation which can lower immunity and trigger the infection. The exam should include prying open the upper eyelid, lower eyelid and the third eyelid to look for a foreign body. Producers may want to use a large cotton tip applicator to swab under the eyelids in order to remove anything that should not be there.
Clay Osbon Madison County, Ark.
“We make sure to have an adequate amount timber in our pastures. It’s more cost effective than to invest in lean-tos or other structures.” Hannah Walker Baxter County, Ark. JULY 11, 2022
