Sore, runny, and cloudy eyes are often a problem in both sheep flocks (‘pink eye’) and cattle herds (‘New Forest eye’). Whilst some cases can be relatively mild, others can lead to blindness in animals.
‘Pink Eye’ In Sheep
Pink eye is a bacterial infection which spreads rapidly through flocks due to close-contact, for example around feed troughs or hay racks. The most common route of bringing infection onto farm is through bought-in sheep.
The recommendation for pink eye currently is to only treat the worst-affected cases. Most cases are generally self-resolving and mild cases should be treated with anti-inflammatories (Animeloxan) only. Use of antibiotics too early, or in mild cases, stops the sheep’s own defence system from recognising and building immunity to the bacteria. Where immunity has not been given chance to build, then repeated treatments may be required.
Where cases are more severe, often where sheep are totally blind in the eye, then treatment with anti-inflammatories PLUS topical antibiotics (Opticlox or Orbenin) or systemic antibiotics (Alamycin LA) is warranted. Blind animals should be brought in and penned so they can have easy access to food and water, this is especially important if they are pregnant.
Prevention of spread of pink eye can be done through provision of shelter, increased feed space, and washing hands between handling affected vs non-affected sheep. As the biggest source of infection comes from bought-in sheep, then quarantining for a minimum of 28 days before mixing is an important prevention technique.
‘New Forest Eye’ In Cattle
New Forest eye is caused by Moraxella bovis, a bacteria largely spread by flies. Affected cattle have symptoms such as tear-staining, cloudy eyes, ulcers and blindness. Other conditions causing the same symptoms include foreign bodies in the eye, IBR and silage eye (caused by Listeria).
Treatment for New Forest eye is an anti-inflammatory (Animeloxan) PLUS topical antibiotics (Opticlox or Orbenin) or systemic antibiotics (Alamycin LA).
Prevention of New Forest eye is through reduction of flies (e.g. chemical pour-ons, ear tags, fly buckets, parasitic wasps) and reducing direct contact between cattle (increased feed space, isolating infected cases until resolved). Bought-in cattle can also be a reservoir of infection, so quarantining procedures are also important in control.
When animals have been treated, it is important to remember that it can take quite a long time for a badly damaged eye to fully heal. The sign that treatment is working is that the eye stops weeping within 24-48hrs although it may take weeks for the eye to look totally normal.
