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Prevention Key to Lessening Pinkeye's Impact on Cattle Operations

As spring turns to summer, one of the major herd-health challenges facing cow-calf operations will be pinkeye. While total control is close to impossible, sound management - with an emphasis on prevention - can go a long way toward reducing the disease's impact on producers' herds and their profitability, according to Intervet.

If pinkeye is untreated, the cornea will become cloudy or white.

"Pinkeye can be such an insidious disease, with infection rates running as high as 80 percent when conditions are right. This makes prevention, rather than treatment, a cattleman's best plan of attack," says Dr. Bill Burdett, Intervet Technical Services Specialist. "The key to preventing pinkeye infection is eliminating or at least limiting as many factors as possible that contribute to the development and spread of the disease."

According to Burdett, there are a number of preventive measures producers can employ to help keep pinkeye in check:

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  * Controlling face flies, which spread the disease from infected to uninfected animals, is critical. Insecticides can be applied through a variety of means including insecticide ear tags, sprays, back rubbers, dust bags, systemic pour-on products or mineral supplements. Face flies don't stay on cattle at all times, so a continuous method of insecticide application provides more effective control than periodic methods of application, such as sprays.
  
  * Tall grasses and their coarse seed heads can irritate the eyes of young calves and older cattle alike, increasing their susceptibility to infection. So proper pasture management, including periodic mowing, should be an integral part of any overall pinkeye-prevention program.
  
  * Proper nutrition is also important. Low vitamin A intake can exacerbate pinkeye, so producers should strongly consider making mineral supplements available to their cattle. Also, some studies have shown that feeding a health supplement can help reduce the incidence of pinkeye.
  
  * Exposure to bright sunlight can also lead to eye irritation and increased susceptibility to infection. Wherever possible, producers should offer enough shade where animals can limit their exposure to ultraviolet light without being bunched together.
  Another critical element of any overall prevention program, Burdett points out, is the use of a pinkeye vaccine.

"No vaccine is 100 percent effective, so that's why it should be used in conjunction with a complement of preventive measures," Burdett says. "Pinkeye is caused by a bacterium known as Moraxella bovis (M. bovis). There are several different strains of M. bovis, so it's very important for producers to select a vaccine that contains as many M. bovis isolates as possible.

"Pinkeye is one of those realities that every cow/calf and stocker operator has to deal with," Burdett notes. "But the good news is the impact of the disease can be lessened with proper management."

Identifying Pinkeye: Catch It Early For Best Results Although the signs of pinkeye can vary from animal to animal, Burdett points out, one of its earliest indications is a reddening of the eyeball and swelling of the eyelid lining. This is accompanied by a watery discharge. The animal will blink frequently or tend to keep the eye closed due to pain and sensitivity to bright light. As the disease progresses, the cornea will become cloudy or white. Reddening of the eyeball and swelling of the eyelid lining are two of the early indications of pinkeye. A watery discharge is also common. "Spontaneous healing will sometimes take place at this stage of the disease's development," Burdett notes. "If this doesn't occur, the area of whiteness will progress, eventually covering the entire eyeball. The watery discharge will lessen, but become thicker and more whitish in color. At this point, a complete recovery can take as long as five weeks. During that period of time, cattle suffering from pinkeye will eat less, put on fewer pounds and sometimes even lose body condition." Severely infected eyes may go on to develop penetrating ulcers, which can rupture, leading to complete blindness in the affected eyes. "It's important to note that other diseases and injuries to the eye can lead to symptoms that mimic pinkeye," Burdett notes. "Producers' best bet is to work with their veterinarians to accurately identify pinkeye and the best course of action for managing the disease."

 

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