# White eyed sheep



## Alexz7272 (Oct 9, 2016)

I dont know how I've missed this but I just noticed one of Nala's eyes is white.... 
Does this mean she is now blind? Or could it be an eye infection? I cant tell if she can still see or just senses me. Any suggestions or advice is extremley appreciated.


----------



## Alexz7272 (Oct 9, 2016)




----------



## TAH (Oct 9, 2016)

Is swollen at all? Does it hurt when you touch it? It looks like she injured it to me. Our Lamb injured her eye one time and it looked very similar to your sheep eye. I put a warm rag on it 4 times a day. Within 3-4 days it was almost healed. 
@Sheepshape 
@purplequeenvt 
@Ponker


----------



## NH homesteader (Oct 9, 2016)

Aw poor thing.  Also,  she is incredibly patient.  Holy moly my goats would never stand there while I stick my finger in their eyeball and wait for my camera to focus. 

Sorry I don't have any advice...  That's how helpful I am.  But I hope it heals quickly! She's cute!


----------



## Alexz7272 (Oct 9, 2016)

It is VERY swollen and I've caught her rubbing it against things as well. She doesn't like me touching it but she's my sweetheart


----------



## TAH (Oct 9, 2016)

Alexz7272 said:


> It is VERY swollen and I've caught her rubbing it against things as well. She doesn't like me touching it but she's my sweetheart


You want to keep her from rubbing as much as possible. Does she like to buck around with the other animals? I would try putting a warm rag on it for sure.


----------



## Green Acres Farm (Oct 9, 2016)

TSC carries eyewashes and antibiotic eye gel which I believe contains oxytetracycline. 

I would ask a vet if injectable antibiotics would be a good idea as well.

Hope she gets better!


----------



## babsbag (Oct 9, 2016)

Pinkeye ????  Just a thought

http://www.sheepandgoat.com/pinkeye


----------



## Green Acres Farm (Oct 9, 2016)

babsbag said:


> Pinkeye ????  Just a thought
> 
> http://www.sheepandgoat.com/pinkeye


That's what I thought, but it's only in one eye.


----------



## norseofcourse (Oct 10, 2016)

I've never dealt with pinkeye, but it matches the description in my sheep book (Storey Guide to Raising Sheep).  I'd treat it like that, and call a vet if it doesn't clear up soon.  Good luck with her.


----------



## Green Acres Farm (Oct 10, 2016)

norseofcourse said:


> I've never dealt with pinkeye, but it matches the description in my sheep book (Storey Guide to Raising Sheep).  I'd treat it like that, and call a vet if it doesn't clear up soon.  Good luck with her.


 Wouldnt pinkeye be in both? I assumed this was an injury as it was only in one. But I'm sure treatment would be the very similar.


----------



## norseofcourse (Oct 10, 2016)

Green Acres Farm said:


> Wouldnt pinkeye be in both? I assumed this was an injury as it was only in one. But I'm sure treatment would be the very similar.


I've never dealt with pinkeye, and the sheep book doesn't specifically say.  It does say it's very contagious.  I wouldn't rule pinkeye out just because it's only in one eye.  But you're also right, treatment for an injury would be similar.

I came to livestock late, having had pets many years.  For a dog, cat or horse, anything involving an eye is an immediate vet visit (been there, done that).  I've learned with livestock, the owners are generally expected to be more involved in diagnosing/treating, for various reasons (lack of good or nearby livestock vets, difference in valuing pets vs. livestock (economically or emotionally), or just 'that's how it is').  It makes it difficult to give advice on here sometimes, especially when 'backyard livestock' is often treated more pet-like than livestock-like.

If this was my sheep, unless I saw an obvious injury that a vet needed to attend to, I'd treat with topical antibiotics and call the vet if no improvement in 48 hours.  If I had a good client/patient relationship with a livestock vet (thankfully, here I do), I would probably call their office and say I had a sheep with suspected pinkeye, and what would they suggest?  They might suggest something over the counter, or have me come pick up something from their office.


----------



## Ponker (Oct 10, 2016)

There are a few over the counter pinkeye remedies at the feedstore here in Arkansas. When my little lamb Marilyn had a problem that I knew wasn't pinkeye, I used a terramyacin ointment on it twice a day for 3 days. She healed up fine although hers weren't clouded over like yours. It looks like the pictures of pinkeye I've seen.


----------



## babsbag (Oct 10, 2016)

@Green Acres Farm I have had pinkeye in one eye.   I really have no idea, but I thought it was worth mentioning.


----------



## Green Acres Farm (Oct 10, 2016)

babsbag said:


> @Green Acres Farm I have had pinkeye in one eye.   I really have no idea, but I thought it was worth mentioning.



Good to know!

I have never dealt with pinkeye, but I assumed it would be in both...maybe not.

Here is a helpful article:

http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/pinkeyeingoats.html


----------



## babsbag (Oct 10, 2016)

Actually I meant I personally, me, the human, has had pinkeye in one eye.   I have never had it in my herd. It is very contagious but I would still think it could be in one eye, or at least start in one eye.


----------



## purplequeenvt (Oct 10, 2016)

Flush the eye with saline or a antibacterial eyewash (TSC has one). Treat the eye with terramycin. 

It could be either pinkeye or an injury. Can be hard to tell the difference. Treatment is pretty much the same.


----------



## Green Acres Farm (Oct 10, 2016)

For pinkeye you would have to separate from the herd, put in a place without sunlight, and inject antibiotics. For more serious cases, a vet may inject antibiotics into the eye or other more involved procedures.

Some strains of pinkeye cause abortion...

I do not know much about pinkeye, but I would *think* that if she did have pinkeye, it would have spread to at least another sheep, especially at her advanced stage. But again, I really don't know. I would separate from herd, wash the eye, give terramycin gel, and call a vet.


----------



## Alexz7272 (Oct 10, 2016)

Thank you!! I will get terramycin gel immediately after work.I am hoping it is just pinkeye!


----------



## misfitmorgan (Oct 10, 2016)

That looks the same as our lamb when she had scratched her eyes and got an infection in them. Vet gave us Terramycin we had to put in her eyes 4 times a day for 10 days....they never fully cleared but she got probly better then 80% sight back in her eyes..she was blind from the white infection. Dont beat yourself up our lamb went from clear eyed to completely clouded in roughly 24hrs, it happens fast. Terramycin is used for pretty much all eye infections far as i can tell including pinkeye so that would be a cover it all treatment i hope.


----------



## TAH (Oct 13, 2016)

How she doing @Alexz7272


----------



## Alexz7272 (Oct 13, 2016)

@TAH Unfortunately there has not been much improvement. Trying to find a livestock vet near me


----------



## TAH (Oct 13, 2016)

Alexz7272 said:


> @TAH Unfortunately there has not been much improvement. Trying to find a livestock vet near me



Does she put her whole head in the hay feeder when she is eating hay?


----------



## Alexz7272 (Oct 13, 2016)

TAH said:


> Does she put her whole head in the hay feeder when she is eating hay?


She does not. I just gave her some more terramycin and she let me get closer then ever before, maybe a good sign? Heh


----------



## TAH (Oct 13, 2016)

Alexz7272 said:


> She does not. I just gave her some more terramycin and she let me get closer then ever before, maybe a good sign? Heh


Hope this means she is on the road to recovery


----------



## misfitmorgan (Oct 14, 2016)

How often are you putting it in her eye? Like i said we had to apply it 4 times a day for 10 days and we didnt see any sign of improvement until about day 5 of treatment.


----------



## Alexz7272 (Oct 14, 2016)

@misfitmorgan I've been doing 3 times a day, I just need to be patient. Something I am not, haha. I'll keep at it and keep monitoring it. Thank you!!!


----------



## Bossroo (Oct 14, 2016)

Foxtail irritation / puncture  leading to infection.  Terramycin  eye ointment should help.


----------



## Alexz7272 (Oct 14, 2016)

Bossroo said:


> Foxtail irritation / puncture  leading to infection.  Terramycin  eye ointment should help.


I'm starting to think it was also caused by the foxtail problem I am having with Nastya


----------



## Bossroo (Oct 14, 2016)

Wool sheep especially those with wool on their faces, this issue will occur again and again and will get quite expensive especially when the fox tails start to migrate into the eyes, nasal cavities, ears, organs, between the hooves, etc. . you will have to keep a sharp eye and at the first sign of any symptoms such as discomfort to check that area as soon as possible and take immediate remedial action.   Isn't it about time to sell of the wool type sheep and buy open face sheep such as Suffolk or hair sheep such as the Dorper ?  This type of sheep will minimize these issues but not totally eliminate them.  When one lives in an area with foxtails this goes for goates, ( especially for long haired animals such as  dogs, cats, alpacas, your clothes, shoes, etc., too.


----------



## misfitmorgan (Oct 17, 2016)

i dont think the problem requires a change of sheep, these are more pets then livestock i think. If you can keep their face sheared down it will help and maybe look into ways to help get rid of foxtail.


----------



## purplequeenvt (Nov 2, 2016)

Bossroo said:


> Wool sheep especially those with wool on their faces, this issue will occur again and again and will get quite expensive especially when the fox tails start to migrate into the eyes, nasal cavities, ears, organs, between the hooves, etc. . you will have to keep a sharp eye and at the first sign of any symptoms such as discomfort to check that area as soon as possible and take immediate remedial action.   Isn't it about time to sell of the wool type sheep and buy open face sheep such as Suffolk or hair sheep such as the Dorper ?  This type of sheep will minimize these issues but not totally eliminate them.  When one lives in an area with foxtails this goes for goates, ( especially for long haired animals such as  dogs, cats, alpacas, your clothes, shoes, etc., too.



You know, Bossroo, there MANY other reasons to keep sheep besides trying to make top dollar in the meat industry. While I don't have anything against Dorpers or Suffolks, I'm not likely to sell my flock of beautiful Border Leicesters (which my family has been breeding for almost 17 years) and Shetlands and switch to one of those 2 breeds. 

Believe it or not, Dorpers are not the miracle sheep nor are they "the best thing since sliced bread" or what have you. Are they good meat sheep? Absolutely! Do they have the best tasting meat? No idea. Pretty much every breed association claims that their breed has the best meat. 

The price tag is also an issue for most people. Around here, a nice ewe lamb is easily $500. The breed promotion has done well, but it has also driven the price too high. We know of someone nearby with Dorpers. I inquired about leasing or buying a ram lamb a few years ago to breed to my crossbred ewes. Buying was out of the question with the price she wanted and the whole deal was off when I learned that her flock has CL. Now I've heard that she is trying to sell her $100-150 quality lambs for at least $500. She thinks she can get that price because they are Dorpers. 

You have a lot of experience and good, helpful information to share with everyone here, but please try to understand and be respectful of the fact that not everyone is in this for the money. I think it's safe to say that most folks on here only have a few sheep that are pets or a hobby for wool, meat, or milk production. They are never going sell their babies (or the producers of their favorite type of wool) off in exchange for a breed that might be more cost effective in meat production.


----------



## Sheepshape (Nov 10, 2016)

I've only just seen this thread ( internet speed hopeless or absent here!).
If it just the one eye and the cornea appears opaque/white/bluish with eye swelling she could well have anterior uveitis (ovine iritis/white eye). A subconjunctival injection by the vet with oxytetracycline/dexamethasone should cure it. She may be temporarily blind and a thick skin peel off, but the sight will recover.
Pinkeye usually affects both eyes and the animal will be seen blinking and lachrymating in the affected eye/eyes in any bright light. It is due to a chlamydial infection (occasionally a mycolpasmal infection) and is very sensitive to a one off shot of a tetracycline. It is VERY contagious and it is a real pain here every silage feeding season and when there is driven wind and snow....often called 'snow blindness' locally. It can cause temporary blindness, but, again, is completely curable and won't affect the vision long term. My Blue faced Leicesters are particularly prone to it as they have such big eyes.
Purplequeenvt, I entirely agree with your sentiment. I now have over 70 sheep (a variety of circumstances took me over my planned 50). At LEAST 50 of them are truly pets and their financial viability really doesn't come into it. Do they taste good? Absolutely NO idea what lamb/mutton or any other meat tastes like....vegetarian for 30 plus years. Apart from a few ram lambs which I sell for meat, and a few ewe lambs for breeding, my little flock live out to pensionable age (between 10 and 12) and in the meantime live a pretty ideal life.


----------

