# Pink eye *again?p.2*



## Horsefly (Jan 18, 2011)

Seems trouble comes together here.  I've been having to keep my goats penned in their stalls alot resently because we are redoing our fence.  Not to mention it has been raining so the stalls have been extra dirty and haven't had a chance to clean them out yet, and I have been giving more hay thus more dust.  I think my lamancha doe has pink eye now.  I noticed Saturday there was a yellow pus sleepy looking thing in the corner of her eye but didn't think anything of it.  Now her eye is red and she still has yellow sleepy thing there.  I called around and I can get Terramycin Opthomolic Ointment from TSC and can pick it up tomorrow.  I read you can put triple antibiotic ointment in her eye in a pinch?  Should I do that for today?  Also I have a pregnant doe in another stall that is due in the next month or so and I read that the bateria that causes pink eye causes abortion?  Should I do anything for her?  I was going to get an oxytetracycline drug to treat them all but you cant give that to pregnant animals.  So what would y'all do here?  And if possible I don't want to have to spend a whole lot if it isn't absolutely necessary.


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## helmstead (Jan 18, 2011)

First off, don't waste your money on the eye ointment.

It's fairly safe to use oxytet (LA200/Biomycin) on a doe in late gestation.  It can cause bone and teeth formation issues, usually in earlier gestation.

What I would do is start them both on LA200 - and squirt a little extra into the affected doe's eye a couple times a day.


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## glenolam (Jan 18, 2011)

This might be a stupid question, but are you sure it's pink eye?  Or is it possible she might have just gotten something in her eye?


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## helmstead (Jan 18, 2011)

Easiest way to tell, BTW, is to look for a red ring around the iris and ulcers on the pupil.

All pink eye isn't chlamydia...but it's not worth the risk IMO.  Treat all pink eye as IF it were when you have pregnant does.


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## ksalvagno (Jan 18, 2011)

Do NOT use triple antibiotic ointment in the eye. It is not made to use in the eyes.


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## helmstead (Jan 18, 2011)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> Do NOT use triple antibiotic ointment in the eye. It is not made to use in the eyes.


Actually, Karen, in a PINCH, it is fine to use...just don't use the kind that contains pain reliever.  Regular old Neosporin.


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## Horsefly (Jan 18, 2011)

Okay so I guess I will get the oxitetracycline then.  Would the eye ointment work or are y'all saying don't get it get the other stuff so I can treat the pregnant doe too?  Thanks


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## helmstead (Jan 18, 2011)

It won't work on pink eye, just oxytetracycline gets that.  Ointment, terramyacin, etc...that's for regular old eye crud...


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## poorboys (Jan 18, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> ksalvagno said:
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> 
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> ...


DITTO my vet sold me neo-poly-bac to put in their eyes, neosporin has the same exact active indgrients, and is cheaper, and last longer. neosporin 2-3 times a day, usually a couple of weeks.


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## Horsefly (Jan 20, 2011)

We were really busy yesterday but were going to go pick up the oxitetracyline anyway.  I went out in the morning and her eye wasn't very red anymore and it was just a bit crusty around the egde not runny.  So we decided to wait till today when it was easier to get to the feed store.  She was still squinty today so we got the stuff and I gave her 4ml of it.  I read the dosage was 4.5 ml per 100lbs, is that right?  She is probably 80lbs or so.  I plan on giving the next shot Saturday morning and the last one Monday evening.  Do I have all that right?


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## helmstead (Jan 20, 2011)

Goats have such a high metabolism that I prefer to dose it daily.


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## Emmetts Dairy (Jan 20, 2011)

Sounds about right.  But when your there..pick up a wieght tape.  Important to be somewhat accurate when giving meds.  20lbs could mean alot when medicating.   FYI...its worth having around...Just a suggestion.

Good luck..with her eye!  Hope it gets better soon!


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## Horsefly (Feb 12, 2011)

I gave Camu her shots and her eye cleared up.  It wasn't red anymore and didn't run.  Its been fine the last 3 weeks.
Today I noticed she was squinting in that eye and when I saw her from behind and the sun was on her eye it was all cloudy towards the back.  So does she have pink eye again or something else?  I got her up in the milk stand this evening and looked at her eye.  The left half is getting cloudyish and the membrane around it is red on that side.  I squirted some Oxytetracyclin in her eye (or rather tried to, not sure how much actually made it to the eye).  Should I give her 3 more injections of it or do you think something else is up.  
She is older and is starting to show it a bit I think.  She limps on occation and looks thin all the time.


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## Emmetts Dairy (Feb 13, 2011)

I would isolate again...if she is not still isolated.  I would then put the antibiotics in everyones eyes for 2-3 days as a preventative.  Cuz even if they are not showing signs...they can be carriers.  

Real important...dont use ANY products containing steriods.  If they have any cuts on the cornia...it can do permanment damage and blindness.  So read labels!! Important!!!

I would wash around her eye...and face wheres shes leaking to keep spread down am and night...and start her on another round of LA200 for 5 days 1x daily and not skip SQ.  And ya, its thick and hurts.  She wont like it.   I would also put terramycin in the eyes 2x daily for soothing purposes and cleaning as well.   

Important to keep her out of direct sunlight too...it will irritate the pink eye more.   

Also give her some snacks high in Vitamin A....that may help???  Cut up some carrots small and dress up her grain.

Good luck....poor girl...it can be bad when it gets cloudy for them...so be deligent with the meds...and nip this in the bud!!!

Keeps us up to date...hope she gets better for you soon!!!


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## Horsefly (Feb 13, 2011)

It's not weeping at all this time.  Just a bit cloudy and red on the edge.  I'll do the antibiotics again though and hope it clears up.  Thanks


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## ksalvagno (Feb 13, 2011)

Did it completely clear up the first time? I'm wondering if this is left over from the first time.


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## Horsefly (Feb 13, 2011)

Well I thought it did, by the time I got the medicine the first time it was starting to be less red and the pussy goopies were gone from her eye.  I gave her her 3 shots and after the first one eye looked 100% normal so I assumed either she just had something iritating her eye for a few days or the pink eye went away really fast (still gave the full course of shots).
Could she be getting cateracts now?  Its just cloudy on the outside.  I don't want her to go blind and am going to give the Oxytetracycline for 5 days in a row as Emmetts suggested.
I would usually give the Oxy.. through a 20g needle but am out of those right now so I had to use an 18g today.  After I gave her her shot (after shooting some out because the needle wasn't in good enough..) and I put her back in the stall I noticed all the hair around the shot site was red like she bled.  I haven't had the experiance of them bleeding after a subq shot before.  I watched her awhile and after 10 minutes figured if I had hit something important she would be dead already.  I guess I just had a bigger needle so I could of hit a blood vessle, I do pull back on the plunger before injecting to make sure I am not in a vein or anything.
I hope her eye clears up fast, no other goat has ever shown signs of anything wrong with their eyes.


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## Horsefly (Feb 14, 2011)

I almost had a heart attack today when I gave her her shot!!  I always put her in the stand with some food and she doesn't budge as I do anything to her, including giving shots.  Well I put her in the stand today and gave her the shot next to where gave it yesterday (yesterday's lump was still there).  When I took the needle out she started convulsing so I let her head free from the stand and she was twisting her head around and stiffening her legs and arching her back for about 5 seconds and I just knew I killed her.  I though I must have hit a vein or something and she was dying!  When she was alittle still again I tried to rub where I gave the shot to help it dissolve some and she stiffened and looked like she was about to start up again so I stopped and she bit at the spot a few times, then she turned and finished her food .  I put her back in her stall and watched her for a few minutes and she acted 100% normal, what in the world got into her?!?? It was terrifying, I felt like there wasn't a thing I could of done to help her.  
I remember y'all said the shot burned and maybe that was just her reaction to that? But I have given this shot before with her hardly batting and eye to me from it.  I'm a bit freaked out about giving shots right now.  Should I still give her her shot tomorrow?  I checked on her a few more times and she appears fine now, it was just scary and I don't want to hurt her trying to help her.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 15, 2011)

I would give it to her again, I have seen goats do this from the shot.


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## Horsefly (Feb 15, 2011)

So you think it is normal?  Just freaked me out big time.  It's weird that she had never done it before and she has had 4 other shots of it.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 15, 2011)

Horsefly said:
			
		

> So you think it is normal?  Just freaked me out big time.  It's weird that she had never done it before and she has had 4 other shots of it.


Yes, I think normal.

I have treated several different animals with it in a herd setting and one animal will act like nothing happened and the next will fall over like it is dying and scream and carry on for a minute or two.  You probably just got it in a little different spot than normal, Or she is getting more sensitive from previous injections.


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## aggieterpkatie (Feb 15, 2011)

It just stings them badly sometimes.  I'd rotate sides though. Give in L side one day, then switch to the R side next.


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## Emmetts Dairy (Feb 15, 2011)

I think she was in pain....I 100% agree with rotation of injection site.

Poor girl.  That stuff does sting!  

If it was Anaphylactic Shock...she would of died. Thankfully it was not.

But this post is a good reminder to us all as to why its a good idea to have epinephine around and ready to go when giving injections to our goats.

Hope she does better next time!!


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## Horsefly (Feb 15, 2011)

She reacted a slight bit by sniffing the injection site when I gave her her shot today but nothing like last night.  Thank goodness!  Maybe I accidently gave the shot deeper than normal and that is why it hurt more.  I was carful not to go in the fat and just stay under the skin today.


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## Emmetts Dairy (Feb 16, 2011)

Horsefly said:
			
		

> I was carful not to go in the fat and just stay under the skin today.


Glad she did better for you!


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## helmstead (Feb 16, 2011)

Even though I KNOW they'll do it, it gives me a heart attack every time one throws a temper tantrum like that too!  You stand there in shock wondering, "Is this a fit, or do I need to grab the Epi!?"  Unless you're using BioMycin, oxytet BURNS like the devil.  My vet in GA won't even use anything other than BioMycin _because_ of the burn - he's had a couple die from the shock of the burn (they were already compromised, but still).  

Just wait til a kid does it in the disbudding box and you think you just fried it.  THAT'S all kinds of fun.  :/


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## Ariel301 (Feb 16, 2011)

Mine always freak out with oxytetracycline. I've had a shot of it before, and that stuff does burn like crap. The first time I gave it to one of my does, she was on the milkstand when I did it, and then I let her out and was walking her back to the pen. I had given the shot SQ just above her armpit. As soon as she took a couple of steps, she started shaking, made a weird noise, her eyes bugged out, and she fell over on her side drooling and paddling her legs. I was completely freaked out thinking she was about to die...then after a minute, she sat up, burped up a cud and started chewing. 

She's more sensitive than the others to anything, but from all of them I get anything from a scream as the shot goes in to limping a few hours to laying down and crying after the shot. The doe that I thought I killed and also my buck both got big lumps at the injection site also. 

They just don't like it. They could care less when I give them CDT vaccinations, but the oxytet always makes them throw a fit.


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## cmjust0 (Feb 17, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> Just wait til a kid does it in the disbudding box and you think you just fried it.  THAT'S all kinds of fun.  :/


Been there, done that..  Had one or two cry and cry, then just kinda go bleh and stop struggling..  You're pretty sure they're dead so you jerk the lid up and yank'em outta there and THEN they snap-to and start shaking and wailing again..  SUCKS.



I hate disbudding..


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## helmstead (Feb 17, 2011)

LOL The first time we had one do that while disbudding, I jerked it out of the box right out from under my husband and dunked it in a 5 gallon water bucket   He woke up and snapped out of it REALLY fast (it was all I could think of spur of the moment to cool a fried head off!).


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## Horsefly (Feb 17, 2011)

I would of done the same thing, I'm just so glad that a reaction is normal .  Today is Camus last shot, I think the cloudy has gone away.  Would you call her cured and not contagious anymore?  Can she go wih the rest of the goats now?  Thanks, hopefully this is the last of her eye troubles.


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## Emmetts Dairy (Feb 17, 2011)

I think she should be fine. I would give her some probiotics to get that rumen up...after 5 days of antibiotics...it pretty much will wipe out all the good stuff she needs.  

Hopefully this second dose did the trick for her!! Good luck!


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