Detecting ‘Pink eye' in goats

Pinkeye, also called infectious keratoconjunctivitis, is a common problem in goats. It is an inflammation of the eye that may have a variety of causes, including irritation, which can lead to an eye infection in goats.

Irritants can include entropion, hay dust, bright light, or wind (often occurring during transport), among others. Once the eye is infected, flies or secretions from the eye can contaminate hay and bedding, leading to an outbreak of pinkeye among the herd.

This is why it is more common after goat shows when the animals are exposed to other unrelated goats and come into contact with common irritants.

The most common bacteria that cause eye infections in goats are mycoplasma and chlamydophila, according to Goat Medicine, although other agents can also be implicated.

Some goats can be carriers of mycoplasma, with no apparent problem.

Others will have a mild form of infection that lasts only about 10 days or a more severe type that also affects other parts of the body, such as the udder or the joints.

Treatment of pinkeye includes washing the eye with sterile saline (the same as used for contact lens washing) and then application of antibiotic drops or ointment, such as Terramycin eye ointment, several times a day until after the eye is improved.

Some people have reported success treating with drops of antibiotic injectable such as oxytetracycline two to three times a day. In more severe cases, a veterinarian will be needed to prescribe steroids, when no ulcers are present, or to perform surgery.

Another condition affecting goats’ eyes is inflammation of the eyelids or blepharitis.

It can have a variety of causes, including mite infestations that include the eyelids, fungus, bacteria, zinc deficiency or even pinkeye that has spread to that tissue.

It may even be a combination of several of these problems, for example, a mite infestation that has led to bacterial eye infection in goats. Treatment for blepharitis will depend on the cause.

INJURY AND TRAUMA

Because goats are curious and adventurous, they can be prone to injuries. This includes the eye, which is more fragile than other parts of the body because it is only protected when the eye is closed.

On the farm, they can find all kinds of mischief to get into, including getting caught in your homestead fencing, walking into sticks or branches, or getting poked or butted by a herd mate.

Mild scratches to the eye may show up as watery eyes, cloudiness or squinting.

Treating eye infections in goats, such as pink eye, can be done with antibiotic ointment.

If this doesn’t work, a veterinarian will be needed to determine whether there is a foreign body in the eye or the damage is more severe. In some cases of trauma, the white of the eye (sclera) will turn red where the blood vessels broke.

Some suggest using an ice pack, but time will usually resolve the problem as the blood is reabsorbed.

To avoid an infection, apply eye ointment several times a day.

Other eye trauma can be caused by plant seeds or stickers that can become lodged under the eyelid.

The symptoms are the same as any other eye irritation and should also be treated the same—rinsing with saline solution and treatment several times a day with antibiotic ointment.

If you can see what is causing the irritation, you can try to remove it with a cotton swab or your fingers.

Make sure to irrigate the eye after doing so.

Blindness is not uncommon in goats. Often, in large meat herds, the damage is done before the owners are even aware that there is a problem because they are not able to examine each goat individually.

Blindness can be caused by vitamin A deficiency in the goat’s diet, tapeworm, polioencephalomalacia (thiamine deficiency) or other neurological disease, optic nerve damage.

In the neurological conditions such as polioencephalomalacia, if the goat is treated soon enough, the blindness may be only temporary.

Always check regularly and look for signs that a problem is brewing to avoid eye infections in goats and a visit from the vet.