[ladyK]

I'm in total despair over a pink eye epidemic going around my Soay flock for weeks.
It seems of have come in with our new ram and it's been going around and around for over 4 weeks now.

The vet has been twice, prescribed AlamycinLA shots and Opticlox - but says there is not much else that can be done. I've been going around on twice daily treatment rounds for weeks now (all that in the worse of storms, of course) but just can't get it under control.
When first affected they seem to recover with the AB shot, but then it comes back to hit the same sheep, and with a vengeance. The ointment seems to have zero effect.
3 ewes now have both eyes badly affected (eyes cloudy and ulcerated and they are blind, and they look miserable, just about still eating) and all others in that field are also affected, to various degrees. The only one who recovered without much help and has not relapsed is the ram. This week it's spread to my other field (across the road!!) I have taken care to always wash my hands but I only have one pair of wellies! (though I didn't think it would spread that way?!)

I have tried supportive treatment with cod liver oil and vitamins as well, but I just can't see I'm getting anywhere and I'm really despairing!! I've read through  many of the pink eye posts on here, and some seem to suggest it is self limiting, but if animals are so badly affected surely I can't just let it run its cause? 

Anything else I can do??

[Fleecewife]

Oh how awful LadyK.  I've had it run through my flock before, again brought in by a ram, so I now keep a closed flock, and quarantine any sheep brought in, for four full weeks.

Pink eye can come in with an infected animal  so it sounds as if your tup brought it with him.  To animals not previously exposed, it will affect the whole flock, but should give resistance for the future.
It is spread by things such as sheep feeding from a trough, where they rub against eachother, as well as by transference from the shepherds clothes or hands.  Lots of other ways I'm sure.

My worst affected animal was also a Soay ewe.  She was completely blind, with clouded eyes and scarring on the cornea.  It took a long time, but she eventually recovered fully, with no long term scarring (and she was a total pain to catch).

We used antiBs (LA so injected every 3 days) plus Orbenin eye ointment as often as possible, at least twice a day (I see from the instructions on NOAH that you should use 1/4 tube per eye, once only, but may be repeated after a few days. I've never used quite that much) The Orbenin is good and by pulling forward the lower lid, you can get a good bit of it right into the eye, so it spreads well.

There is also a rather horrible technique where the AntiB is injected directly into the eyelid.  Some people swear by this method, so maybe ask your vet.

[atlanta]

We once had a virulent strain of pink eye, when no sooner had one ewe been cured by way of antibiotic injection, then another got it, and so it went on.   We sought advice from friends and what worked for us was injecting the whole flock with LA antibiotic, and repeating this after 5 days. We had no more outbreaks after this.  It is expensive to do if you have a lot of sheep, and it seems excessive to inject healthy animals, but it was worth it for us.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

can I ask?? Are goats able to contract this disease?

[Anke]

can I ask?? Are goats able to contract this disease?

Of course, but I haven't seen it (yet).

[Me]

Opticlox wouldn't work.

Alamycin would but often the injection is insufficient alone.

[ladyK]

Thanks everyone!

I have tried the consecutive injections of AlamycinLA whenever I see the first sign of affection (squinty eyes), and it seems to help initially but then the infection comes back worse, despite the second jab. The worse 3 girls have now had 4 jabs of the stuff and it doesn't seem to reverse the progress of it in any way, so not sure it would help any more if I jabbed the whole flock?

Opticlox wouldn't work.

But why would the vet prescribe it then?! They sold it to me after examining the first badly affected sheep 
I agree though that it hasn't made any difference.
I just checked - Orbenin and Opticlox seem to have the same active ingredient, cloxacillin (16.67% w/w and 16.7% w/w respectively) so how do they act differently? Or am I missing something?

Alamycin would but often the injection is insufficient alone.

So what should I add to the mix?

[Fleecewife]

Opticlox wouldn't work.

Alamycin would but often the injection is insufficient alone.

What do you think of the injection into the lower eyelid Me?

[Fleecewife]

<<< I just checked - Orbenin and Opticlox seem to have the same active ingredient, cloxacillin (16.67% w/w and 16.7% w/w respectively) so how do they act differently? Or am I missing something? >>>

I've not used opticlox - what presentation does it come in?    Orbenin is a thick white ointment, which stays on the eye well.  It does work - we would usually use just that, and not the AntiB, unless the condition persisted.


Got this from chinchillavet.com.au
Treatment regimes:
1.Cloxacillin based eye ointments such as Orbenin (Pfizer) or Opticlox (Norbook). It is important to treat both eyes and treat the good eye first to reduce cross contamination. If the tube is to be used in another animal the dispensing area should be cleaned with an antiseptic. Ideally the animal should be treated twice 48 hours apart and then apply an eye patch.
2.Inject into the bulbar conjunctiva of the top eyelid an antibiotic, short acting pencillin or an oxytetracycline. This may or may not be given in conjunction with an anti-inflammatory agent. Operators using this procedure will need training and advice from their local veterinarian. Only one shot is generally needed and can be used in combination with an eye patch.
3.With particularly valuable animals, the veterinarian may, after treatment, temporarily suture an eye lid over the eye to eliminate dust, flies, cross contamination and solar radiation.
4.Use an intramuscular injection of a long acting oxytetracycline in combination with one treatment of a Cloxacillin based eye ointments and possibly an eye patch.


The eye patch is for dusty conditions in Oz and probably doesn't apply so much in Britain 

[Me]

Opticlox wouldn't work.

But why would the vet prescribe it then?! They sold it to me after examining the first badly affected sheep 

Because it is licensed to put in eyes! The fact it never works is less important!

Alamycin would but often the injection is insufficient alone.

So what should I add to the mix?
[/quote]

I have heard of people holding the eye open and spraying terramycin directly onto the third eyelid etc as a desperation measure.. which has been curative. But this would unquestionably cause pain etc so best ask your vet their opinion again. Leaving them diseased would also cause pain.. 

[Me]

What do you think of the injection into the lower eyelid Me?
[/quote]

It seems a giant painful faff to me tbh. Used it in cattle a fair bit though

[shep53]

Over many years ,done all of the mentioned treatments  , the injection in the lower eye lid was my preferred method but not easy to do for 1 man   moved on to VETERICYN worked well but very expensive so after much thought/ reading / talking I now spray terramycin into the eye  , works very quickly ,does not seem to cause discomfort ( I can say personally it is much less painfull then crovect which burns for about a couple of mins  )                       A closed flock and isolation does not seem to work once its  on the farm ,  nothing for 2yrs then this year 1 ewe 3 lambs only in one field treated quickly

[Me]

Over many years ,done all of the mentioned treatments  , the injection in the lower eye lid was my preferred method but not easy to do for 1 man   moved on to VETERICYN worked well but very expensive so after much thought/ reading / talking I now spray terramycin into the eye  , works very quickly ,does not seem to cause discomfort ( I can say personally it is much less painfull then crovect which burns for about a couple of mins  )                       A closed flock and isolation does not seem to work once its  on the farm ,  nothing for 2yrs then this year 1 ewe 3 lambs only in one field treated quickly

  < this is shep53 after using terramycin

[shep53]

    after the crovect

[Cheviot]

Hi,
We use purple spray directly on to the eyeball, I'm sure it is a painful procedure, but with 90% of those treated recovering after just one treatment, we feel it is far less stressful than catching sheep up to inject them every few days.