Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Posted: **Thu Sep 23, 2004 4:20 pm**

I seem to be having an awful lot of trouble this year with New Forest Eye. As soon as we sort out one animal's eye, another is showing symptoms. I understand that it is very easy to catch - well, that certainly seems to be the case here anyway. Does anyone have any suggestions? I've used Spot On to reduce the number of flies, which I am sure has had an effect, but wondered if there are any other preventative measures I can take. Unfortunately my grazing is near a stream and woodland - and changing that isn't an option.

Also I wondered if an animal can have a repeat occurrence, or do they develop some immunity?
Many thanks,
Liz

Posted: **Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:16 pm**

We seem to have had a bad season on Bute for New Forest Eye this summer too, loads of flies around and several dairy farmers finding that they are more persistant than usual and follow cows into the milking parlour and bite them, making them kick during milking and even bite the people. I have not caught any to get species checked but assume there must be some change since flies here do not usually cause any bother inside. I hesitate to give scientific names of bacteria because microbiologists just love reclassifying and renaming things, but true New Forest Disease is caused by a bacteria called Moraxella Bovis. In this practice we use either antibiotic ointment or subconjunctival injections of antibiotics to treat and I suspect that treating the first few cases as quickly as possible will lessen the general challenge to the rest of the group. The more modern formulations of ointment such as Opticlox persist for a day or two in the conjunctiva and often one treatment is sufficient. They are much more efficient than the older things like Pink Eye Powder or Aureomycin powder which are washed out by the excessive tears in 20 to 30 minutes. Being antibiotic they are prescription medicines and should be used after discussion and detailed instructions from your vet. We also use subconjunctival injections of antibiotics such as DuphamoxLA and this very rarely needs repeated but is not a job for the faint hearted though I have trained some of our farmers to do it themselves.
We also get a lot of similar disease in cattle eyes in the winter especially when they are on big bale silage in ring feeders with lot of head contact. This is not usually due to Moraxella but can have a variety of causes one of the frequent culprits being Listeria Monocytogenes, well known for a lot of other troubles in man and beast.

Sorry to go on so much about treatment - there is no vaccine as yet though I think there has been talk of one being developed. You are right to cut down flies with Spoton etc, and get treatment done quickly to keep down levels of contamination - for this reason it may be best to use ointment yourself rather than get the vet in to inject if there are small numbers involved at any one time.

I have to admit to being unsure of the position on immunity after infection - my own feelings are that after a herd has suffered for a season or two it is less likely to get any for a while - but some clients are more likely to report and treat it than others so a true picture of incidence is difficult to get.

Incidentally my own Dexters got it this year for the first time even though there are several hundred yards between them and the nearest other cattle.
Duncan

Posted: **Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:34 pm**

Is this the same as Pink Eye in the USA Duncan?

Carol K

Posted: **Fri Sep 24, 2004 11:06 pm**

Hello Carol,
I am not certain but I think our New Forest Eye is the same as your Pink Eye. It begins with a very watery eye and after a day or so there is a tiny whilte speck in the middle of the cornea (clear part of the eye) which expands and may obscure the whole cornea. If they get it in both eyes they are totally blind and very difficult to handle as a result. If not treated the white/grey area is liable to develope an ulcer which shows as a crater on the surface of the eye and may in extreme cases erode to the base membrane and a puncture of the front chamber of the eye results. It is an extremely painful condition. It is also difficult to spot at a quick check of the stock as the affected cattle always look at you with the good eye so the bad one is turned away.

Duncan

Posted: **Sat Sep 25, 2004 1:21 pm**

Duncan,
Thank you for your very informative answer - on this as well as other topics. I have found your comments really helpful.

As for the New Forest - I have been treating with the ointment, which seems quite effective. I'm gradually getting better at administering this. Unfortunately as soon as one case clears, another appears. I am looking forward to winter and a reduction in flies. Hope we don't get the other sort of eye problem......

Posted: **Sat Sep 25, 2004 1:35 pm**

Thanks Duncan, with the description you gave I would say that it is the same. I have yet to have a case and am thankful for that.

Carol K

Posted: **Sun Sep 26, 2004 10:14 pm**

Hi
We've also been having problems with New Forest Eye, the heifer's and heifer calves seemed particulalry vulnerable. We started using ointment and the vet gaves us an antibiotic injection for the first calf as she was off her food and fed up. However when we had 4 affected at the same time we called out the vet to give them an injection in the eyelid, sounds awful but provided the cow's well restrained it's OK, and very affective. They're all now OK, just little white discs left which we're told will disapper in time. Another heifer calf, 8 weeks old, is now affected. Like you Liz I'll be relieved when the temperature drops and the flies disapear!