Pinkeye Treatment-Goats

[ThornyRidge]

I have a doe (now two) with presumably pink eye. The one just developed this today as she was fine last night and boom.. altho with this one it looks like she got the side of her face somehow either pooped on or smeared chicken poop all over side of her face and in/around eye. eye is flaming red and watering like crazy.. The other one happened as a resultof what I am guessing was an injury as she developed her eye issue directly after rummaging through blackberry vines and multiflora rose one evening. My vet gave me a small tube of a prescription opthamalic ointment that I have been using on the first injury goat for a week now and have seen minimal results.. her eye is not watering or matting however still is clouded over. My issue is trying to hold the animal still (yeah right) while trying to keep gloved hand with ointment free of contaminants and then applying in and around eye.. not really happening.. success at about 50% . Before everyone goes and says get someone to help you.. that is not an option I have.. it is just me. I am wondering if there is a spray that can be used that I can sneak attack spray in eye or at least soak the area really good that will help... I have had goats for 11 years and this is the first eye issue(s) I have ever encountered and am finding it darn near impossible to put meds in eyes!!!!!

 

[Stacykins]

I have a doe (now two) with presumably pink eye. The one just developed this today as she was fine last night and boom.. altho with this one it looks like she got the side of her face somehow either pooped on or smeared chicken poop all over side of her face and in/around eye. eye is flaming red and watering like crazy.. The other one happened as a resultof what I am guessing was an injury as she developed her eye issue directly after rummaging through blackberry vines and multiflora rose one evening. My vet gave me a small tube of a prescription opthamalic ointment that I have been using on the first injury goat for a week now and have seen minimal results.. her eye is not watering or matting however still is clouded over. My issue is trying to hold the animal still (yeah right) while trying to keep gloved hand with ointment free of contaminants and then applying in and around eye.. not really happening.. success at about 50% . Before everyone goes and says get someone to help you.. that is not an option I have.. it is just me. I am wondering if there is a spray that can be used that I can sneak attack spray in eye or at least soak the area really good that will help... I have had goats for 11 years and this is the first eye issue(s) I have ever encountered and am finding it darn near impossible to put meds in eyes!!!!!

Quote:Originally Posted by ThornyRidge

How did your message get so shifted to the side? I can only read half the message! Edit: a quote helped me read it all, hah. I often have to give meds solo, so I feel your pain!

Rope the goat on a short lead, and attach that to the fence. Then, straddle the goat's head between your legs. Use your legs as a headgate to hold the neck. Then, get the drops in their eyes. Oh it'll suck, and they'll probably buck and struggle! Use a second rope to attach their body to the fence, if it helps. Just loop it around their tummy.

It isn't a spray, but you can use LA 200 in their eyes to treat pink eye. Applied as drops. So that means you can hold the syringe (needle free) in your teeth until you have a good hold on the goat, and then quickly put a few drops in each eye.

In conjunction with the LA 200 drops directly in the eye, you should also give it to them as an injection. The goat dose is 4.5 mL per 100lbs of goat, given three times, 36-48 hours apart. It has a longer half life than other antibiotics, which is why you don't have to give it every single day for the duration of the treatment. That should it make it easier to give it to them, too, having to do it fewer times.

Treating with both drops and injection antibiotics means that any infection is treated in two ways, systemically and locally. It is kind of like when a human has an ear infection, the doctor will give them oral meds and antibiotic ear drops.