Pink Eye

Pink Eye is a contagious disease, spread by touch.  It can be caught by any animal. In the week we visited Spring Grove there were 4 rams with Pink Eye. It is caused by the Chlamydia bacteria, and/or Mycoplasma with secondary bacterial infection. Symptoms were the eyes weeping and inflamed, with and a cloudy look in the sheep’s eye. I helped administer the medicated cream to two of the rams. There were 2 methods which I used. The first method was to syringe the cream through the applicator into the eye and rub it in. the second method was to put some cream on my thumb and then rub it directly into the eye, gently. The cream stops the pink eye being contagious for 20 minutes, but there is an injection you can administer directly into the eye that is a lot longer lasting.

 

Applying cream straight into the eye of Ice, a Shetland Ram.

 

Outbreaks of Pink Eye are common through summer and autumn. If any of your animals have Pink Eye you should set them aside from the herd to contain the outbreak and prevent contamination of the other animals.  Then you should contact your local vet.