Pink eye is a year round, common problem in cattle herds (reported to be the most common eye disease in breeding cows and calves, and is second only to scours for pre-weaned calf conditions). Learning more about where it comes from, how it spreads, and the biology of your animals can help reduce and prevent both “summer pink eye” and “winter pink eye” on your farm.
Cattle Pink Eye Causes
Cattle pink eye, (infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis or IBK), is most often caused by a couple strains of moraxella bacteria. Moraxella bovis is typically the culprit behind summer pinkeye, while moraxella bovoculi is often blamed for winter pinkeye. Similarly to humans, who can catch pink eye with a bad cold, some IBK cases can also be caused by viruses and upper respiratory infections.
Unfortunately, some cattle can also become asymptomatic carriers. The organisms that cause IBK can go dormant in their bodies for many months and even over winter before flaring back up again in their herdmates.
HOW IBK SPREADS
IBK is spread easily through face flies, close proximity at feeders or in stables, or through any secretion coming from mucus membranes (eyes, noses, and vaginal tissues). Normal, healthy eyes have defenses against pathogens, but any sort of physical trauma to the eye can allow bacteria and viruses to penetrate the cornea. Watch for even mild eye injuries from transport or handling, scratchy bedding material, aggressive or defensive behavior, or their environment.
- Summer pink eye spread: Seasonal problems like dust, seed heads, and harsh UV light irritate eyes and nasal tissues. These irritants trigger tears and seepage that allow flies and closeness (such as crowding in the shade) to spread the contagion through the herd.
- Winter pink eye spread: As cattle are stabled together in bad weather (and as some flies move inside with them), IBK can spread through any form of touching or face flies.
- IBK at birth: Calves born with eye infections were likely passed a virus from their mother.
Cattle Pink Eye Symptoms
There are multiple stages to IBK and there can be some symptomatic differences between bacterial and viral infections.
Stage 1:
- Watery eyes
- Light sensitivity (can cause cattle to spend a lot of time seeking shade)
- Excessive blinking or squinting
- Lack of grazing (can lead to weight loss as they decrease their intake)
- Small white spot (ulcer) in the center of the cornea
- Viral Note: cornea ulceration usually begins along the outer edge of the eye instead of the center
Stage 2:
- Cloudy eyes (eye ulcer spreads)
- Pink or red cornea
- Pinkish pus
- Affected vision
- More extreme stage 1 symptoms
Stage 3:
- Large cornea ulcer (covering most of the eye)
- Yellow pus
- Blindness
Some mild ulcers can heal and clear up, but most likely will still cause permanent vision problems. No healing is possible in stage 3 and most vets will recommend removing the affected eyes completely.
Cattle Pink Eye Prevention
Because pink eye is very difficult to stop when it has started spreading through a herd, prevention is the most effective course of action.
Isolation
- Frequently check eye health and clarity, especially for your most susceptible animals (cows that have just given birth, young calves, those that are injured or already immuno-compromised).
- Immediately separate any animal with evidence of eye problems so they can be monitored.
- Spread out feeders and mineral sites if possible in the rest of your herd.
- If you have to examine the eye closely or remove an irritant, use disposable exam gloves and throw them away in between examining each animal.
- Don’t share halters, nose tongs, or other facial coverings and tools among your animals without disinfecting between usage.
Iodine Supplementation
Once you have identified cattle experiencing acute pink eye, begin supplementing with an iodine mineral mix right away.
“Cattle possess an enzyme system present in respiratory tract, udder and mucous membranes that naturally forms potent antimicrobial products when supplemented with iodine as a substrate.” (UC Davis)
So, offering extra iodine helps boost the natural immune response in your cattle’s airway secretions and tears. For livestock supplements, you will often see iodine present as Ethylenediamine dihydriodide (or EDDI) in the ingredients.
- Offer an iodine supplemented mix with a higher salt to mineral ratio to encourage your cattle to eat it when needed.
- Consult with your vet or nutritionist to make sure you are taking the necessary steps to prevent worsening infection.
Fly Control
Face flies and biting flies can easily carry harmful pathogens for a few days, even from neighboring properties. Fly control is going to be an important preventative step in reducing pink eye exposure.
- Offer your cattle 10 Fine with Garlic so they can get their minerals and natural pest prevention at the same time. Garlic metabolizes through the face and hide to drive away and reduce pests so your animals can get back to happily grazing. As an added bonus, flies do not develop a resistance to garlic like some other fly repellent ingredients. Click to learn more about using garlic for natural fly repellent in cattle.
- Continue fly control measures as the weather cools and animals start sheltering. Remember, that in the fall, some flies will enter buildings to try and overwinter with your herd in a state of hibernation.
Copper, Zinc, Selenium, and Vitamin A Supplementation
Selenium, copper, and zinc are vital for maintaining eye health. Livestock vets have found that with these deficiencies:
“the number of pinkeye and foot rot cases will be greater and the severity will be worse. Be sure your mineral program is working, as this is important in the animal’s immune response.” (UCD Vet Views, California Cattlemen’s Magazine)
“Vitamin A deficiency and inadequate protein intake may be other factors that possibly contribute to lessened resistance to eye infections.” (University of Nebraska)
- Once iodine supplementation is complete, work with your vet or nutritionist to switch to a mineral mix with added selenium, copper, zinc, and vitamin A.
Pasture Management
- Reduce fly breeding grounds like standing water or excessive manure piles.
- Clip mature grasses or begin rotating pastures to reduce seed heads and other eye irritants.
A Note on Cattle Pink Eye Vaccines/Antibiotics
Between the 2 main bacteria that cause pink eye, M. Bovoculi is less sensitive to common antibiotics and sometimes even drug resistant. If using antibiotics, work closely with your vet to make sure treatment is started early enough to make a difference. For viral infections, even with extensive lab testing, it can be very difficult to isolate the exact viral strain causing IBK in time for a vaccination to be helpful. Click to learn more about cattle pinkeye vaccinations.
Pink Eye Prevention with Redmond
Since the 1950s, Redmond has been helping farms of all sizes improve the health and production of their animals. We know that mineral deficiencies can lead to a variety of health problems. We also know that our unique mineral deposit in central Utah contains the best foundational minerals nature can offer.
Redmond High Iodized contains our full spectrum of sea minerals and is fortified with 1500 ppm of EDDI to help kickstart your cattle’s natural immune response.
Redmond 10 Fine with Garlic offers natural pest prevention and minerals all in 1 product. Easy to offer year round to help repel biting flies, ticks, and other pests away from your animals. Plus, it does not affect the taste or quality of their milk!
Redmond Beef Mineral has the perfect fortifications for supporting post pink eye health, with extra selenium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, cobalt, copper, iodine, zinc, and vitamins A, D and E.
Let’s hear from some farmers and ranchers that have noticed a marked improvement in pink eye prevention in their herds while using Redmond:
Gene in Gilette, Wyoming is happy to report that when they feed Redmond to their cows, they have no pink eye, no foot rot, no sick calves, and so few open cows that they don't even preg check cows anymore.
“I have been using the Redmond trace mineral salt for the past two years and can’t be happier with the results...As far as cattle go I have not had to doctor a cow or calf for foot rot or pink eye out on our range ground. In the past, on the other salts, I was averaging about 2 a week during the summer months and in early fall when the flies get real bad I was doctoring 7-8 a week for pink eye. I say this about the salt though, it seems the cows do go through it faster than the other but the way I look at that, it's a lot cheaper than having lame or blind cows or calves that aren’t growing.” -Cure, member of Ranchers.net
With our naturally delicious mineral mixes, you can be sure that your herd will love Redmond. Give us a call today at 
to see how we can help you get back to what you love about raising animals!
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