Help, I have pygmy crosses and just got a buck and wether at a sale two weeks ago. I foolishly mixed them after only a day and now my goats have some sort of eye infection that is making some of them blind in one or both eyes. The vet over the phone said it was pinkeye and not to worry, but I'm worried! I have the buck, 2 wethers and 5 does. One doe is blind in both eyes , another is blind in one, and a wether is blind in one. Two other does have the runny eyes so far. I think they also got shipping fever from the new goats but that seems to have cleared up with the penicillin shots I gave all of them. All of them have had their tetnus shots and wormer. What can I do? Will their eyesight come back?

-- Amy Sabino (seansabino@hotmail.com), November 20, 2001

Answers

You can get a spray or an ointment to treat them with from your vet. LA200 also works. Give as a shot or drop a couple of drops right in their eye.

-- Wendy (weiskids@yahoo.com), November 20, 2001.

Yes, the eyesight should return when the infection clears up. But if it is bad enough for them to be looking blind, it sometimes has to be treated for a few weeks. Are they still on the shots? When one of my does had a really difficult case like that, I had her in to the vet, who gave her a shot right in the eyelid, a topical antibiotic, and I also gave her LA200 shots on a regular schedule for about 3 weeks!..Most pinkeye is not as persistant as hers. You can probably nip it in the bud on the ones with just runny eyes by using the a puffer--ask about it at your local feed store.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), November 20, 2001.

Terramycin ointment works well too...it's oxytetracycline in topical form...and since it's ointment, it's easy to spread a line of it on the inside of the lower lid..stays in longer, so is very effective. :)patty Prairie Oak Miniatures http://www.minifarm.com/prairie_oak http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Littlegoats moderator

-- Patty Putnam (littlegoats@wi.rr.com), November 20, 2001.

Just to let you know,some say the puffer is painful for the goats, the eye ointment in the little tubes works greats, and so does just a couple of drops of antibiotic in the eye. I also soak a cotton ball in the antibiotic and clean around their eyes with it on the outside. Seems to clean the bacteria off their hair, and help stop the spreading of pinkeye.

-- Barb (vozarbi@sensible-net.com), November 20, 2001.

We have had great success using the old style "Pet" concentrated milk. A few drops undiluted into both eyes and it should clear up.

-- oxman (singingfalls@tymewyse.com), November 20, 2001.

I use cucumber juice in their eyes. take a cucumber and juice it[ I have a juicer] put liquid in a spray bottle and spray in the affected eye. do this everyday till clear. this has saved the eyes of 2 of mine. lexi

-- Lexi Green (whitestone11@hotmail.com), November 21, 2001.

Amy seen the common thread yet? Do nothing as your vet suggested and it clears up in a week or so, use Terremycin eye ointment and the blindness clears but it won't go away for a week or so, so don't stop using the ointment, LA200 an anitbiotic used as eyedrops will also help clear the symptoms, but same thing keep using it. Vinegar or Pet Milk or Port Wine, or cucumber/lemon juice changes the PH of the eye, keeping the symptoms down also, and spraying also makes it nice and easy to use. But as with everything keep using it or the symptoms come right back. LA200 injections do treat pinkeye caused by MaxiBovis, the pinkeye cattle get, that goats do not. Puffers and sprays are very hard on the eyes, not recommended in Goat Medicine. Though I have had a doe ulcerate her eye, and though her eyesite returned she did have a wierd moon shaped scar on her eyeball. Never seen them permanentley go blind, though they can loose alot of weight, make sure they have hay and grain in front of them, and also water they can find! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 21, 2001.

I have seen the old home time remedy for pink eye of pouring salt into the palm of your hand and cupping it over the infected eye. This should be done quickly making sure the eye is fully coated. I thought this seemed cruel and it did I'm sure sting, but it worked & cleared up. Although--if you have the money, try the sprays and ointments from the country vet.

-- Lisa WV (lisaliapearl@yahoo.com), January 14, 2002.