The condition is painful and debilitating, leading to substantial production losses.
There are varying treatment recommendations for pinkeye.
If the case is mild to moderate, an antibiotic eye ointment is recommended.
It is important to check affected eyes for grass seeds first.
These cases may benefit from being covered with an eye patch to reduce irritation caused by UV exposure.
Systemic antimicrobials can also be used to treat clinical cases and to eliminate carrier status.
Severe cases/high value animals may require subconjunctival injections or temporary surgical closure of the eyelid which requires a vet to perform.
Antibiotic powders should not be used due to irritation caused in the eye.
Prevention and control of pinkeye includes controlling flies by using insecticides, avoiding grazing calves on long pasture to reduce irritation to eyes, avoiding overcrowding, removing affected and treated calves from a mob and vaccination.
Piliguard is the only vaccine available on the market for the prevention of pinkeye.
It only works against one type of bacteria involved in pinkeye - Moraxella Bovis.
Piliguard is not guaranteed to provide full protection for pinkeye due to the various types of bacteria that can cause the disease.
A recent advancement in pinkeye management is autogenous vaccinations.
These are made from the bacteria that have been isolated directly from your farm using special swabs.
This means that the vaccine targets the actual bacteria which are causing disease in your animals.
For any more information on pinkeye, contact the team at Finley Veterinary Clinic, which operate in both Finley and Tocumwal.
The Finley Clinic is located at 21 Pinnuck St, Finley and is open 8.30am to 5.30pm weekdays. Call the Clinic on 5890 8444. This is also the number for the 24 hour emergency service.
The Tocumwal Clinic is located at 8 Murray St, Tocumwal and is open Tuesday from 9am to noon.
For more information about the Finley Veterinary Clinic or its many services, go to www.finleyvet.com.au.
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