# is my goat going blind?



## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

I went out to milk and noticed my 4 year old LaMancha acting funny. she hesitated to get on the milk stand, and after milking walked around and calling for someone? she is the one that I just bred so I didn't think she was in heat. As I milked the last goat, she noticed she walked into the fence! I was worried at this point. After milking, I walked closer to her and noticed one of her eyes was cloudy! I looked into the other eye and it was also cloudy but not as bad. I remember a few days ago she was keeping her right eye(the on that was the worse) closed and it was a little runny, not anything thick or gooey...just wet but, we had a sudden drop in temps here over the weekend (dipping into the 20's at night, and just thought that is what it could be....just cold. remember this is my first year with dairy goats  Anyway, she gave plenty of milk, ate and drank water just fine, she was a little more clingy than usual...but seemed fine other that her eyes. 

I did give her a shot that I bought from the vet to bring her into heat and the buck I left her with does have horns. I did not notice any injuries when I brought her back to the milking lot after breeding. What do you guys think???


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## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

also, she has had no fed changes and has been healthy and doing great! no changes in hay, grass or feed.


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## KJFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

Sounds like Pinkeye.....start putting Neosporin Ointment in her eyes 2-3 times per day until they are clear. Put the Neosporin on your finger, then place in in her eye. Wash your hands thoroughly after treating her.


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## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

how did she get pink eye??? and can my other 3 milking goats get that from her? they are all on the same milking lot!


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## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

put it inside her eye??? as in ON the eyeball itself??


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Yes, on the eye. You can get eye specific meds from the vet, but they are more expensive, and neo will work fine. If she seems light sensitive, you might want to give her a patch. If she is getting picked on by the other goats (as they are apt to do sometimes), you may want to separate her until her eyes are better.

Pinkeye can be transferred by flies, so she could have got it from a neighbor's animals. Yes, it is contagious to the other goats, the buck too. Also, sometimes pink eye is a symptom from diseases which cause abortion. Not trying to panic you, just so you are aware. It might not or probably isnt' that, but just something to keep in mind if she does happen to have one.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Yes, put the ointment on her eyes and make sure that she is able to get to food and water. I am not sure on the abortion thing, how to treat the pinkeye to prevent abortions but you should do some research about it. I had a doe in 2010 that had pink eye and it cleared up without too much trouble but she ended up aborting triplets.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Most abortion bugs are treated with tetracycline, often in a feed supplement to supply a continuous supply of it for awhile. If she did have that, it could also spread to the buck she is bred to, and then any does that buck was bred to as well. I would probably do the tetracycline to the buck, just in case, so that the other does don't get an abortion bug if it is present, when he breeds them.


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## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

when you guys are saying abortion bug, do you mean she will abort right now, being bred less than one week? or later? I am a little confused.


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## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

Fias Co says to treat ALL goats in the herd! Should I give them all shots of Oxytetracycline? which has a milk withhold time of 18 days! should I have the two does (that were just bred) abort now and start over next month after they all have been treated? I think my brain is in overload! With all this breeding stuff and now this! on top of work and life! My head is spinning! AND to top it all off, there are no "real" goat vets in our area! I don't understand how this could happen! I feed my girls well, give them great hay, clean water daily, free choice to minerals and baking soda. I use all organics with them.... I have tried to do everything just right! and now, they may have a disease that causes abortion?!? and it can spread thru my whole herd?? WHAT? a little frustrated right now! I have even had the thoughts of giving up! selling out! I love my goats and don't want to...but good grief!!! sigh........ any advice is welcomed.....


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Don't give up. These things happen. It is part of managing a herd. We don't have a good goat vet either so it is this forum or other goat people who help me through stuff. How many goats do you have?
I am not sure on the meds. There is a "crumble" with tetracycline in it but I m not sure if you can use that solely.


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## KJFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

I would not start whole herd treatment, unless you have an outbreak in the herd. This might be an isolated case, and nothing more than just simple Pinkeye from foreign matter blowing into the eyes. Do watch all your other animals, the first sign of Pinkeye will usually be squinting, and watery eyes. The sooner you start the Neosporin the better, no need for them to get as far advanced as this doe.


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## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

I have quite a few goats in three different lots and all three lots are away form each other. In the same lot with the doe with pink eye, is my three other milking goats! I did put the doe with pink eye in the barn this morning...she is NOT happy! she is alone and it is dark in there. the doors are closed and there are no windows in our barn. I feel bad for her. I ordered some bio-mycin today should be here tomorrow and I am putting neo in her eye. I have babies in a lot together (the doe with pink eye has never been around) and I have a seven month old buckling with two does (dry yearling does) in a different lot, the pink eye doe was breed to this buck last week. So they have been around her. I don't mind learning and I don't mind treating...but reading the disease, *Chlamydia*! that is a nasty thing! 3 years to get over it??? and it passes thru the babies AND you have to treat for it! wow! That's terrible stuff!


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## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

we have 23 acres where we live and have a front pasture for the goats and back pasture for cows and horses that is where our barn is and the milking girls are at the barn. the babies are in my back yard. and there are woods that separate the two pastures.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Woah, settle down a little. I shouldn't have even mentioned it, I just wanted you to know so that you would be aware it COULD happen. Just treat the doe that has pinkeye now, and see what happens. I think there is a timeframe in the pregnancy where you treat with the oxytetracycline. I can't really remember for sure, though.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

I have had several cases of pink eye over the years. It was never anything serious. I would leave her with the other goats if it were me. The stress will not be good for her healing.


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## LittleBits (Aug 6, 2013)

For pink eye, or cloudy eyes I use either LA200 or Tylan200 and just squirt 1cc in the eye that is affected. It is normally clear by the next morning.


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## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

LittleBits said:


> For pink eye, or cloudy eyes I use either LA200 or Tylan200 and just squirt 1cc in the eye that is affected. It is normally clear by the next morning.


seriously??? I ordered Biomycin...only because there was no withdraw time. but I can get LA200 close to home! you think that is what I should do?? I am so new to this and have no idea.....


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## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

Ashley said:


> I have had several cases of pink eye over the years. It was never anything serious. I would leave her with the other goats if it were me. The stress will not be good for her healing.


It made me so sad to put her back in that barn stall and I was wondering the same thing about stress! I was wondering if it would slow down the healing process. Poor baby...she was so upset! I did have another doe with runny eyes this afternoon  I just put some neo in her eyes too.


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## Starla (Aug 29, 2013)

I will buy whatever I need to, to get her better! also, I noticed she had a little white discharge, only a small amount this afternoon....is that normal? it is almost one week since she has been bred.


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## LittleBits (Aug 6, 2013)

Yep, seriously. Biomycin should work just fine, it's just the stingless kind of LA200. I put them in a head lock, and just squirt in onto the eyeball (without the needle), and sort of "flush" it over the eye too. Go slow, try to get as much as of a cc in each eye as you can. 

I had two eye issues this year, one was a boer doeling, her eye was completly clouded over, couldn't see out of it at all. I squirt a cc of Tylan200 in her eye, and squirt a few cc's in her mouth for good measure. Her eye was clear in the morning. 

Next eye issue was actually about a week ago. I had an Oberhasli doe with red, runny, and slightly cloudy eyes, squirt some in her eyes and it was pretty much clear by morning.

A few drops in the eye just doesnt cut it for me, I use 1cc per eye.

The discharge sounds normal to me.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

Biomycin and LA200 are the same drug. It's the carrier that is different. Since Biomycin doesn't sting as much, it's the one I buy and actually prefer to use it in the eye due to it being more painless.


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