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Show Jack Smith, third generation sheepman, looks over his operation. He had his best year ever with a 173 percent lamb crop. Summer brings eye problems to cattle By CLEONM. HOTTER Summer a time of bright sunlight, dust and flies brings an increase in eye problems in cattle. The problem is greatest for breeds that lack protective pigment around the eyes. Pinkeye is the major eye problem for cattle. Dr. Clell V. Bagley, extension veterinarian, Utah State University, said, "Basically pinkeye is caused by a bacterial " infection. Dust will irritate the eye and increase in-crease the likelihood of infection. Flies irritate the eye and transmit organisms from one animal to another. Bacteria may create an ulcer on the surface of the cornea and it may eventually extend completely through the cornea. You see signs of runny eyes on cows and calves from the irritation and excess tearing." The extension veterinarian suggests the use of dustbags, backrubbers, or pesticide impregnated ear tags to help control face flies. Injecting the inner surface of the eyelid with recommended antibiotics can be a satisfactory treatment. Remember that you must have good restraint of the animal for successful injection. Some producers put antibiotic powders in the eye. These have the disadvantage of not lasting very long, Bagley noted, but they may help to initiate the healing process. , He also advised wat- ching for' early signs of cancer eye. "Learn to recognize the lesions early so you can do something a about it. The longer you delay, the less alternatives you have for treatment." He explained that the cancer development on the eye goes through at least three stages: A plaque phase, a pipilloma and finally the cancerous stage itself. Sunlight and eye irritation problems are considered contributing factors and a virus has also been incriminated. "You need to learn to look for the precancerous pre-cancerous stages. You don't necessarily have to treat every one of those. About 25 percent will regress naturally. You should at least identify the animals and watch them closely when working with the cattle for pregnancy checking, vaccinations, etc." "In the early stages the plaque can be shaved off and cauterized with a chemical. It could also be frozen or treated with a thermo-probe applied directly to the lesion." As the cancer progresses, the entire eye may become involved and then the only alternative is removal of the eye. Also, there is a hazard that it will spread elsewhere and result in a condemned animal that would not be accepted for slaughter. Injecting the cancerous eye with a special type of vaccine is being done in a study at Utah State University with about the same success rate as surgery. The animal's body attempts to get rid of the vaccine. At the same time it gets rid of the tumor. The study findings hold promise in human and animal medicine, but the technique is not yet available for practice in the field. |