First, if you are going to examine the eye for a foxtail or other weed—use disposable latex exam gloves. You can obtain these from your veterinarian, another animal health product source, the pharmacy, or Costco. After you have touched the eye (extracted the foxtail or treated the eye) or nose area, throw the gloves away. They are badly contaminated with the pinkeye bacteria. If you used a halter or nose tongs to restrain the animal, disinfect this equipment. Nolvasan® disinfectant is a good choice for this procedure. For treatment, use disposable needles and syringes and then dispose of them when finished.
The pinkeye agent is a bacterium and therefore, antibiotics are indicated for treatment. The question has been, “Which antibiotic, what dose, and what route?” The best treatments proven by researchers at UC Davis (Dr. George and Dr. Angelos) are listed below:
1. Long-acting tetracycline (Biomycin® or LA-200®)
Dose: 20 mg/kg body weight (9 mg/lb.)
Route: intramuscularly or subcutaneous (these products are irritating to tissues and should be given sub-Q whenever possible) both are labeled for sub-Q use.
Frequency: Two injections 48 to 72 hours apart.
Label: Both products are labeled for pinkeye and you will not need your veterinarian’s prescription if you follow the label instructions.
2. NuFlor® (florfenicol)
Dose: 20 mg/kg body weight (9 mg/lb.)
Route: Intramuscularly
Frequency: two injections 24 hours apart
Alternatively, NuFlor® can be used as single injection for longer action.
Dose: 40 mg/kg body weight (18 mg/lb.)
Route: Subcutaneous
Frequency: one treatment
Label: NuFlor® is not currently labeled for pinkeye and you must have your veterinarian’s prescription to use this drug for pinkeye in cattle.
3. Excede®(ceftiofur)
Dose: 6.6 mg/kg body weight (3 mg/lb.)
Route: Subcutaneous--on the back of the ear. You will need to get your veterinarian to train you in the proper administration of this drug. It is relatively easy; however, if given incorrectly the drug will kill the animal very rapidly.
Frequency: one injection provides therapy for 7-8 days.
Label: Excede® is not currently labeled for pinkeye and you must have your veterinarian’s prescription to use this drug for pinkeye in cattle.
The above treatments are very effective and should be considered the best methods currently available for the treatment of pinkeye in cattle. None of the above methods require any injections into the eye of the cattle. Continued use of tetracyclines in areas with high numbers of anaplasmosis cases can make treated cattle susceptible to sickness due to anaplasmosis. Consult with your veterinarian regarding this potential problem. NOTE: if any antibiotic product is not labeled for pinkeye, you must obtain a prescription from your veterinarian, as this constitutes an extra label use of this product.
Another treatment option is to give penicillin as an injection under the white part of the eyeball (the sclera). If you are not expert in this method, have your veterinarian train you on the proper way to administer this treatment. Do not attempt this method without training. To achieve good results, give 1 ml (1 cc) under the sclera of both eyes for at least 3 days. This method can achieve acceptable results; but is less effective than the use of oxytetracyclines, NuFlor®, or Excede®. Again, you will need your veterinarian’s prescription for the use of penicillin if it is not labeled for use in pinkeye.
For many years Furox sprays or powders (Nitrofurazone, Furox®, Topazone®, NFZ Puffer, P.E. 7, etc.) placed into the eye were used for the treatment of pinkeye. This method was not as effective as the above methods. However, beginning in 2002 this treatment became illegal for cattle. This is irrespective of whether you have a prescription or not. Do not use the furacin-type drugs in cattle.
There are some liquid and spray-type products still marketed for pinkeye treatment. These products only stay in the eye for about 7 minutes before the tears wash them out and therefore, are much less effective than any of the methods described above.
As with all treatments that are placed directly into the eye, proper restraint is necessary and the use of disposable latex gloves is necessary to prevent further spread of the pinkeye organism.
For many years, treatment with dexamethasone (Azium®) has been popular. Research indicates that when this is given under the sclera with penicillin, there is no difference in the rate of healing. Therefore, use of this product is not necessary. The use of Banamine® does help with the pain caused by pinkeye and this drug can be prescribed by your veterinarian as an adjunct to antibiotic therapy.
Source: UC Davis