# Swollen, milky eyes - Help!!!!



## Mooniesgoats (Aug 20, 2017)

Helloooooo

I am new to goat farming, and have two girl goats and one boy. The two girls have suddenly got swollen eyes, so bad that they can't see anything out of them. When you look at the eyes they are milky in colour. Im pretty sure they are in pain and can't see anything. They eyes are watering a lot too. 

The vet has come 3 times and given them injections, but nothing has changed. It has been three weeks. I'm worried they are going blind because they keep walking into trees!! Help! 

Thanks.


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## capracreek (Apr 5, 2016)

I am surprised that they vet has not cleared it up. I know I had a battle with pink eye earlier this year when we accidentally bought a goat from and individual who we found out later had taken the goat to the auction the week before but she did not sell. She gave it to the entire herd before we got a handle on it. I dosed daily with neosporin ointment (not cream) in the eyes of every single goat for 2 weeks and for the worse ones gave one shot of Penicillin ( 2 cc's) I have pygmies and Nigerians. It took 2 weeks but the eyes cleared up and they could see again. Be sure to clean your hands between each goat and clean with alcohol before you touch anything so as not to spread or to catch it yourself. This worked for my goats and I was afraid that they were blind when I saw cloudy eyes. Mine also had a lot of gunk seeping out and crusting on the eye. I took baby wipes and cleaned the eyes so it did not get on my clothing and spread it more. Not sure if this has been going on for a while what will happen. Did the vet say what he thought it was??? You can also get terramycin ointment but I did not want to wait


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Are you not also putting antibiotics in the eye?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

For pinkeye keep the goats out of sunlight.

I put a couple of drops of LA200 in the eyes(no needle). 2 x a day for 1 week, that should kill the pinkeye off. Injections will not kill pinkeye.
With pinkeye it will destroy the eye really quick, if it has been 3 weeks, the eye would be gone. Pinkeye starts out centered in the colored area and then ulcerates quickly if not treated directly in the eye.

Did the vet look in the eye's with drops, and check the 3rd eyelid for scratches or foreign objects in there? If nothing was done to the eye's to check or treat directly, there may be a sticker or something there. It will not heal if there is something there.

If it is something still in the eye, by now you should see a ulceration somewhere in the eye, the corner or where ever the object is. 

Chlamydia also causes pinkeye as well, if a lot of goats are showing signs.


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## capracreek (Apr 5, 2016)

I did not treat with antibiotics other than the one dose of penicillin for those that were the worse. The neosporin cleared it up in all the other goats even a couple who had white cloudy eyes.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

One dose of penicillin? That is a recipe for resistance. You should always do at least a 5 day course and regular penicillin is twice a day.


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## capracreek (Apr 5, 2016)

Not since they were getting neosporin directly in the eyes. The penicillin was to give an extra boost tile the pink eye went away. The doctor does not normally treat pink eye with anything other than neosporin or terramycin ointment in the eyes. It is just like when you get a shot of penicillin and then start pills. The pills continue the antibiotic without addl shots. It did clear it all up and I have had no more problems with pink eye.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I do agree ksalvagno. 

Doing one shot is not wise and goats have a different much faster metabolism than humans do. I do not agree with the vet there, if they were the ones with the idea, plus, it does not even touch pinkeye that way. 
Years ago, breeders did give a shot of an antibiotic directly behind the eye, for really bad cases, which some knowledgeable vets still practice today, but they must know what they are doing.

Proper meds directly in the eye does kill and treat pinkeye. So what was used in the eye is what cured the pinkeye, the shot of pen did nothing I hate to say, but to begin a resistance as mentioned, not a good thing to do if you need pen for something else, becasue there is risk it may not work, if this practice is continued. 

La200 has been used for many years as a cure for pinkeye and still works today. Drops in the eye. But it does sting for a short time. 

Glad they were cured, but the idea of human treatments should not be compared to goats treatments, they are very different in this situation.
Now, the humans getting a booster shot of pen and then having to take pen pills thereafter is OK for us. Goats cannot take oral antibiotics, it kills the gut flora and can kill the goat, as well as it cannot treat the goat in this way. They have much faster metabolism.

We are here to teach and not criticizing what so ever. We look out for animals and what is best for them. Most vets are not smart with goats and there are new and older goat owners who are here for help and advice and why TGS is here. 
Hope this makes sense.
If you have any questions just ask.


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