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“Pink Eye” is the common name for what is usually a contagious eye infection which can spread through a herd of goats. A technical name for it is Keratoconjunctivitis. Non-contagious conjunctivitis can also occur when the eye is irritated by such things as bright sun light, dusty hay, or blown dust. When only one or two goats are involved it is sometimes difficult to determine if the cause is infectious or an irritant. Currently, mycoplasma and Chlamydia are believed to be the most common causes in goats in the United States. In this illness, the conjunctiva or membrane that covers the eye becomes inflamed, In severe cases the cornea, lying below the conjunctiva, is involved. Pink Eye occurs most often during the spring and summer months when the spreading agents are common. It is believed that the disease can be spread by flies, dust, and long grass on which discharge from infected eyes is deposited. Feed troughs are another possible source of transmission as goats may crowd and have direct contact with others who already have the infection. It is recommended that an infected animal be isolated from the others.

A watery eye with tears wetting the face is often the first symptom. Reddening of the eye tissue and cloudiness of the cornea may occur as well. In some cases, the infection will run its course and the animal recover in around 14 days. In other cases, ulceration of the eyeball may occur.

Mycoplasma conjunctivae has been isolated from naturally occurring cases of pinkeye in goats and sheep and has induced the disease in experimental studies. It can also exist in a carrier state in a clinically healthy eye. Due to this, a carrier goat may give rise to an outbreak when added to a herd. (“Mycoplasma are very small, simple bacteria that parasitize cells of higher species. They are common inhabitants of mucous membranes and can have either a commensal or pathogenic relationship with the host…”) Mild cases of infections of Mycoplasma conjunctivitis are self-limiting and run their course in about 10 days, although clinical signs have been reported as lasting as long as 12 weeks. Other mycoplasma organisms can cause not only pink-eye but also mastitis, pneumonia, or arthritis. Chlamydia psittaci is another organism identified as giving rise to contagious conjunctivitis. Because the symptoms are very similar, it is difficult to determine which organism is the cause based only on the clinical signs. Chlamydia may also be responsible for fever, arthritis, respiratory tract infections, and abortion.

Topical and systemic use of tetracycline antibiotics are effective against both the mycoplasma and chlamydia organisms. Most available products are actually “oxytetracycline” These include: Terramycin, LA-200, Bio-Mycin 200, Liquimycin 200, Duramycin 72-200, Oxy-Tet 200, etc. The Merck Veterinary Manual recommends that the topical products be applied 3-4 times daily. When the source of the infection is Chlamydia, the Merck Manual recommends “systemic rather than ophthalmic treatment with oxytetracycline or tylosin early in the course of the disease is advisable in lambs and goats“ and that “to reduce recurrence, treatment in cats, lambs, and goats, should be continued for 7 to 10 days after the clinical signs disappear.” Tylosin is the active ingredient in products such as Tylan 200. Tylosin is also affective against some mycoplasma organisms including Mycoplasma conjunctivae. This means that if you opt to treat a serious case of pink-eye with an antibiotic, you need to be able to continue the treatment for more than a week. This practice not only will help prevent the reoccurrence of the illness but also help prevent the development of organisms resistant to the drug. In this scenario, the use of a long-acting oxytetracycline product such as LA-200, is beneficial as it reduces the number of injections needed.

Gentamicin is another drug used for treating eye infections in humans and there are several Gentamicin ophthalmologic sprays available (by prescription) for animals. Unfortunately, if you are a producer of goats for meat or if your goats produce milk used for human consumption, you should NEVER use a Gentamicin product on these goats.  The reason is the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) advises that a minimum pre-slaughter withdrawal period of eighteen months or more be used for Gentamicin.  Even though the absorption through the eye is not likely to be much, there is some and Gentamicin is one drug that will linger and can cause problems by leaving residue in both milk and meat.  Gentamicin is a drug that meat and milk producers should routinely avoid. 

There are other options for treating mild cases of pink-eye. One treatment is the use of port wine. One-long term goat owner wrote the following: “If it is plain pink eye (bacterial), then this works 100% of the time, is easy, cheap, and if you catch the goat when the eye is just tearing, one treatment will do it. We lived in Florida with the goats for 20 years and when we had those dry hot winds, we got pink eye. There was a very large cattle herd just north of us and we always felt that when the flies blew in from that herd we got the pink eye. Go to a liquor store and buy a bottle of ‘Port' wine. This type of wine is very, very dark, and very strong wine taste. The tannic acid is the highest in it. Take a syringe (no needle) and just squirt it in their eyes. The tannic acid and alcohol combination kills the pathogens immediately. If they are already turning, it may take 2 or 3 days of once a day treatment to clear them, but this works, again, 100% of the time!”

Another option is Colloidal silver. Another long-term goat owner advised: “Colloidal silver works in goats' eyes, too. Last year I had a doe for whom pink eye powder and port wine, successively, didn't work. So I got some colloidal silver and tried that. Needed only two applications.” Colloidal silver can be purchased in Health and Vitamin stores.

Disclaimer:  This has been compiled for information purposes only.  It is not intended as a means of diagnosing and treating an animal or to replace professional veterinary advice or care for your animals.  This information is not intended to be a comprehensive review of any drugs, their uses, side effects, or special considerations.  Veterinary consultation is vital when treating sick animals.  Responsible decisions concerning treatments and drug safety or effectiveness must be made by each individual and his/her veterinarian.  Never disregard veterinary advice or delay in seeking it as a result of information provided on this site.  The administration of any medication should be taken seriously.  Medications given in the wrong circumstance, via the wrong route, or in the wrong combination can hurt or kill.  The anecdotal information, experiences, and thoughts are those of the website owner are not meant to represent the management practices in general or the veterinary community.  This information is presented without guarantees, and the author disclaims all liability in connection with the use of this information.  The extra label-use of any product in a food-producing animal is illegal without without the involvement of a veterinarian.

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Last modified: 11/04/09