Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Pink Eye Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis Welfare

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (pink eye) causes painful ocular disease that can lead to blindness if untreated, representing a significant and treatable welfare problem.

Key Facts

Moraxella bovis is the primary causative organism of bovine pink eye
Face flies mechanically transmit the bacteria between cattle during grazing
Bright sunlight, dust, and tall grass increase susceptibility to infection
Treated early, the condition resolves well with antibiotic eye preparations
Untreated severe cases progress to corneal ulceration and permanent blindness

Welfare Considerations

Pink eye causes acute ocular pain and potential permanent vision loss in affected cattle. Early recognition and prompt treatment with appropriate antibiotics is highly effective, making this a priority condition for farm welfare protocols focused on early disease detection.

What You Can Do

Train farm staff to recognise early signs of pink eye and treat promptly
Implement fly control programmes to reduce face fly mechanical transmission
Vaccinate cattle against pink eye in endemic herds during high-risk seasons