Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (pinkeye) causes intense eye pain and potentially blindness. Prevention and prompt treatment protect cattle welfare.
Cattle with active pinkeye experience significant eye pain - photophobia, continuous tearing, and corneal opacity indicating severe discomfort. Untreated cases can progress to corneal perforation and permanent blindness. Prompt diagnosis and treatment with appropriate antibiotics, combined with fly control and vaccination programs, prevents both the acute pain and the permanent visual impairment of advanced disease.