Our furry farm friends are great companions, but they can be susceptible to specific health problems like us. Some of the more common health problems for goats occur in goat eyes.
What are common eye problems in goats – and how can you treat and prevent them?
Most eye problems in goats are caused by bacteria steeping in unclean bedding/shelter, foreign objects entering their eyes, flies and other insects, or their fellow goats.
Although there are common eye problems, there are treatments to ensure your goats remain healthy.
This article will cover common eye problems in goats, the symptoms associated with these problems, causes, and treatment options for these problems.
Read on to find out more about goat eyes and the most common problems.
Goat eyes are unique in many ways. First and foremost, goats have a third eyelid that rests over their vision, giving them high visual acuity even in intense sunlight.
They also have larger pupils than humans, which allows them to adapt quickly to changing light conditions.
These pupils are horizontal rather than circular (like ours) or horizontal (like a cat’s).
Furthermore, goat eyes can move independently of each other, enabling them to scan broad areas with ease.
Because of these unique features, goat eyes are well-suited for life in rugged terrain where both predators and prey can be close at hand.
With that being said, several goat eye problems can occur.
As a goat owner, it’s essential to be aware of goats’ most common eye problems.
By being proactive and knowing what to watch for, you can help your goats maintain healthy eyesight.
This blog post will discuss some of the most common eye problems in goats.
Pink eye is an inflammation of the eye with various causes (primarily various irritants).
Once the eye is infected and isn’t treated right away, certain secretions can plague the eye, deepening the infection.
One way to spot pink eye in goats is to take note of increased light sensitivity, excessive blinking, swelling of the tissue surrounding the eye, excessive watering of the eyes, or reddening of the white of the eye.
In the later stages of pinkeye, the goats might develop cloudiness that covers both the iris and the pupil.
Pink eye has many causes, but most come in irritants. Different irritants include the following: hay dust, bright light, other goats, flies, and other insects.
Further, when goats are in transport, the risk for infection is increased. Since the goats are close to one another, they are constantly rubbing against one another and sharing the same bedding for a certain amount of time.
In addition, it is essential to note that pinkeye is highly contagious. If one of your goats has it, it will infect your other goats and farm animals.
It is essential to keep a keen eye out for the initial signs of Pinkeye to get it treated right away.
This condition is typically found in younger goats where the eyelid, typically the lower one, is turned inward.
The early signs of this condition are watery eyes, cloudiness, and even blindness.
Entropion is commonly a congenital disability found in baby goats. The hairs of the lid rub against the cornea, causing severe agitation and the eye to run (watery).
A common cause is over-exposure to heat lamps and ultraviolet lights. This heat and sunlight can penetrate a goat’s three eyelids if the goat is overexposed.
Ectropion is another common condition among goats, similar to entropion, only outward.
Because the eyelid is outward, the lid pouch can easily collect bacteria and other infections or debris. This can cause severe problems for the goats.
Much like inward eyelid conditions, it is congenital if a goat has outer eyelids. This condition primarily affects baby goats, but it can also affect older goats.
Eyeworms, typically 2cm long and present in a range of farm animals, live behind the eyelid of goats. These worms are parasitic and can be infectious to other animals.
Flies are the primary cause of these eyeworms. These insects carry so much bacteria on their tiny feet and crave the moisture that a goat’s eyes provide.
They carry the larvae and tend to lay the larvae on the goat’s eye during feeding.
If a fly causes an eyeworm to take root in one animal, that animal can spread it to others in the vicinity.
If you’re a goat keeper, it’s essential to be aware of the ideal treatments for goats’ most common eye problems.
This will help you catch any potential issues early on and get your goat the treatment.
There is no vaccine for Pinkeye yet, so the most common treatment is to apply a special ointment.
The most common ointment is Terramycin ointment. With clean fingers, apply the cream starting at the corner of the eye.
Ensure that the ointment touches the goat’s eyeball and not just the lid or the skin surrounding the eyeball. You can apply this ointment up to four times daily.
If you notice the signs of Pinkeye early enough, rinsing the goat’s eye with sterile saline can help flush out that bacteria.
However, if the Pinkeye is severe, you must take the goat to the vet, where it can receive steroids or other treatment options.
To help prevent Pinkeye, sanitary living and grazing areas are a must.
For example, if the goats’ shelter looks too cramped (too many goats for the space), they’ll need a reconstructed protection to ensure every goat has enough room to rest.
Along those same lines, the bedding you provide for your goats needs to be consistently changed to provide clean bedding.
If the bedding remains dirty and moist, bacteria and other infections will steep there.
In addition to keeping a clean shelter, you must also keep your hands clean when handling the goats in close contact.
If you need to examine them, thoroughly wash your hands before touching them.
A vet will have to be the one to treat Entropion properly. In less severe cases, the vet will inject a certain amount of procaine penicillin, causing the eye to swell and pop the lids back into proper positioning.
Sometimes, the vet will have to staple the lid back in place or, in more severe cases, will need to conduct surgery.
Vets will usually remove some of the extra skin around the eye in addition to using antibiotics if the ectropion is caught early enough.
In more severe cases, the vet will have to perform surgery.
To help prevent inward and outer eyelids, try limiting a goat’s (especially a kid’s) exposure to bright lights, the sun, and bright, hot lamps when indoors.
If not treated or if 10+ worms reside in your goat’s eye, it can cause blindness, conjunctivitis, swollen eyes, watery eyes, and increased sensitivity to light.
There are various injectables, pour-on, and drenches to consider to treat the eyeworms before they get to a severe state.
Talk to your veterinarian about what is suitable for you and the goats.
The veterinarian can use special forceps to extract the worms if necessary.
You can also wash the goat’s eye using an anesthetic solution and clean water or topical applications of Levamisole or Ivermectin to apply directly to the eye.
A foreign object usually causes goopy eyes or discharge secreting from a watch stuck somewhere on the eyeball or behind one of the lids.
Since goats have three eyelids, they could stick them somewhere between there or on the actual eyeball itself.
Debris that could get stuck in the eye could be one of the following: hay, grass, leaves, heavy dirt specks, etc.
If a foreign object is causing a goopy eye in your goat, the discharge will come out clear.
To remedy this, you can flush the goat’s eye with freshwater or a sterile saline solution to help get that object out.
A scratched cornea can also be a cause of goopy eye. This is generally due to debris flying in the wind or other accidents your goat could get into.
You can help the goat by rinsing with a sterile saline solution multiple times a day or an antibiotic cream if the vet prescribes it.
However, a goopy eye can also mean a more severe infection. Pinkeye is the most common cause of yellow or green secretion from the eye.
Additionally, if your goat is also showing swelling, discoloration, cloudiness, or redness, the goat most likely has Pinkeye.
Again, if it is early enough, you can try rinsing the goat’s eye with a sterile saline solution and take your goat to the vet for antibiotic treatment.
The key is cleanliness to help prevent foreign objects or Pinkeye from infesting your goat’s eye.
Make sure to keep up with regular maintenance to your garden and yard. In addition, make sure the goats have enough space from one another while providing clean bedding.
Typically, “cloudy eyes” in goats look like a gray, blue, or gray-blue film covering your goat’s entire eye.
There are many causes for cloudiness, but let’s take a look at some of the distinguishing traits of each reason.
First, cloudiness can be caused by irritation. Like a goopy eye, there might be a foreign object in your goat’s eyeball scratching the cornea.
If the cornea is scratched, the goat will want to keep that eye closed to prevent further irritation.
Additionally, the skin around the eye might get puffy and red due to this irritation.
Pinkeye and Entropin are also common causes of cloudy eyes.
If Pinkeye festers in the goat’s eye for a long time, it will cause that cloudiness to emerge and possibly cause blindness later on in the goat’s life.
Alongside cloudy eyes, the eye might secrete a colored pus (usually yellow or green).
Although less common than other eye problems in livestock, Glaucoma can also cause cloudy eyes.
This disease is usually caused by increased pressure inside the eyeball. This can damage the retina and the optic nerve.
Roundworms can also cause cloudy eyes that can lead to blindness. If the parasitic worms live long enough in the goat’s eyelid, it will cause the goat to lose its vision.
A sterile saline solution will become your best friend to treat cloudiness, much like a goopy eye. Even if your goats’ eyes seem to be in good health, it is good to rinse their eyes with this solution, especially during peak fly season.
Since flies carry larvae and bacteria with them as they search for a moist place to land (your goat’s eyeball), they have the power to infect.
Usually, the bacteria or larvae take a couple of weeks to become infectious, so using that rinse might be a good idea.
Goats are lovely livestock to have, whether you keep them for milk, meat, or fun pets. However, they are susceptible to specific eye problems, especially while young or in constant transport.
Some of the most common eye problems include Pinkeye, Entropion, Ectropion, and Eyeworms.
Pinkeye is one of the most infectious diseases and will spread through your flock like wildfire if it is not eradicated.
Similarly, being parasitic, Eyeworms crave a moist host to live and thrive in. Although they are not infectious to humans, they do spread among livestock.
You can treat both infections in various ways, such as rinsing with sterile saline solution or an antibacterial ointment prescribed by the veterinarian.
Entropion and Ectropion are congenital conditions commonly found in baby goats. Entropion can harbor some dangerous bacteria due to the pockets it creates in the outer lids. Ectropion can cause severe irritation, leading to cloudiness or a goopy eye.
However, you can treat these conditions with surgery if the vet deems it necessary.
To help prevent any eye problems within your goats, evaluate the space your goats take shelter in and graze.
Is it big enough to allow ample room for your goats? Is it free of debris that might get into your goat’s eye? Are flies in high activity?
Once you have evaluated your goats’ space, ensure that their shelter is regularly cleaned and aired to prevent moisture from housing bacteria that could be harmful.
Regularly replace the bedding and sanitize the floor of their shelter.
If it is a fly season, hang some fly traps away from the goats and consider regularly rinsing their eyes with freshwater or that saline solution.
Above all, make sure that the vet regularly checks in your goats.
The vet might be able to spot something easily missed and provide you with prescribed treatment plans that will help your goats’ eyes stay clear and clean.
