Vet on the Moove: Don't let a fly in the eye affect your herd health this summer

Flies are not just a nuisance for cattle that can affect productivity; they can also act as vectors for a disease that can result in serious consequences for animal health, writes vet Hazell Mullins.

Pink eye or Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is another common consequence of having flies among cattle.

With silage season always comes hay fever season, that joyous time of year when the sun is shining and all I want to do is hide indoors and shut all the windows.

This isn’t an option in my chosen career, so instead, I keep the pharmaceutical companies in business with anti-histamines and eat locally produced honey from Watergrasshill by the spoon. I empathise with the cows being driven mad with flies; it's usually around the same time and whilst there is no cure for either it is all about what we can do to manage the symptoms.