Please help, hen with swollen eye.

Hello, I have a Black Australorp hen with a very swollen right eye that I need some advice with.

I noticed yesterday that she seemed to be closing it a bit more than the other eye, but it didn't look too bad, so I was just going to keep an eye on her. This morning her was swollen shut and bloody, and her right side of her face is very puffy. I treated the flock for lice yesterday with Permectrin spray and I wondered if that may have gotten in her eye, but the reason I am thinking otherwise is 1. I have treated her with the same solution twice before and nothing has happened, and 2. None of the other 35 birds had a reaction. I don't know if maybe she got dirt in her eye and maybe tried to scratch it out? I put her off alone so the other chickens would not peck her and to make sure she has nothing contagious. Here are some pictures:



One picture is what her other eye looks like, then what it looks like closed and what it looks like open. She is still very alert and active, I put her in her pen and she immediately tried to fly the coop. Do you need any other info to help diagnose what is going on and try to figure out what is wrong and how to treat it? Thank you in advance!

Do you have some artificial tears saline eye drops? If not, get some. Flush the eye liberally.

Then you need to get a hold of some opthalmic antibiotic ointment. Feed stores have it in the medicinal section for animals. Or you can use people eye meds.

If you have any friends or relatives who've had cataract surgery, ask them if they still have any left over eye drops, particularly the antibiotic drops and the steroid drops. Use the one drop each per day in the eye until the eye is normal.

If it's impossible to find any eye drops or eye ointment, antibiotic first aid ointment will work well enough. Just make sure you get it in the eye itself.

Thank you for the response I'll see what I can find for her. Unfortunately it is a Sunday, so all the feed stores are closed, but I have some saline eye drops that I will use for her until tomorrow, I'll be going into town anyway for swim practice. Thank you for your help, and I'll be sure to keep the thread updated!

i have serama hen with same issue for about 2 days now...she's eating well, no other signs except super swollen eye, and closed shut...I hope your bird's eye problem resolves, please let us know!

Ha! Famous last words....I said two months ago I'd keep the thread updated.

I routinely flushed her eye, and put an antibiotic ointment on her eye, as well as Frankincense and Melaleuca essential oil. I also recommend pressing a chamomile teabag against her eye two or three times a day...

Her eye is now a bit crusty, but back to looking good.

Hello! I know this thread was started a while ago, but I happen to be something of the same situation as you were in. I was just wondering, do you think the drops and ointment would work on my little roo? I started a thread and posted a couple things on facebook asking for help.. but no one has replied. So help a fellow chicken parent out~!

Hi there!

I think they should help! Be sure to flush out the eye very well and make sure he doesn't have dirt in there, and make sure it is the eye itself, and not the skin around it. My hen is 100% healed, so hopefully yours can be feeling better soon!