Bantum Roo with Eye injury or illness???? Help!

[Alanna]

I have a Banty Cochin Roo who developed a week ago what looked like a cloudy eye like a cataracts. It's now swollen and it almost looks like the eye ball itself looks like a bulging bubble. I don't know if he scratched his eye or he got pecked, or if this is some illness or all the above for that matter. Please help with advice. I tried to wipe the eye with a warm cloth and I do have sulfadimethoxine and Duramycin-10 on hand. However, if I should use either one please help with breakdown of how much to put into a quart of water...

 

[Eggcessive]

He looks to have a respiratory disease such as mycoplasma (CRD) or coryza. Does he have a bad smell about his head? If no bad smell I would use the Duramycin, although I would rather use Tylan myself. I there is a bad smell which might indicate coryza, then I would use the sulfadimethoxine. Duramycin10 dosage is 1 tablespoonful per gallon water (or 3/4 teaspoonful per quart) for the maximum 800mg dosage for 7-14 days. The dosage for the sulfadimethoxine will vary depending on what you have.

Is your chicken's pupil (the dark part of the eye) round or irregular shaped? Here is a list of diseases for you to read about: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Broody Betty]

Is this contagious? I have a little blind hen that showed the same symptoms as your roo....

 

[Alanna]

Thank you. He does not have any smell. Also, his other eye is fine. He does not have any other discharge from nostrils or bubbly foam from the eyes. I have seen that before in the past with some of my other birds. He has been in good health, eating and pooping is normal. The only thing is his right eye which I've noticed he can not see out of. One day he was fine, I could tell something was wrong. Except at first it just literally looked like his eye ball was foggy, lightly swollen, and he was keeping it closed most of the time. Now it's really swollen and he has trouble closing his eye lid all the way. There is no other discharge. In this pic it's hard to see but his actual eye ball is bulgy.

 

[Alanna]

I'm almost leaning that it's an injury with possibly secondary infection from the injury. Just because there are no other symptoms of sickness. Last year when a couple of my birds got a respiratory infection, they had discharge from nostrils and foamy bubbles in the corner of both eyes...

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a recent thread on the emergency forum with a similar, but not exactly same eye problem. They believed it was from an injury. Yours looks more bubbly and swollen, but you might take a look: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/835444/eye-infection-injury-eye-has-gone-blind-and-gray-pics

 

[Eggcessive]

Is this contagious? I have a little blind hen that showed the same symptoms as your roo....

Respiratory infections are contagious, and most birds become carriers for life. If there are other symptoms like gurgling, sneezing, nasal discharge, with facial or eye swelling, that is probably a respiratory infection. Read the link in post # 2.

 

[GoldenChicks16]

Do you have any other roosters? It looks like an injury to me that might have turned into an infection. Are there any surfaces that he might have cut his eye on or accidentally impaled it? More than likely he will end up loosing his eye. Are you up to take him to the vet? If not I would start his on a course of antibiotics as soon as possible. Hope he recovers, keep us updated.

 

[Alanna]

I have two silkie roosters and although this little guy is older, he is the smallest of the bunch. We named him "Nugget" for that reason. He is the bottom of the pecking order for sure and since the silkie cockerels have come into age, they have been aggressive with him, forcing him to be a loner. But they all house together in the same coop. They are all free range so his eye injury could have come from anywhere. Especially the silkie boys I got. If this is the result of injury and has an infection from whatever got his eye, would I use Duramycin? I've also read that with eye infections people have put triple antibiotic ointment on the eye and has shown great improvement. Any thoughts or experiences with that? I'll keep you all updated how it goes. Hoping he can get better bc my family love this little guy. He is so cute and small and gentle. I thought I'd love the silkie Roos but they show so much more dominance and aggression.

 

[GoldenChicks16]

I would use Duramycin 10 and you can either do a 400mg dose or an 800mg dose. I would start him with the 400mg dose personally and see how he reacts to that. If he doesn't seem to be improving up the dosage to 800mg. With the 400mg you'll add 1/2 Tbsp to a gallon of water and a whole Tbsp for the 800mg. Here's some information on antibiotics, how the treat things, what you can give them too, and dosing: http://www.durvet.com/dl/Durvet-Poultry-Brochure.pdf .Hope it helps! He's a beautiful boy by the way.