Eye infection/injury?? Eye has gone blind and gray- pics

[lonnyandrinda]

Anyone ever seen anything like this before? I don't know how long her eye has been like this, I've been so busy with the move that I haven't been watching much "chicken TV" lately. She was the first one in to roost last night so I looked her over and was totally shocked to see her eye. I am applying triple antibiotic cream and Veterycin opthalmic gel three times a day. This is Green Band Girl, my favorite Cream Legbar hen, she is about 15 months old. She is not laying right now (I can tell by her dry vent and the width of her pelvis), eating and drinking well, good weight. The whole eye is gray, and the pupil is a hard point in the center. She seems completely blind on that side. The whole eye, socket, and lid is swollen.

For reference, Cream Legbars seem especially prone to eye/blindness problems so I wonder if this is just something that naturally occurred. It could be an injury but doesn't really look like it.

Anyone know what is wrong or what else to do for her? Am I doing the right thing?

 

[lonnyandrinda]

If it were me- I would put a general antibiotic in her water, like Tetracycline, for 7-10 days. Even if you can't save the eye it will keep the infection from spreading. If you want to put something in the eye, get some colloidial silver from the healthfood store and put in one or two drops 4 times per day. It is a natural antibacterial. I use it for my kids' pink eye and ear infections. I think if she is acting mostly normal (besides favoring the blind side) she has a good chance at pulling through and living a healthy life.

As an update- my hen is still blind in that eye, with the strange little knob at the center of her pupil. I did finally decide it must have been an injury. But she is one of the top hens in her pen and laying great!

 

[Wyandottes7]

I haven't seen something quite like that before. It almost looks like the ocular form of Mareks, but Marek's doesn't cause (as far as I know) swelling around the eyes.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Forgot to mention nostrils and mouth are clear, no signs of respiratory problems. Vent also look good. No signs of mites or other pests.

 

[ronott1]

Anyone ever seen anything like this before? I don't know how long her eye has been like this, I've been so busy with the move that I haven't been watching much "chicken TV" lately. She was the first one in to roost last night so I looked her over and was totally shocked to see her eye. I am applying triple antibiotic cream and Veterycin opthalmic gel three times a day. This is Green Band Girl, my favorite Cream Legbar hen, she is about 15 months old. She is not laying right now (I can tell by her dry vent and the width of her pelvis), eating and drinking well, good weight. The whole eye is gray, and the pupil is a hard point in the center. She seems completely blind on that side. The whole eye, socket, and lid is swollen.

For reference, Cream Legbars seem especially prone to eye/blindness problems so I wonder if this is just something that naturally occurred. It could be an injury but doesn't really look like it.

Anyone know what is wrong or what else to do for her? Am I doing the right thing?

There is a Verticyn red eye spray. You can also use regular vetricyn in the eye. without other symptoms I would not treat with anti biotic.

I hope she is ok!

 

[Red Feather]

You might try some vetrx put 1 drop in her eye.

 

[Eggcessive]

I found this one link that says that avian encephalomyelitis may cause enlargement and blindness in the eye. Here is the link: http://www.joneshamiltonag.com/jh/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/PLT_Poultry-Eye-Disorders.pdf

 

[Ksane]

Rinda, you're using the right stuff. Just something to control infection. Last summer one of my Orps eyes did the same thing. I'm 99% sure it was an injury. From a branch or something like that hitting her in the eye. It was so white and swollen that I though it was too late to do anything at all and that she'd go blind. She's hard to catch and in a big yard so I just kept an eye on her and surprisingly it healed completely. I couldn't tell you which hen it was right now, she didn't go blind either.
(Also-my mom's miniature horse had the same thing, all white and came to a point. The vet gave her eye ointment for him but she's 73 and didn't get i in very well most the time. He healed up fine and his eye is normal now.)

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I found this one link that says that avian encephalomyelitis may cause enlargement and blindness in the eye. Here is the link: http://www.joneshamiltonag.com/jh/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/PLT_Poultry-Eye-Disorders.pdf

That's the only possible disease I'm finding that might fit.

Rinda, you're using the right stuff. Just something to control infection. Last summer one of my Orps eyes did the same thing. I'm 99% sure it was an injury. From a branch or something like that hitting her in the eye. It was so white and swollen that I though it was too late to do anything at all and that she'd go blind. She's hard to catch and in a big yard so I just kept an eye on her and surprisingly it healed completely. I couldn't tell you which hen it was right now, she didn't go blind either.
(Also-my mom's miniature horse had the same thing, all white and came to a point. The vet gave her eye ointment for him but she's 73 and didn't get i in very well most the time. He healed up fine and his eye is normal now.)

This is my other best guess. The "point" to her eyeball is what's so weird. That's good to hear about healing eyes from yours and your mom's experiences! I will keep doing what I'm doing for now as long as she continues to do well.

 

[ten chicks]

Chickens have 3 eyelids,upper,lower and a nictitating membrane. The nictitating membrane is a opaque color,chickens can see through it,the purpose is to protect and keep eye moisturized. I am wondering if this is what you are seeing,if she has had an injury/infection it its possible that this membrane is covering eye. Keep using the eye ointment.