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

[Mother Hen 4]

I have had a similar situation with my ISA brown, Helen. About 5 months ago, her eye swelled up, stayed shut for a few days and when it finally opened, it was gray and filmy. I treated her with antibiotics for infection, massaged the eye with saline and/or Vetricyn, etc. One day, a white chunk of something hard, like a contact lens, popped out as I massaged, but after that nothing else changed. I could not figure out what it was. I eventually stopped messing with it. The eye is still gray and filmy looking, and she appears to be blind in that eye, but other than that, she is fine and is my best layer. Go figure.

 

[tjbuckshotbarn]

Does anyone know what could cause this

 

[casportpony]

Does anyone know what could cause this

Infection from injury or respiratory infection. Maybe even eye worm, but don't quote me on that as I haven't seen any in person, just pictures here.

-Kathy

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Infection from injury or respiratory infection. Maybe even eye worm, but don't quote me on that as I haven't seen any in person, just pictures here.

-Kathy

X2 infection from injury or respiratory infection is what it looks like to me. Does not look like the pics of eye worm I've seen (but I've not seen it in person, either).

 

[tjbuckshotbarn]

Thank you for your response

 

[casportpony]

Pus needs to come out.

-Kathy

 

[Junior112]

I just recieved my baby RIR (roughly 4-6 weeks) she has the same problem, but she seems to be leaning her head over to the injured side... It's sooo sad! Any advice? The place I got her from said i could bring her back to switch, but if she's not going to die i want to keep her! she'll be my special egg

 

[lonnyandrinda]

What have you tried so far? How does she act?

 

[Junior112]

She acts just like my two other babies! She favors her left side. But she chirps and eats and sleeps just like the rest of them.

I haven't tried anything yet. I'm going to wait over night to see if she gets better or worse. Then take her in.

 

[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!