Hen has severe eye issue, antibiotics not responding

[CrazyBirdLadyUSA]

I have a 5 month old leghorn hen, approx 3 lbs. We went away for Christmas break and when we returned, she was completely blind with what looks like severe infection in both eyes. One eye is worse.

The eyes are quite swollen/protruding and have a gelatin-like, cloudy appearance. She keeps them shut most of the time.

I’ve brought her to a local avian vet but he doesn’t have a lot of experience with chickens and isn’t sure what’s going on. Gave me oral doxycycline and an antibiotic eye drop and ointment.

4 days on treatment and the eyes are exactly the same, no better.

The rest of the flock seems totally fine, no eye issues at all and no other illness.

I’ve been keeping her in my basement separated from the others, and though she is blind she has managed to find the food and water and is eating/drinking.

Her poop looks healthy and normal. Solid. Her comb is nice and red and healthy.

I’m at a loss. I hate the idea of having to euthanize but I don’t want her to suffer either. I don’t know what could have caused BOTH eyes to get into this condition so quickly.

Please help, I’m very sad about this.

 

[Turkey Girl]

First question: Are the eyeballs are still in there?
I had a rooster loose an eye when he escaped and got in a fight with another rooster, and it looked exactly like that. I would try to give her Vet RX in her water and continue to rinse her eyes with the antibiotic.
This is a very dangerous thing for them to have because she could get an infection very easily, so keep giving her antibiotics and also try electrolytes in her water (alternate them, I wouldn't advise mixing them together).
I'm sorry I couldn't be more help.

 

[Colorado Chicken Keeper]

Cheer up!! We have a blind chicken that has been blind for 5 years! She is happy finds her way around the coop and after having been blind for 5 years she even figured out how to work a grandpa’s feeder. We got her with 10 other chickens. This flock actually left another chicken with her in the coop while they free ranged. They would even rotate who took care of her. 6 of those chickens are gone now. (Natural causes and 1 hawk) The blind chicken has outlived most of them. Don’t separate her out if the other birds are helping her and not picking on her. This spring we added 26 new chickens to the old flock. Some of them pick on her. Sooooo I built her a caged area inside the run and one in the yard. First thing in the morning we open the back door of the coop. She waits there and we pick her up and transport her to one of the pens I built. Recently we had a lame chicken ( broken toe). So I built a small hen house in her area and 2 chickens that are friendly can stay in that hen house without getting too cold. Both are doing well in my “special needs area” saves us having to carry the blind chicken around to various pens. Also as a side note. We saw the blind chicken get in the pond one day. We watched her ready to save her if need be. She turned around and managed to get out on her own!! A blind chicken can be very functional. No need to euthanize that poor bird. Better to learn how to function around her.

 

[Eggcessive]

If both eyes look like the left eye, they are most likely punctured by pecking. There is not much that you can do for her eyesight. I would continue the medications as ordered to prevent infection and pain. Hopefully, she can learn to find food and water in a familiar area. Pecks to the eye are unfortunate, but they happen when others pick on one.

 

[Colorado Chicken Keeper]

She will be able to function fine. Our blind chicken does great. She will even venture out on her own. Food and water, new coop, new free range area all have been no problem. The thing is with these younger chicken(she outlived most of her original flock) we have a couple that pick on her so we had to intervene on her behalf.

 

[Eggcessive]

Chickens can see shadows, and lightness when they become blind from cataracts or sone diseases. However, if her eyes are punctured, I doubt if she will still be able to see anything. When punctured the vitreous humor, the gelatinous material inside, leaks out. I would just try to see how it goes. Many chickens lose one eye, like the polish hen I had who bumped into another chicken, and whose eye, they pecked and blinded. Let us know how she gets along.

 

[CrazyBirdLadyUSA]

Wow, I truly can’t believe it but I think you’re right!! At least one eye is gone and the other is either gone or badly damaged. I’m horrified lol. I’m wondering how long it will take her eyes to heal so I can put her back outside? I’m thinking I’ll need to build a second pen and small special needs coop. Sigh. It never ends lol

 

[Colorado Chicken Keeper]

Wow, I truly can’t believe it but I think you’re right!! At least one eye is gone and the other is either gone or badly damaged. I’m horrified lol. I’m wondering how long it will take her eyes to heal so I can put her back outside? I’m thinking I’ll need to build a second pen and small special needs coop. Sigh. It never ends lol

If she is being picked on by one chicken I would put that chicken in quarentine by itself. The other chickens may actually help the blind chicken. Our chickens left a chicken in the coop with the blind chicken. We would see the 2 of them off by themselves free ranging. The blind bird will find water and food by itself. There’s no need to put her off by herself. Chickens are flock creatures. They need company. If you build her her own pen do it in the main coop. She needs company. Punish the onery bird not the blind one. Our blind chicken functions very well and has been blind 5 years.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is an update for those reading this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/good-news-health-update.1610641/