Swollen eye - not sure what else to do

[gardenmama888]

Hello! I have a 18 month old hen. 12 days ago she showed signs of a swollen eye/sinuses to the point that her eye was basically swollen shut - but only the one. I separated her from the others and started giving her amoxicillin. I thought I heard her sneeze as well but we have also been having terrible pollen. I just assumed she had an early case of Coryza because the swollen face/eye was what happened in an old set of hens I had years ago.

I put her on antibiotics for 7 days. It’s seemed like her eye was 90% better but I wanted it 100% before we went off the meds. Then on day 8 I went out and it was more swollen again - not as bad as at the beginning - but still not right. At this point she has been on the antibiotics for 11 days and it seems like there is no change for the better or worse. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? She doesn’t seem to have any other symptoms.

These pictures are of her eye after being on antibiotics for 12 days

Thanks for any help!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'd clean/flush the eye with Saline, remove any pus (press it out if necessary) debris or crusty material, then apply an eye ointment like Terramycin into the eye. Do this at least once daily.
Pus in chickens will not dry up on its own, it has to be removed.

You mention she's had swollen sinus and you suspect Infectious Coryza? Is there a bad odor? Infectious Coryza is usually treated with Sulfa Antibiotics.

Mycoplasma is another common respiratory disease, common treatments are Tylan/Tylosin, Tiamulin (Denagard) and Tetracyclines.
Amoxicillin is not effective against MG since it has no cell wall.

 

[gardenmama888]

Thank you so so much for your help - I do appreciate it! I know so little and am learning so much!

So I wasn’t able to get my hands on Terramycin but I did get Vetericyn ophthalmic gel from my feed store and started to apply it. Do you have any suggestions on how to push out any pus/applying the gel in the best way? It is so hard to keep her still enough to do anything very precisely.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Veterycin eye gel is pretty good, if you find that it's not helping, then use Original Neosporin in the eye if you can't find Terramycin.

If necessary, swaddle in a towel capturing her wings so you can control her better, then work on her eye.

If gel is a bit thick like ointments are, warm it slightly so it flows better and is easier to get into the eye.

As for pushing out and removing pus, it's just a process sometimes. A warm compress over the eye can sometimes help soften the material up a bit before you push pus out of the eye. Do what you can. The bird will likely be determined they don't want you messing with them, you have to be determined that you have to.
I had a Quail of all things with an eye infection due to fighting, tiny little bugger. He would get all out of sorts while I worked on his eye, but once finished, he'd decide it was o.k. until the next time

 

[gardenmama888]

Oh my goodness thank you! I went and did what you said and got out a pea sized cooked-egg-white-looking thing from her eye! Idk if pus can be like that . I always think of pus as yellow and goopy. But either way!!! No wonder she has been so uncomfortable .

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Oh my goodness thank you! I went and did what you said and got out a pea sized cooked-egg-white-looking thing from her eye! Idk if pus can be like that . I always think of pus as yellow and goopy. But either way!!! No wonder she has been so uncomfortable .

Good job!

Yes, chicken pus is usually a semi-solid/firm type of material, usually not liquid at all.

Hopefully she'll be feeling better and the eye will begin to heal since you were able to remove the pus.

 

[gardenmama888]

That is so bizarre! I had no idea! Thank you again!!!!

 

[ArtsyChicken25]

Hello I hope you don’t mind my asking but where did you press around her eye to get the puss out and what area of the eye did it come out of? I have a hen that also has a swollen eye for weeks and can’t seem to cure it, she scratches at it all the time.

 

[gardenmama888]

I gently pulled her eyelids open and saw a white object towards the front of her eye. Then I used a damp paper towel and sort of drug it across the puss and it pulled it out. I’m sure it is different for every chicken but that’s what happened with mine