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Milky line in eye- cataract or something else? (photos)

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Gargoyle

Gargoyle

Chiseler
14 Years
Apr 13, 2011
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Fox Valley, IL
My Coop
My Coop
One of our hens has a milky white line in her left eye. Right eye is clear. She doesn't seem to see well out of the left eye. She's a 3 year old Columbian Wyandotte.
Does this look like a cataract, or perhaps an infection or problem with the nictitating membrane (inner eyelid) or some other eye problem? Any treatment suggestions:

Bad (left) eye, note the milky white line across the middle of the pupil



Close up of left eye



Good (right) eye

 
Looks like it could be an old injury to the eye. I suppose a cataract is possible, as is something like ocular Marek's disease, but it doesn't fit either one of those exactly. Other than her not seeing that well out of that eye, does it seem to bother her at all? (does it seem to hurt, or itch, or something like that?)

Sorry I can't really say for sure. As long as she seems to be getting around well enough, she should be fine, whatever it is. By the way, she's a very pretty bird! (I love Columbian Wyandottes)
 
BantamLover21 said:
Looks like it could be an old injury to the eye. I suppose a cataract is possible, as is something like ocular Marek's disease, but it doesn't fit either one of those exactly. Other than her not seeing that well out of that eye, does it seem to bother her at all? (does it seem to hurt, or itch, or something like that?)
Click to expand...
X2
 
BantamLover21 said:
Looks like it could be an old injury to the eye. I suppose a cataract is possible, as is something like ocular Marek's disease, but it doesn't fit either one of those exactly. Other than her not seeing that well out of that eye, does it seem to bother her at all? (does it seem to hurt, or itch, or something like that?)

Sorry I can't really say for sure. As long as she seems to be getting around well enough, she should be fine, whatever it is. By the way, she's a very pretty bird! (I love Columbian Wyandottes)
Click to expand...

She's always been awkward and stumbled around (splay leg), so she bumps in to things a lot. She could have gotten injured that way. The last few weeks she's been a lot less confident than usual, which leads me to believe the eye problem has gotten worse.

She doesn't act like it bothers her, in that there is no sign it itches or hurts. She does hold her head at an angle while walking, (to see out of the good eye), so combined with the splay leg it puts her off balance and a bit nervous, but a she has a great personality and is a solid egg layer. Not pure bread Columbian Wyandotte, she has mossy/laced feathering (so perhaps 1/4 or 1/3 of the way from Columbian to Silver Laced), she is a beauty.
 
It is a cataract. I showed the pix to a vet I know, and she confirmed it. She said that Mossy will be light sensitive but will probably learn to use shade to help. I should watch out for weeping, which could be a sign of inflammation, but there is none of that so far.

You'll note from this photo that it has gotten worse in the past 3 weeks. Mossy is only about 2-1/2 years old.



She told me that there are a couple of parasites that can cause similar effects, but this is definitely a cataract. "the line on this one is crystallization along the linear proteins (occasionally it goes horizontal instead of Y-shaped)..."
 
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Surprised at how quickly it's progressed. Does it seem like she is learning to deal with it?
 
memphis said:
Surprised at how quickly it's progressed. Does it seem like she is learning to deal with it?
Click to expand...
Yes, she actually seems to be moving around more comfortably now than she did a couple weeks ago. She's not stretching her neck and bending it to look with her good eye as much.

Chickens adapt pretty quickly.
 
Hi @Gargoyle, how did this progress with Mossy? Anything you learned about helping her cope with the loss of vision?

One of my girls recently developed something that looks almost identical. Out of an abundance of caution, I treated her eye by flushing the eye with saline and with ophthalmic gel for several weeks but I suspect the damage is internal in the lens and maybe due to old age/genetics.

First pic is Cleo from several years back. The second pic is recently with the developed cataract. Don't think I have any pictures of the early stages, but I think it progressed over a similar timeline as you described. She's probably about 5 years old. She seems to be adjusting fine, but does seem likely pretty blind on her right side.

Thank you!

IMG_0064.jpg
IMG_0949.jpg
 
Gargoyle said:
It is a cataract. I showed the pix to a vet I know, and she confirmed it. She said that Mossy will be light sensitive but will probably learn to use shade to help. I should watch out for weeping, which could be a sign of inflammation, but there is none of that so far.

You'll note from this photo that it has gotten worse in the past 3 weeks. Mossy is only about 2-1/2 years old.



She told me that there are a couple of parasites that can cause similar effects, but this is definitely a cataract. "the line on this one is crystallization along the linear proteins (occasionally it goes horizontal instead of Y-shaped)..."
Click to expand...
Did your vet say which parasites it could be ? All of mine are getting these ? Please help !
 

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