25 chickens, ONE with ONE bubbly eye...

[tulie13]

One of my hens has ONE bubbly eye, looks like the eyelid is misshapen/swollen, too. Possibly a pecking injury, but I don't see any "wound". Nobody is acting sick, sneezing, coughing, etc.

Should I isolate the hen? Is this the beginning of some scary disease?

I have read lots on hear about "bubbly eyes" and "foamy eyes" and usually it's not good. But it's just ONE eye, which makes me think it's something in the EYE, not a disease in the chicken which is manifesting in the eye. Does that make sense?

I flushed it with saline and it continued to bubble after flushing, but the hen seems happy/healthy otherwise.

Also (even more fun) I am leaving town tomorrow for a 3-day business trip, and my hubby has to watch the chickens. I have filled their feeder and their 5-gallon waterer, and their oyster shell grit feeder (free choice). I have cleaned out from under their roost area and put down some shavings and a little Stall-Dri. So the only thing I THOUGHT I was leaving for hubby to do would be gather eggs and possibly refill their feeder, along with the fun stuff (throwing them some scratch and weeds).

Any advice on instructions to leave for hubby? He won't come on here and ask for advice, and I'm probably not going to be near a computer while I'm gone.

 

[chickerdoodle]

Will your husband keep and eye on her eye (I know Its a pun)? Is he capable of bringing her to the vet if necessary? I just know my hubby may not be as observant of subtle changes that I could. You said she is healthy, does that mean she is eating, drinking and eliminating normally? Can you post a picture?

Flushing with sterile saline was a good thing to do and I would continue that at least. If she has any discharge you can use an antibiotic eye ointment just in case.

I hope she recovers quickly.

 

[tulie13]

Yes, she seems healthy otherwise, doing "normal chicken things".

Any other thoughts? I'll check again in the morning before I get on an airplane... THANKS!!!

 

[tulie13]

Update,

Hey, this is the hubby. Found the chicken with it's eye swollen shut/crudded up shut. Took one of those soft round pads you ladies use and kept working it with the saline solution till it opened it (chicken heads do not stay still

) Found on another post about Terramycin ointment, so got that (expensive stuff). Within 5 minutes (trying to get everything lined up) of finding her sleeping in the run, she was on a roost in the run asleep again. Got her out got her eye unglued, it was bubbly still, and got the ointment between her eye lids.

She did walk around and eat in the yard, and she kept her eye open for a little while, around 5-10 minutes. By the time I put her in the coop, she had it shut.

It says to apply it 2-4 times a day, guess I'll get the girl just before bed time (for them) and do it again.

She will eat, she can be alert, I'm worried of her sleeping.
Oh, the side it's on does no longer look swollen, her head is no longer lopsided. Thanks for all the help.