3 week old Chick’s eye partially open since hatch

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I hatched Coco on Aug 3. She’s almost 3 weeks old. She was an assisted hatch.

Her right eye didn’t open for several days after hatching. It never appeared gunky, but I put saline solution on it a few times a day and eventually it opened a slit. She does have some vision in it.

Now we’ve progressed to where her eye can be open about 3/4 of the way, but doesn’t usually stay that way. I started seeing the most progress during the last week when I started applying Terramycin twice a day AND holding her for a few minutes afterward so she couldn’t immediately scratch it away. She does scratch at the eye periodically, even when I haven’t put anything on it. The lower part of her eyelid appears puffy.

The last few days there has been no change. Sometimes it’s closed, sometimes there’s a slit, sometimes it’s mostly open. I’m wondering what, if anything, I should do next.

Should I continue the Terramycin? Should I do saline? Should I do both? Should I do nothing? I welcome other opinions.

 

[Vicker]

Sorry, haven't a clue.

 

[coach723]

Have you tried looking in the eye, under that lower lid? Just wondering if something got lodged there, a bit of shell or fluff or something. If you have help to hold it, so you can use both hands to look, would be easier, maybe have some blunt tweezers, qtip, paper towel (sometimes you can roll it in a point to get at something tiny) saline in a syringe for flushing, ready if needed.

 

[Anon112]

It could be something in the eye. It's good that there hasn't been discharge.

I had a chick with a puffy eye (it came on, not something she was born with). I flushed it twice a day with a saline rinse and that made a huge difference. By the time I got her to the vet, the eye was almost back to normal. The vet said it was most likely a virus and encouraged the continued use of the saline and said I could also do the eye ointment if I felt she wasn't improving. The vet also said that because of the way their sinus systems work, anything blocking the sinus (matter or swelling from an infection/virus) can cause eye swelling because it backs everything up. Flushing the eye with saline can help clear that sinus pathway if there's an obstruction.

Following advice of a member here, I was flushing the eye twice a day. I got a little Vetricyn "eye care kit" that came with saline and an eye ointment. (I only ever used the saline.)

Is it possible there's just some deformity of the eyelid that means it can't open well? Is she otherwise healthy (eating/drinking/pooping) normally?

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Have you tried looking in the eye, under that lower lid? Just wondering if something got lodged there, a bit of shell or fluff or something. If you have help to hold it, so you can use both hands to look, would be easier, maybe have some blunt tweezers, qtip, paper towel (sometimes you can roll it in a point to get at something tiny) saline in a syringe for flushing, ready if needed.

We have not been able to see anything in the puffy spot, but I've been continuing flushing it with the hopes that something might work its way out.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

It could be something in the eye. It's good that there hasn't been discharge.

I had a chick with a puffy eye (it came on, not something she was born with). I flushed it twice a day with a saline rinse and that made a huge difference. By the time I got her to the vet, the eye was almost back to normal. The vet said it was most likely a virus and encouraged the continued use of the saline and said I could also do the eye ointment if I felt she wasn't improving. The vet also said that because of the way their sinus systems work, anything blocking the sinus (matter or swelling from an infection/virus) can cause eye swelling because it backs everything up. Flushing the eye with saline can help clear that sinus pathway if there's an obstruction.

Following advice of a member here, I was flushing the eye twice a day. I got a little Vetricyn "eye care kit" that came with saline and an eye ointment. (I only ever used the saline.)

Is it possible there's just some deformity of the eyelid that means it can't open well? Is she otherwise healthy (eating/drinking/pooping) normally?

Sorry for the late response- I did read your comment shortly after you posted it and it was helpful to hear your experience. Thank you for sharing.

I have continued flushing the eye with the hopes that if something is blocked in there, it would come out, but I have seen no real change. It is open more often than not now, but I don't think the vision is improved. It's possible it's worstened. I also discontinued the terramycin after seeing no change in her condition.

I am beginning to suspect more of the deformity/improperly formed eye lid scenario. I think her beak may be a little "off" as well. I wouldn't call her a cross beak, but when she opens her beak it's like the top and bottom don't align 100% correctly. I also think it's a little shorter than average. And she sometimes eats in a funny manner- as if she's chewing & licking her food.

We're sort of taking it one day at a time. She's not a great eater and it's showing in her development. She unfortunately doesn't want to eat anything exciting- scrambled eggs, wet mash, raw egg, etc... so it's been tough to help her learn to adapt. So far she basically can't eat anything that isn't in a deep bowl- but at least she can do this- and and she's a good drinker. Her depth perception when it comes to pecking at things is pretty bad- she's at least an inch shy and when she doesn't get it, she gives up pretty quickly. I had a visually impaired hen a few years, but I don't recall her depth perception ever being quite this bad. But Coco is a sweety and a happy little thing, so I'm going to keep working with her. Time will tell.