advise and help: hen with one swollen eye, no respiratory problems

[wildgreenegg]

Hi. I have one hen who has recently developed swelling only on the upper portion of her eye. Her other eye is fine and there is no sneezing, running, or anything else wrong with her. She eats well, appears active, but does seem to be in pain as she makes a high pitched scream once or three times a day. A friend gave me neomycin and polymyxin B and gramicidin eye drops but it does not seem to help. She still occasionally lays an egg. Thank you if you can help.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have a picture of her eye? Can you look inside the eye to see if there is a foreign body (a seed, dirt, or feather,) or any evidence of a peck mark? Can she see out of the eye? Does there seem to be pus behind the eye? Many times swelling can be from a sinus infection.

 

[wildgreenegg]

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, I cannot do a picture without help from someone to hold her. So, I'll have to wait till the weekend. Second, her eye was always a "bum" eye. Small looking cause she has a partial lid, skin? over it. That's the eye that got it. I hope that it is only a sinus infection, but I am concerned that she is really not feeling well and the antibiotic eyedrops are not doing anything about the swelling. Oh, and as for a peck--almost impossible. Both birds are rescue birds here in Hawaii and are separated because one is permanently bald. Sigh.

 

[wildgreenegg]

Oh. Also the eye appears to be pushed down as the swelling is only at the top.

 

[Eggcessive]

On occasion on BYC, I have seen some swelling in the face or around an eye turn out to be a tumor when a sinus infection was suspected. If you can get some Tylan, Denagard, or Baytril antibiotic, it might be helpful to try some in case of a sinus infection.