Any ‘Eye’dea?!

[Duke15]

Hi,
Can anyone shed any light on eye issues?
We have an approx 4yr old rehomed hen who has a swelling around here eye. We took her to the vets back in August and she had a course of antibiotics and some eye drops over a course of about 3/4 weeks which did little to nothing. The vets (not avian specialists) eventually said they thought it was more superficial and to leave. She had a steroid injection and it reduced slightly but has never fully gone, however this past week it has swollen slightly more and I suspect the weight is pulling the lower eyelid down.....
She is eating/drinking/free ranging and bossing the other about as usual and we think after years of not laying has just started up again. She has no signs of a respiratory problem as has no runny nose or eye, breathing difficulties and no sneezing......
Does anyone have any suggestions?! We’re going to start bathing with cold tea and I’ve ordered some agrivite respite to try and waiting for new bedding to replace the sawdust currently using sawdust. Not the best picture, she won’t stand still

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi there and welcome to BYC!

First thank you for caring enough to try finding solutions to keep her healthy and comfortable.

Second, bedding type will not cause issues like that and it probably goes much deeper than the vet realizes.. Even if NO other symptoms present.. that is a pretty significant one and I suspect one of two things either disease or genetics.. okay possibly combination of both. This is the number one reason NOT to rescue or bring in other birds if you already keep a flock.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...ious coryza is an acute,It is found worldwide.

https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/poultry/diseases-of-farmyard-poultry/part-1-mycoplasmosis/

https://www.raising-chickens.org/chicken-eye.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infectious_coryza_in_chickens

Get a good look at the following link for most possibilities..

https://aaap.memberclicks.net/avian-disease-manual-past-edition-

I think your tea bag is a considerate thought.. but getting rid of the SYMPTOM will NOT address the underlying cause... which at the stated age could even be fluid pulling from kidney/liver function being compromised.. maybe another indicator of things like gout which can be caused by excess calcium fed long term to birds not in lay or excess protein or even just calories/energy from ANY source that is ALSO nutrient deficient (aka treats) or GENETICALLY predisposed somehow.. NO way to know THIS for sure..

Understand I'm NOT an expert and nor am I a fear monger regarding calcium intake, etc.. These are the POSSIBILITIES as I see them, and I hope it will help give you some direction and/or power to change something.

I agree with the vet.. IF she is eating, grooming, and otherwise behaving normally.. I would let her be and provide the best nutrition possible.. IE.. a starter, grower, or flock raiser.. with oyster shell on the side free choice for active layers and NOT diminished by excess low nutrient snack like scratch etc.

 

[Duke15]

Hi there and welcome to BYC!

First thank you for caring enough to try finding solutions to keep her healthy and comfortable.

Second, bedding type will not cause issues like that and it probably goes much deeper than the vet realizes.. Even if NO other symptoms present.. that is a pretty significant one and I suspect one of two things either disease or genetics.. okay possibly combination of both. This is the number one reason NOT to rescue or bring in other birds if you already keep a flock.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/infectious-coryza/overview-of-infectious-coryza-in-chickens#:~:text=Infectious coryza is an acute,It is found worldwide.

https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/poultry/diseases-of-farmyard-poultry/part-1-mycoplasmosis/

https://www.raising-chickens.org/chicken-eye.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infectious_coryza_in_chickens

Get a good look at the following link for most possibilities..

https://aaap.memberclicks.net/avian-disease-manual-past-edition-

I think your tea bag is a considerate thought.. but getting rid of the SYMPTOM will NOT address the underlying cause... which at the stated age could even be fluid pulling from kidney/liver function being compromised.. maybe another indicator of things like gout which can be caused by excess calcium fed long term to birds not in lay or excess protein or even just calories/energy from ANY source that is ALSO nutrient deficient (aka treats) or GENETICALLY predisposed somehow.. NO way to know THIS for sure..

Understand I'm NOT an expert and nor am I a fear monger regarding calcium intake, etc.. These are the POSSIBILITIES as I see them, and I hope it will help give you some direction and/or power to change something.

I agree with the vet.. IF she is eating, grooming, and otherwise behaving normally.. I would let her be and provide the best nutrition possible.. IE.. a starter, grower, or flock raiser.. with oyster shell on the side free choice for active layers and NOT diminished by excess low nutrient snack like scratch etc.

Hi,
Thank you so much for all the links; I’ll have a read through them all.
The vets gave her the antibiotics in the event it was the start of something respiratory related, but she hasn’t shown any other symptoms of that, which has thrown us.
The issue with have with the vet is that we don’t have any avian specialists where we live and the vet we were going to was a 1.5hr round trip and it seemed unfair to keep taking her that far every three days for injections which after 3 weeks made no difference

 

[Mamatomany123]

My whole flock was just infected with mycoplasma gallisepticum. I have 10 and only 6 showed symptoms. 3 showed no symptoms and 1 of my sexlinks showed just a little swelling on one eye. Not saying that is for sure what is going on but it is possible to be MG with just eye swelling. Since you are bringing her to the vet anyways I suggest getting her tested for MG.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

The vets gave her the antibiotics in the event it was the start of something respiratory related,

Antibiotics.. will only kill bacteria including the good ones and will not have any effect on virus related stuff.

Probiotics *may* be helpful to balance things after episodes or run ins with immune compromising things like illness, stress, or antibiotics.

You dear chicken friend.. have gone far above and beyond!

I wonder if @Eggcessive has more experience or information that might be helpful? as always TIA!

4 is young for some chickens but old for others... She looks like maybe a sex link to me.. if that's true then she's possibly nice and ripe. And you're correct continuing on those trips might not be fair to either of you. In my 40's things are a little more swollen and drooping than they were in my 20's. Though I agree that what you're seeing looks quite extreme and seems like more than just aging.. if there are some live tests which can be done like MG/MS, etc.. that might be a wise choice.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/mycoplasmosis/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-infection-in-poultry

*If* she does have anything contagious.. your flock is already exposed.

Since all things immune system related are impacted by nutrition.. you might consider using a supplement on occasion as a boost.. IF needed.. NO supplement should be given more than 10 days in a row.

If you're in the US.. my top choices are.. Rooster Booster brand Poultry Cell (product mixes best with moist food separates in water), Rooster Booster brand Poultry Booster (product), or Poultry Nutri Drench (if for chicks also).. They have amino acids and such that other supplements do not include.. please look at guaranteed analysis and pick one which might work best for YOU and your flock. Available at feed stores, TSC, Amazon.. and I've seen the nutri drench at Wally even.

Did I already say consider using a flock raiser or grower with oyster shell free choice on the side for more active layers IF you currently use layer feed? Since making the switch FULL time my elder birds have less harsh molts and return to lay sooner. Lay hormone (ovulation) is light related in poultry in addition to being effected by genetics, nutrition, stress, etc. Her returning to lay is an indicator that thing are falling into place as nature intends them to do.. and you are doing something good by her! Also that the ovulation is not being held up by reproductive tumors and also NOT internally laying.. those are all things that *can* go awry in elder ladies.. so congrats on her return to laying!

 

[Eggcessive]

Most times a swollen eye is from a respiratory disease, such as MG. It doesn’t always have to have other respiratory symptoms to be that. Sometimes pus builds up around the eye socket from the sinus, and although I have not seen it, sometimes it has to be squeezed out or removed for the ey to go back to normal. It alao helps for the antibiotic to work. Here is a graphic video that shows removal of pus from around the eye:

 

[Myrshine]

She may not even be sick, it could just be wrinkles from aging. I personally wouldn’t worry about it unless she’s showing other symptoms.

 

[lateforbrekkie]

I have been treating a chicken for months with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicine but we didn't get real relief until I read this post and started the cipro eye drops:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...e-sinus-lump-swelling-cure-treatment.1156995/