Baby chick with swollen eye

[ericadawn]

Hi, I have a baby chick who is a little less than 2 months old and it's eye is severely swollen. It started as just being half shut but now it has yellow puss and that sickly smell. I have saline rinsed it, held warm compress to it and put neosporin on it. Is there an antibiotic I can run and get for the infection? Am I doing the appropriate things to promote healing? Thank you so much!

 

[DylansMom]

Hi, I have a baby chick who is a little less than 2 months old and it's eye is severely swollen. It started as just being half shut but now it has yellow puss and that sickly smell. I have saline rinsed it, held warm compress to it and put neosporin on it. Is there an antibiotic I can run and get for the infection? Am I doing the appropriate things to promote healing? Thank you so much!

Ouch! I would start with Tylan, usually tractor supply has it. Do you know if there was any kind of injury to this eye, if not it may be a sinus infection and Tylan is good for those. I hope @casportpony takes a look at this one, she has much more chicken experience than I do.

 

[ericadawn]

We think another chicken pecked the chick in the eye. Going to try the tylan just in case. I did clean the eye out (couldn't get it all) but puss just came back the next day. I appreciate your help. I am at a loss on what to do besides giving the tylan and keeping it cleaned. I have never seen anything like this before.

 

[DylansMom]

We think another chicken pecked the chick in the eye. Going to try the tylan just in case. I did clean the eye out (couldn't get it all) but puss just came back the next day. I appreciate your help. I am at a loss on what to do besides giving the tylan and keeping it cleaned. I have never seen anything like this before.

If there is an injury under all that swelling she is likely to lose that eye, but an oral antibiotic is what you need to get it under control. I am more familiar with Peafowl then with chickens and they will often develop sinus infections that swell so bad the eye is completely hidden, if not treated the pus in the sinus will harden into a solid glob and needs to be cut out, but that is just near the eye not actually in it. I would try the Tylan.

 

[ericadawn]

Ok. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me!

 

[casportpony]

I posted in the OP's other thread:

If you can't squeeze and tweeze it out, you might nee to do this:
http://connerhills.com/sinus_infection_removal.html

-Kathy

Here is one that someone just did:

Quote:

Read the whole thread here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/945905/sick-peahen

-Kathy

Quote:

I had one the other day that I squeezed the pus out of. When I did, I opened the pus ball and found a feather, so I'm guessing that the chick got a feather lodged in it's choanal slit and that it worked it's way into the sinus cavity had pus formed around it.

Photo by @Nambroth


-Kathy

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/504944/swollen-side-of-face-cyst-surgery/80#post_10008133

-Kathy

All from:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/947602/1-and-1-2-month-old-chicks-eye-swollen/10

-Kathy

 

[ericadawn]

Thanks! That helps a bunch! We had to come into town for the kids ball and I will go get the tylan so I will have it just in case. Will work on the chick when we get home and give you an update.

 

[ericadawn]

Ok guys. We had to cull the baby chick.

 

[ericadawn]

However I did have a silver duck wing rooster that had an eye problem and then Saturday one of my banty hens had an eye problem. They never looked like the chicks but just closed and watery. I went ahead and followed the eye cleaning instructions and they are healing very well and never even got to the stage of having puss. I caught the rooster responsible in the act with the hen and removed him from the coop. My hen was able to keep her eye but my silver duck wing rooster lost his. He is still in his own cage until fully healed which should be in the next day or two. From now on I will start treatment at the very first sign of eye trouble. I hate loosing any of my chickens/chicks. Thanks for all the help and my two chickens that made it say thanks too!