Chick with Eye Worm?

[dawg53]

@casportpony Can you post that Youtube video of eyeworm extraction?

 

[casportpony]

@casportpony Can you post that Youtube video of eyeworm extraction?

Sure!

Spoiler: Click here to see super nasty eye worm video

 

[amerzshaw]

I dont believe that it's eyeworm. If it were, there would be many more worms in the eye, not just one. Eyeworm actually "swim" in the eye, they dont attach themselves to anything, just there to lay eggs in the eye as part of the worms lifecycle.
I would take her to a vet if I were you.

I was worried about that. It didn't look anything like the video of someone removing them. I picked up some ivermectin, so I'll give that a try for now at least.

 

[dawg53]

I was worried about that. It didn't look anything like the video of someone removing them. I picked up some ivermectin, so I'll give that a try for now at least.

Let us know how the ivermectin works for you.

 

[amerzshaw]

Let us know how the ivermectin works for you.

I will. Now I'm wondering if it could be his tear duct or something? It doesn't look infected or swollen though.

 

[dawg53]

I magnified the photo and it DOES look like tissue attached to the tear duct. I wonder if the tear duct is inside out. That might be why the chick cried in pain when you tried to remove it. She needs to see an avian vet or perhaps contacting your local extension agent may help direct you to the correct resources.

 

[Eggcessive]

It almost looks like some sort of sprout stuck in the eye.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

It almost looks like some sort of sprout stuck in the eye.

Wait a minute! Now that I am looking at the photo magnified, it does look like a sprout.
That's not so far fetched...there are two cases of seeds sprouting in the eyes of two people. I couldn't find a photo of them, but one was documented on: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/475634

Chickens have been known to inhale a seed into the trachea, it is possible that a seed could somehow go up through the same lacrimal duct that an eye worm would travel? If it is a seed, it will sprout leaves soon. Also, if it were a worm, it would have movement of some kind.

On the other hand I was able to locate a similar case here on BYC.
www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-with-tear-duct-or-something-weird-outside-of-eye-help-with-pictures.899165/

Eggcessive, you worked with the OP on this one. This case was resolved.

Hopefull this mystery will be solved soon, for the sake of that poor little chicken and the keeper too.


God Bless

 

[Mraya]

I also thought it looked like a sprout. Worms are soft that looks like something hard or stiff with the seed attached.

 

[amerzshaw]

I also thought it looked like a sprout. Worms are soft that looks like something hard or stiff with the seed attached.

It may just be how it's pictured. It is soft, I brushed it out of the eye so I could get a picture of it and it just stuck on the feathers that way. I'm going to check on him this morning and see how he's doing and update.