Chicken suddenly blind with 'mouldy' comb

[OrangeHomestead]

Hi Everyone,
This is my first time posting on BYC and unfortunately it's to ask for help!! I am new to chickens and have a poor hen with a couple of issues. She is a 3 year old Pekin who (other than a lice infestation at the beginning!) has been well and laying etc. A week ago I noticed one eye has a completely blue/grey pupil - like a cataract. I don't think she is able to see out of the eye at all. The only other symptoms she has is some redness and swelling above her eyes and black spots on her face and comb that looks like spotty mould. I have noticed her scratching at her face on occasion. Apart from this she seems otherwise completely well. No coughing/eye discharge/lethargy/ behaviour change at all!! I have isolated her and been giving an antibiotic in her water along with a multivite and electrolyte. I live in SE QLD so the weather is horribly humid and hot.
Any ideas about what this might be or other things I can do to help her? I have some eye cream given by a vet for my cat which I was wondering if I could try on the hen? It is called Tricin and has Polymyxin B Sulfate, Bacitracin Zinc and Neomycin Sulfate as ingredients.
Thanks

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi Everyone,
This is my first time posting on BYC and unfortunately it's to ask for help!! I am new to chickens and have a poor hen with a couple of issues. She is a 3 year old Pekin who (other than a lice infestation at the beginning!) has been well and laying etc. A week ago I noticed one eye has a completely blue/grey pupil - like a cataract. I don't think she is able to see out of the eye at all. The only other symptoms she has is some redness and swelling above her eyes and black spots on her face and comb that looks like spotty mould. I have noticed her scratching at her face on occasion. Apart from this she seems otherwise completely well. No coughing/eye discharge/lethargy/ behaviour change at all!! I have isolated her and been giving an antibiotic in her water along with a multivite and electrolyte. I live in SE QLD so the weather is horribly humid and hot.
Any ideas about what this might be or other things I can do to help her? I have some eye cream given by a vet for my cat which I was wondering if I could try on the hen? It is called Tricin and has Polymyxin B Sulfate, Bacitracin Zinc and Neomycin Sulfate as ingredients.
Thanks

Welcome To BYC

It does somewhat look like a cataract. There are numerous causes for eye disorders in poultry, so it's hard to know without vet care.

The Tricin looks like a pretty good product, from what I can tell, I'm not a medical professional, so you may want to ask your vet, but personally I would try it. It may help reduce swelling/inflammation and take care of any bacterial infection if there is one.

A moldy comb is usually an indication of Favus. I don't see the "classic" white like you would normally see, but treatment is anti-fungal cream (athlete's foot cream).

She is quite pale, so make sure she is staying hydrated. I understand your weather is hot/humid, so dehydration is a worry. Offer her some extra protein like egg, tuna, mackerel or meat in addition to her normal poultry feed. If she is laying eggs, offer oyster shell free choice for extra calcium.

Let us know how she is doing.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps031