Chicken's eyes are cloudy, fading in color and pupil is irregular, distorted

[kratieklp]

Should I be worried about my chicken? Her eyes used to be a bright yellow with a uniform pupil. Now it looks like the iris has faded in color and they are almost cloudy. Her left pupil is distorted and very long, while her right pupil is very small and fractured.

She is a Buff Orpington, about two years old, is eating/drinking/behaving normally. She does not appear to have lost any weight. A couple things that might be notable but also might have nothing at all to do with this issue: about 4 months ago one of the other chickens attacked her and ripped off half of her comb. We treated it and it did heal, but since then her comb and wattle have faded significantly in color. Second, about 2 months ago she started molting, and some of her feathers have grown back white, so she looks spotted when she has always been uniformly blonde.

I hope it's not Marek's Disease? Has anyone else seen anything like this?

Thanks!

 

[TwoCrows]

It could be Mareks. Could be other things as well. Here is an interesting website you might read about the eyes of chickens.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/poor-sight-and-sore-eyes-in-chickens.html

I hope your girl is ok.

Oh and welcome to BYC!

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. The irregular shaped or pinpoint pupils I think are pretty sure a sign of neurologic disease and probably Mareks. Some on BYC have chickens who are blind from this and get along okay. Here are 2 good links for Mareks, and be sure to look at all 18 pictures in the Cornell sight:
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/502

 

[dawg53]

Possibly ocular marek's: Normal eye on the left.

 

[casportpony]

This is picture #17 from one of the links eggcessive posted:

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

FWIW, I have a bunch like this and they're just fine. I know someday they'll succumb to Marek's, but for now they're in good flesh and very happy.

-Kathy