Chick's eyes sealed closed

[PLW]

Help! my week old Polish chick (ish, maybe a little younger) has sealed eyes. I'm out of town, so I instructed my husband to use a warm wet washcloth as a compress. He got one of her eyes open. He'll do the other eye after they both recover a bit. Does she need something else? Any medicine? He hasn't noticed any problems with the others. Thank you!

 

[Eggcessive]

I would gently clean the eyes by flushing and dabbing the eyes twice a day. Terramycin or plain Neosporin triple antibiotic ointment (a small dot) can be applied into the eye twice a day. Where did you get the chicks? Are they sneezing or gasping? Make sure there are no wet spots in the brooder or mold, since that can cause brooder pneumonia.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

It seems like one side is very much swollen and the other is sunken in. In the meantime, keep all food and water where they are so this chick knows where it is.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes there can be pecking of the eyes by chicks. Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) can sometimes be seen in chicks when passed through a hatching egg or by contact with a carrier. The best thing to do is keep them warm, treat their eyes, and make sure they are eating and drinking often by holding their food and water up to their beaks. Adding a little water to a small amount of feed is easy to get more water into them.

 

[PLW]

Thank you so much for your responses! No sneezing or gasping so far. All chicks purchased from My Pet Chicken. The brooder is dry, indoors, & in a room with an air purifier with no drafts on them. No mold.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Looks like it's eyelids were pecked.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Looks like it's eyelids were pecked.

I totally agree. Especially the one that looks sunken in.

 

[PLW]

Reporting back! Her eyes were crusted shut, the warm compress was effective & she's had no recurrence. She's bright eyed & active