Conjunctivitis and not responding to antibiotic

[azygous]

I could use some help. I have a three-year old EE (no face fluff) that came down with pink eye five days ago. She refuses to eat or drink. She's been on amoxicillin 250mg without any improvement.

Since then, the eye has become cloudy instead of pink. I've been using terramycin ointment in the eye. It seems to be very painful, as she prefers to keep the eye closed. She's otherwise lethargic.

I've been forcing food down her as well as syringing water into her. Otherwise she wants no part of food and water.

Any ideas?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Does she have any discharge coming from the eye?
Anything stuck in the chonal slit?

You know I've got to ask-any photos

 

[azygous]

No discharge from eyes. No discharge from nares. No coughing or sneezing or difficulty breathing. Her left eye is normal and clear while the right eye is covered with a white film now. It appears to hurt her. She can open the eye, but prefers to keep it closed. I give her aspirin twice a day for the pain, and it seems to make it easier for her to open the eye.

I'm at a loss. It's not just the eye. She is lethargic and refuses to eat or drink. Poop is white cream.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your hen. If she has an E.coli infection in her eye, which could be easy to get around a hen house, she might need an antibiotic that treats that. Amoxicillin is more effective against gram positive bacteria, while E.coli is gram negative. I don’t know how easy it is to get gentamycin eye drops, without a vet, but I would be tempted to use neosporin ointment or drops, since neomycin is effective against E.coli.

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you been using vitamins and trying the usual mash of feed, water, and a bit of egg? Thiamine can increase the appetite. I’m not sure why she is refusing to eat and drink if it is just an eye infection. You could try to tube feed if her crop is working okay.

 

[Cayuga momma]

I hate to say this, but could it be CRD? In my chicken health book one of the symptoms is foamy eye surrounded by donut shaped swelling. I hope it's not!

 

[azygous]

Thanks for the replies. I'll switch the ointment back to the triple antibiotic that has neomycin. She wasn't responding to the amoxicillin, so I started her on Tylan 50 this morning thinking maybe it is respiratory, even thought the eye is the only thing affected and there's no gunk or weeping or foam.

I've been stuffing food down her, but I will probably start tube feeding her tomorrow if she's no better. I did give her Nutri-drench.

Does the white film over her eye indicate eye damage? Does it mean she's going blind in that eye?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she Carol?

 

[azygous]

She's no better. She has always hated me, and that's about all the energy has left to do.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I was asking while you were typing

She's no better. She has always hated me, and that's about all the energy has left to do.

Well, hate is a powerful motivator sometimes.

Does the white film move at all. Do you see her Nictitating eyelid ?

I know you have checked the crop, the abdomen for swelling, etc. Nothing?