Droopy, Caked Eye

[BlueLineClucker]

One member of our flock started with a droopy eye. Had it for awhile, we didn’t think much of it. Yesterday, it was closed completely, she wouldn’t eat or drink.

Put her in isolation and put ointment on the eye, which has begun to swell. Today the eye is caked, she is heavily lethargic and just drinking water.

Nobody else is sick. She has no discharge from her nose, no wheezing, no rattling air.

 

[azygous]

Coincidentally, those are the exact symptoms I've been treating for the past week in an EE hen of mine, right down to the not eating or drinking.

It began as pink eye, which is basically an eye infection. So I treated the eye with antibiotic eye drops. Next day, the eye was swollen shut and a white film had replaced the pink film. No other discharge or symptoms of CRDs (respiratory disease), but the tissue around the eye was puffy.

I went to the feed store and found some teramycin eye ointment, a tube smaller than my little finger for $30. It did no good, but I kept it up. Meanwhile, I decided to order some Tylan 50 from this place https://pet-healthcare.revivalanimal.com/search?w=Tylan 50 which came within just a couple days, so I treated her with it for five days twice a day.

During this time she refused to eat or drink, so I tube fed her to keep her strength up so her immune system would function, and she has very slowly regained her will to live, although she isn't eating enough. I still need to tube feed her once a day. (Not hard to do.)

The eye is all but blind. The white film has become so thick, I can barely make out her eye behind it. But she is no longer lethargic and is starting to eat and drink little by little. The swelling has gone away, but she prefers to keep the eye closed. She never had any discharge or sneezing or coughing or trouble breathing. I still have no idea what it is that made her so sick. No other chickens in the flock of 22 have any of these symptoms.

Perhaps my experience with my hen will give you something to go on. I did start a thread on this topic, but none of the people here who know a lot about chicken diseases were able to figure it out either.

Hopefully, your hen can recover as it appears mine is. I suggest you rinse the eye each morning with saline or people lubricating eye drops, wiping the crust away with a Q-tip or cotton ball, then apply the eye ointment. This will give you information on how to tube feed. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-pics-for-visuals-very-detailed-post.805615/

 

[BlueLineClucker]

Thank you, we got her to take tiny sips of water today...but nothing else. Her eyes are very red and the bad one has pretty much sealed shut despite the ointment.

How do you tube feed? Just mix food with water? Do you use a straw or what?

I sure hope she pulls through. I’m partial to her.

 

[BlueLineClucker]

It’s just been penicillin and rest. She’s been drooling on herself, both eyes closed. Although she’ll stand and drink water, that’s about all we get.

Some lady said it’s like parvo, but for chickens. That it will appear to get better but will take a turn for the worse. I don’t know what to do. Give her a little bit more time, but We don’t want her to keep suffering.

 

[Eggcessive]

Read the link at the bottom of post 2 for tube feeding instructions. You can even use aquarium air tubing for liquids and thin foods, but feeding tubes are better for KayTee exact bird feed, or ground wet chicken feed. There are also videos to watch online.

You can purchase the cattle antibiotic Tylan 50 injectable at most feed stores. Give it orally 1/4 ml per pound up to 3 times a day, for 5 days. It is good for eye swelling due to mycoplasma (MG.)

 

[BlueLineClucker]

Not sure what else to do. She has stopped drooling on herself and is standing up, eyes still closed refusing to eat. I’m going to take her out for some fresh air tonight, I think we are down to the end.

Nobody else is sick. Not sure what happend.

 

[Eggcessive]

How does her crop feel? Have you seen any lice or mites on her especially under her vent? Has she laid an egg recently? Has she lost weight in her breast area, or have an enlarged lower belly. I’m sorry that she just won’t eat. Even my hens who were dying, have eaten some chopped egg or canned tuna. If you hold a small scoop of water to her beak, will she drink? I also would tyr bringing her back with her flock to see if she will eat or drink there.

 

[BlueLineClucker]

Were not putting her back with her mates, I’d hate for her to pass whatever this is on to them. She’ll drink tiny sips from a cup, almost like she is only dipping her beak. She won’t open her eyes to eat, we’ve put food in front of her, around her, etc...but she’s got no interest. Weve treated her for mites. Laid an egg on the first day, no other eggs since then. She is losing weight, crop is still red, starting to lose color.

We don’t want to lose her, but I can’t get her to have the will to do much. Our question is now, how much do you put her through before you let her go?

 

[azygous]

Only you can judge when your hen has gone through enough and it's time to end it. Just know that it will be what's right for both of you.

 

[BlueLineClucker]

I put her down tonight. Took her outside when I got home from work, thought she may perk up if she could head her buddies and be out in the grass. She opened her eyes for a quick moment and just sat back down and went back to sleep. She hasn’t eaten in days. After checking her cage when she was gone, the floor was soaked, really watery diarrhea? I don’t know. My first chicken culled, not what I wanted for my girl.

I hope y’all have better luck. We’re being told this is ‘chicken parvo.’ It’s bad news, well miss our Mary Jane.