droopy/swollen eyes

[CajunChooks]

Hey Everyone, I have a 1 yr old speckled sussex whose eyes have looked strange for a few days now... they are always half closed, maybe a little swollen. She was acting much like her other 3 flockmates, pecking/scratching/preening/laying and pooping normally, as far as I can tell - but it seems like in the past day she has gotten a little more lethargic than the others. Still doing all things, but a little bit slower, and taking lots of these little 30 second standing naps with her head resting on her chest. Is there anything I should do or look for here? I am attaching some photos, tried to get them from both sides to see both eyes.

Some other details - I had to evacuate for the hurricane, and when I came up, the coop was really dirty - bringing that up in case it might be an infection? but that was almost 3 weeks ago now... Also, mosquitoes have been a big problem here.

Any advice? Thanks all!

 

[cherrynberry]

@Wyorp Rock

She definitely looks sick!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Looks like she has Conjunctivitis in her left eye. I would clean both eyes with saline and put a dab of Terrmaycin eye ointment in each eye. Do this twice a day. If you can't find the Terramycin, then use Original Neosporin.

Check her over for lice/mites while you are tending to her. Look inside her beak too, to make sure there's no lesions or canker.

I'm sure your coop is well ventilated since you've not had issues before, but with the storm/rain, etc. could have things gotten moldy or do you notice a heavy ammonia in the coop? These things can cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory system. Some birds are more sensitive or she may be roosting/sleeping where she's exposed to more. Just a thought on that.

 

[CajunChooks]

Looks like she has Conjunctivitis in her left eye. I would clean both eyes with saline and put a dab of Terrmaycin eye ointment in each eye. Do this twice a day. If you can't find the Terramycin, then use Original Neosporin.

Check her over for lice/mites while you are tending to her. Look inside her beak too, to make sure there's no lesions or canker.

I'm sure your coop is well ventilated since you've not had issues before, but with the storm/rain, etc. could have things gotten moldy or do you notice a heavy ammonia in the coop? These things can cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory system. Some birds are more sensitive or she may be roosting/sleeping where she's exposed to more. Just a thought on that.

Hey Wyorp Rock, thank you so much for your response - I am waiting until tonight to grab her and do a more thorough check including inside the beak - if I see anything suspicious, I will post further photos here. When I first got back from evacuation, there was some ammonia smell from the the accumulated manure and the fact that the sand in the coop and run had gotten wet - I am trying my best to get it as dry as possible by turning it a lot, but the ongoing rain hasn't helped much. I have tossed the sand inside the coop often, but the wood underneath it is still humid I might put a fan out there today to dry it faster... I am also installing a french drain by the coop to avoid having the saturated soil getting the sand moist, which has been a problem before (the coop is raised, but the run is dug in and filled with sand). That was a long to way to say this might still be an issue... So I will get more aggressive about it. It started 2 weeks after the hurricane, but then again, they weren't in the best conditions for that whole first week I was evacuated

All that said, I have a question about medicine. I saw on other threads people talking about vetericyn eye gel and eye wash - is this Terramycin the same thing? I am assuming you are saying ORIGINAL neosporin for a reason - like I am looking for a specific active ingredient here right? and since you mentioned saline, I am assuming that stuff they sell as an eye wash is probably not much than saline I guess... I will use my own eye regular eye drops then I think.

Finally one last question, and thanks for your patience: How do I apply something like that, a thick gel to the eye? I guess I put a dab on and the hen will probably just end up wiping the excess off herself? I am guessing I gotta hold her eyes open right?

Thank you so much for your response!

 

[Eggcessive]

Terramycin is oxytetracyline antibiotic ointment, and is a good choice if an eye infection is suspected, especially for mycoplasma or MG. If it cannot be found locally, I have used plain Neosporin ointment. Vetericyn is not an antibiotic, but can help. To apply ointment, pullthe lower eyelid down, and place a dab on the eye. Blinking will then spread the ointment.

 

[CajunChooks]

Terramycin is oxytetracyline antibiotic ointment, and is a good choice if an eye infection is suspected, especially for mycoplasma or MG. If it cannot be found locally, I have used plain Neosporin ointment. Vetericyn is not an antibiotic, but can help. To apply ointment, pullthe lower eyelid down, and place a dab on the eye. Blinking will then spread the ointment.

Thank you eggcessive (also, great username!)

Gonna go out and try to find Terramycin, but if not, I have plain neosporin laying around (the closest tractor supply is pretty far from me)

Ok, so here is what I am going with - let me know if I am making any mistakes:
1) Hold head down, pull lower eyelid
2) A drop of saline (using my own plain saline eye drops)
3) Let her blink a bit, maybe another drop in case it might be dislodging some irritant
4) Pull lower eyelid again, dab of ointment, let her go
5) Do it twice a day... until it looks better? or even a little longer maybe since it's antibiotics we are dealing with here?

OH, one other thing: should I isolate her? I will update once I have checked for mites/lice/beak lesions, since I guess that would mean something else might be going on

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I wouldn't separate her unless she's getting picked on.

Looks like you have your plan nailed down!