Dry Pox, eyes swollen shut, how to feed?

[millerwb]

I have a hen, 7 months old. She (along with many of my girls and boys) have a case of Dry Pox. Her's is so bad that her eyes are swollen shut with Pox around them. All she does is sit on the roost since she cannot see.

How do I get her to eat?

Brian

 

[KellyHM]

You need to moisten her eyes with a damp cloth and then GENTLY pull the lids apart so that she can see a tiny bit. After you do that put the food and water right in front of her. You will need to do that daily until she is able to keep her eyes open.

 

[mypicklebird]

You can try syringe feeding her small amounts of pureed layer crumble/pellet, but she will need to get many many small meals this way to get enough calories. Another way would be to get someone to teach you how to tube (crop) feed her- this is passing a soft tube into her crop from her beak- and filling up her crop 3-4 times a day. This way will get more calories into her in shorter amount of time. A vet visit can get this info/tools/demo, or if you do not have this option, if you can find someone who breeds parrots nearby- most of these folks know how to crop feed (gavage). It sounds hard, but with a small amount of practice- is relatively easy to do.

 

[millerwb]

Quote:
Did this. She is able to keep the eye open a bit and she is eating and drinking.

Thanks!

 

[onthespot]

I had a silkie get really badly pecked and her eyes both swelled shut for four days. I made a warm mash like hot cereal consistency and put her beak in it and she went right to pecking and feeding herself. She did great. Same with the water. I kept her in a very small space, just enough to stand and turn around, changed her bedding when she pooped and she was up and at 'em in about a week's time. She had no trouble finding the mash even if I wasn't there once she knew where it was. The mash was in one corner, a small cage bird plastic container that hooked to the side of her cage was in the other corner. She stayed with her crop normally full and kept hydrated. This was an injury though, not complicated by illness, which can make them not feel so much like eating and they need help/reminding sometimes when they are sick. Hope your bird gets well soon!

 

[KellyHM]

Quote:
Did this. She is able to keep the eye open a bit and she is eating and drinking.

Thanks!

Glad to hear it! I went through a bout of pox and one of my roo's eyes did the same thing. I opened them for him every day and he would go straight to the food and water. It took about a week before he was able to keep his eyes open, but now you would never know he had a problem.

 

[millerwb]

Quote:
Did this. She is able to keep the eye open a bit and she is eating and drinking.

Thanks!

Glad to hear it! I went through a bout of pox and one of my roo's eyes did the same thing. I opened them for him every day and he would go straight to the food and water. It took about a week before he was able to keep his eyes open, but now you would never know he had a problem.

Hopefully only a week or so of this and things will be back to normal.