Easter Egger with eye discharge

[ByeEyed]

Evening everyone!

I had posted here before about my EE pullet, Esther. :
She had a traumatic injury to her right eye but with some TLC and advice from y'all, she was right as rain.

Well, she now has a watery and thick bubbly viscous discharge coming from her left eye. I noticed it a few days ago but thought it might be just irritated. Well tonight I looked again and I noticed the bubbly salvia like consistency and went "hmm". She has been shaking her head and scratching at her eye as if it is irritated.

She is behaving normally otherwise. Eating, hanging out with her sisters, and being a normal happy chicken. Only thing that has changed is she laid her first egg two days ago and her 2nd today (proud chicken mama moment there)!

Anyway, I brought her in and tried to soften some of the crusty build off around her eye area and put some ophthalmic gel in her eye. I can't see anything that could indicate a traumatic injury.

I do need to mention I think i have the dry form of chicken pox going around the 5 girls I have. Their combs, soft areas around beak and wattles all are scabby looking but I think we are on the other side of it.

With all that said, is this something that would warrant a vet visit or just wait and see with supportive care?

Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Evening everyone!

I had posted here before about my EE pullet, Esther. :
She had a traumatic injury to her right eye but with some TLC and advice from y'all, she was right as rain.

Well, she now has a watery and thick bubbly viscous discharge coming from her left eye. I noticed it a few days ago but thought it might be just irritated. Well tonight I looked again and I noticed the bubbly salvia like consistency and went "hmm". She has been shaking her head and scratching at her eye as if it is irritated.

She is behaving normally otherwise. Eating, hanging out with her sisters, and being a normal happy chicken. Only thing that has changed is she laid her first egg two days ago and her 2nd today (proud chicken mama moment there)!

Anyway, I brought her in and tried to soften some of the crusty build off around her eye area and put some ophthalmic gel in her eye. I can't see anything that could indicate a traumatic injury.

I do need to mention I think i have the dry form of chicken pox going around the 5 girls I have. Their combs, soft areas around beak and wattles all are scabby looking but I think we are on the other side of it.

With all that said, is this something that would warrant a vet visit or just wait and see with supportive care?

Thank you!

Can you post some photos of what her eye looks like now and the Fowl Pox you are seeing on the other chickens?
How old is she?

If you have a vet that will see her, that is always best.

Sometimes you will need to flush the eye with saline and possibly use a qtip to work any pus/discharge you see out of it. There can be several causes of thick discharge from the eye, bacterial infection and respiratory illness usually are the most common. Foreign material/debris (feed, seeds, etc.) can also cause infection - usually resulting in swelling around the eyes and mucous membranes.


If they have dry form of Fowl Pox, it should resolve itself in a few weeks, barring any infection. You can apply Iodine to the scabs on the wattles and combs to help them dry up (don't pick off the scabs). For Pox around the eyes, Vetericyn eye gel or Terramycin eye ointment work pretty well.

 

[chickens really]

Possible Infectious Coryza..........



Cheers!

 

[ByeEyed]

Thank you all for the input!!

Esther was taken to the vet this morning and diagnosed with eye/sinus infection. She will be on antibiotics and probiotic as well as a medicated eye ointment for a week. She is expected to make a full recovery but her eggs can't be consumed for 3 months

Those other 4 girls of mine better start picking up the slack soon!

Thank you again!

 

[chickens really]

I hope it all works out........


Cheers!

 

[ByeEyed]

Hmm. The mystery deepens.

The infection is not responding to the antibiotic (oral and ointment) and has spread to her other eye in form of bubbly discharge. That'/s it. No other symptoms and she still maintains normal chickeny activities.

Only thing I can add is when I have her in the house to give her meds is once in a while I'll catch a whiff of..something and I usually start thinking "can chickens fart"? That's what it makes me think of lol but when I go to smell again, there is nothing. The discharge from eyes do not smell putrid or anything like coryza has been described and like I said, it is only a fleeting whiff. I have even smelled her beak to see if maybe her breath but did not notice anything.

Any thoughts? I am going back to vet tomorrow but wanted to have a list of ideas that the vet can eliminate or maybe didn't think of. The rest of the girls do not show any signs of sickness and I have been inspecting them religiously 2-3x a day.