- Jul 24, 2013
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Hello BYCers,
I currently have a sick 2 year old bantam hen. In late October, she developed a swollen-shut right eye and became a little lethargic (still eating and drinking well, though). Her left eye was somewhat squinty, but never swollen shut like the right. I isolated the hen immediately and treated her with .25ccs of Tylan200 injectable, given orally each day. In the past, I've given Tylan injections, but I didn't want to stress her out too much with painful injections. After five days of Tylan treatment, both eyes were clear and open. I waited for about another week and then re-introduced her into the flock.
In late November, another hen in the coop became sick, presenting signs of wet Fowl Pox. The newly sick hen had lesions on the corners of her mouth and cheesy build-up inside. I tried supportive treatment with that hen (isolation, warmth, oxytetracycline, misting with Oxine), but she couldn't get enough to eat due to the build-up in her mouth (and maybe an internal problem) and died about ten days later. No other birds have yet shown signs of Fowl Pox. Maybe she had canker instead?
About five days ago, the same hen that was sick with the eye problem in October developed a swollen right eye again. Her left eye is completely clear. I isolated her and began Tylan treatment again, this time increasing the dosage to .3ccs/day given orally. Yes, the dosage is high, but at this point, I think the risk of possible organ damage is outweighed by the need to completely eliminate whatever is wrong with her. However, five days into the Tylan treatment, the hen is not completely better. Her eye is less swollen, but it still gets stuck shut at night. During the day, it gradually opens, but it is still somewhat "saggy" and a little watery. The hen continues to eat and drink very well and hasn't lost any weight. There are no other respiratory signs: her breathing is fine, no discharge from the nostrils, etc. She is currently finishing a molt.
At this point, I'm just asking if anyone has any other treatment suggestions. Do you think it is an isolated eye infection, or a chronic, mild respiratory problem? Should I try a different antibiotic or something natural, like comfrey, turmeric, etc. to strengthen her immune system? Should I try putting an antibiotic or colloidal silver directly in her eye? I plan to continue the Tylan treatment for a few more days and see what happens.
I currently have a sick 2 year old bantam hen. In late October, she developed a swollen-shut right eye and became a little lethargic (still eating and drinking well, though). Her left eye was somewhat squinty, but never swollen shut like the right. I isolated the hen immediately and treated her with .25ccs of Tylan200 injectable, given orally each day. In the past, I've given Tylan injections, but I didn't want to stress her out too much with painful injections. After five days of Tylan treatment, both eyes were clear and open. I waited for about another week and then re-introduced her into the flock.
In late November, another hen in the coop became sick, presenting signs of wet Fowl Pox. The newly sick hen had lesions on the corners of her mouth and cheesy build-up inside. I tried supportive treatment with that hen (isolation, warmth, oxytetracycline, misting with Oxine), but she couldn't get enough to eat due to the build-up in her mouth (and maybe an internal problem) and died about ten days later. No other birds have yet shown signs of Fowl Pox. Maybe she had canker instead?
About five days ago, the same hen that was sick with the eye problem in October developed a swollen right eye again. Her left eye is completely clear. I isolated her and began Tylan treatment again, this time increasing the dosage to .3ccs/day given orally. Yes, the dosage is high, but at this point, I think the risk of possible organ damage is outweighed by the need to completely eliminate whatever is wrong with her. However, five days into the Tylan treatment, the hen is not completely better. Her eye is less swollen, but it still gets stuck shut at night. During the day, it gradually opens, but it is still somewhat "saggy" and a little watery. The hen continues to eat and drink very well and hasn't lost any weight. There are no other respiratory signs: her breathing is fine, no discharge from the nostrils, etc. She is currently finishing a molt.
At this point, I'm just asking if anyone has any other treatment suggestions. Do you think it is an isolated eye infection, or a chronic, mild respiratory problem? Should I try a different antibiotic or something natural, like comfrey, turmeric, etc. to strengthen her immune system? Should I try putting an antibiotic or colloidal silver directly in her eye? I plan to continue the Tylan treatment for a few more days and see what happens.
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