Eye infection

[Taralea]

Hi everyone,

I have a polish frizzle who has a very swollen and sore eye. Once i had a proper look it looks like a feather has become stuck to the eye. I have cleaned with some warm water and a large lump of what looks like puss has come out her eye.
I have trimed back the feathers around both eyes now to stop it happening again but is their any thing Futher I should be doing?

 

[azygous]

A photo would be helpful in helping you figure out if this is a simple eye irritation or infection or one symptom of a respiratory disease. They are treated differently.

Generally, daily flushing with saline and applying an ophthalmic antibiotic ointment to the eye, such as terramycin, will be adequate for a simple eye infection. If the eye remains swollen with signs if pus leaking around the eye, pressing the pus out from around the eye is necessary to healing.

If it's determined a respiratory infection is present, treatment with an oral antibiotic such as Tylan 50 will be advisable.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Do you have any pictures of the eye? Chickens can get eye infections from a foreign object getting into the eye, but they also can get them from respiratory diseases with a sinus infection. Getting the pus out if it recurs is needed, and flushing out the eye with saline is important. An antibiotic ointment may be helpful, applied to the eye twice a day. Can you see a vet for an antibiotic? If it is a respiratory infection, there could be mycoplasma (MG,) coryza, or E.coli in the eye. Not just any antibiotic will do. Are you seeing any other symptoms?

Edited to say that I was writing as Azygous had posted.

 

[Taralea]

Hopefully these photos are clear enough, she's a little quiet today but still eating and drinking. I'll get some saline solution tomorrow and see if that helps her.
I'm hoping it's just an eye infection due to the feather being stuck. IV been scouring the internet and she doesn't seem to have any other symtoms.

 

[Eggcessive]

She might have been pecked in the eye as well. To check for a respiratory infection, look for nasal drainage, gasping, sneeze or cough, rattles or wheezing during breathing. I had a polish hen who didn’t see well because of her poofy feathers, and she would bump into the other chickens. Once they pecked her eye, and it blinded her. I used plain Triple Antibiotic Ointment or Neosporin in her eye. Feed stores sell Terramycin eye ointment which can help treat MG or mycoplasma. Use either one twice a day. Tylan 50 injectable can be used if you think it is MG. You can give it orally, and dosage is 0.25 ml per pound 3 times a day for 3-5 days. It also may be given by injection.

 

[Taralea]

Little update - we went to the vets today as her eye was still very bad this morning and I can't get of the medication you guys suggested (maybe because I'm from the uk?) And she been giving some antibiotics and a shot of metacam for pain and inflammation so fingers crossed this helps. I'll keep you posted

 

[Eggcessive]

So glad that you could see a vet and get medicine. Hopefully, she will soon get better. It helps to know your location, so that we can recommend medicines that are available where you live.

 

[Taralea]

Today we had out check up at the vets, we have now been given baytrill, the eye was pretty puss and scabbed over however since coming home she has managed to scratch the scab off and the eye now looks better than when at the vets today. We are due to do back on Tuesday and if the baytrill hasn't worked there isn't anything else can be done. The vet still isn't sure what's going on as she has no other symtoms other than the eye.
Photo attached is how it looked tonight. Vet has also said that if it clears now she probably won't have any sight in that eye ....do chickens copy being blind in one eye ?

 

[azygous]

Yes, chickens can cope with having only one eye, however, it's an individual thing just as with humans adjusting to a disability. Some are unstoppable while others give up.

I have had two hens with serious eye issues, both affecting the right eye. It makes a difference to a chicken which eye is affected because the right eye sees up close (finding food) while the left eye focuses on distance (danger). One of my hens went rapidly blind with a serious infection, and she gave up and refused to eat.

The other hen is still alive after living a normal life with a benign tumor over her right eye for the past six years. Although she doesn't see much out of that eye any longer, she still manages to have a huge enthusiasm for food. She is close to twelve years old.

Your hen shouldn't free range after she recovers since she will be vulnerable to danger if she loses that left eye.

 

[Taralea]

Phew! I'm glad they can cope ok if they lose an eye, she's perfectly happy within herself, eating drinking talking to us as we come into the room and are in there (she's currently in a dog cage in my kitchen) and makes such a noise if she hears her pals outside.

I'm praying the baytrill helps, they have a run attached to a garden shed and only get out in the garden if I'm about or my dog is about , he very protective over out chickens now.