Eye injury...not drinking

[happylittlehens]

It’s been a doozy of a weekend! Scaly leg mites, bumblefoot and now an eye injury! This is a 5 year old leghorn that somehow cut the top of her eye today. It’s only the top of the lid, the eye itself isn’t injured. She also won’t open the other eye. I checked it well and can’t see anything wrong with it. I’ve cleaned the cut, dried it and put antibiotic ointment on it. I offered her some water but she won’t drink it. She’s hanging out in a separate box inside the coop and has no interest in coming out. How long can she go without water before I should try to force it?

 

[NoFlyBackFarm]

Good course of action, let her open when she is ready. She will hopefully recover.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Eye injuries are painful. You can try some terramyicin for her eye. It is found at tsc or other farm supply stores.
Just be careful with forcing her to drink water - I am thinking you mean by syringe. You will want to do it correctly or she could aspirate.

 

[micstrachan]

I'm sure the poor thing is in pain. And if she isn't opening her eyes, she can't see the water. Have you tried dipping just the tip of her beak in water and see if she takes some? You might also sit with her and drip just one drop of water on the side of her beak. It will drip down and she will likely swallow.

Also, since you don't know how she cut her eye, have you looked her over for other injuries just to make sure there was not a predator attack?

 

[happylittlehens]

Eye injuries are painful. You can try some terramyicin for her eye. It is found at tsc or other farm supply stores.
Just be careful with forcing her to drink water - I am thinking you mean by syringe. You will want to do it correctly or she could aspirate.

Thank you! I’ll go get some tomorrow. And yes with a syringe.

 

[happylittlehens]

I'm sure the poor thing is in pain. And if she isn't opening her eyes, she can't see the water. Have you tried dipping just the tip of her beak in water and see if she takes some? You might also sit with her and drip just one drop of water on the side of her beak. It will drip down and she will likely swallow.

Also, since you don't know how she cut her eye, have you looked her over for other injuries just to make sure there was not a predator attack?

She will open the injured eye and look around, just not the uninjured eye. She saw the water. Maybe she was just in too much pain or wasn’t thirsty. I did try to drop some on her beak but she didn’t take it. I will have to try the side of her beak tomorrow if she isn’t perkier. I’m positive it wasn’t a predator. I was in the run tagging hens with bumblefoot when it happened. I think she ran into the fence or something while the other hens were trying to avoid capture.

 

[NoFlyBackFarm]

Is the fence sharp?

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

@happylittlehens You can give her aspirin the pain.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/aspirin = That is 1 325mg aspirin to 1 cup of water.

 

[happylittlehens]

@happylittlehens You can give her aspirin the pain.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/aspirin

Good to know. Thank you!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Good to know. Thank you!

I added the equivalency in that post since I wasn't sure what a 5 grain tablet was (UK).