Eye injury

[Sweetpea1299]

I have a frizzle rescue that has an infected eye. Swollen and stinks horribly. Its feathers are matted also. What is the best way to clean/treat her (assumption) eye and clean her feathers? I wiped with damp paper towels and used MicrocynAH on the eye.

 

[Eggcessive]

Saline eye wash to flush out the eye. Remove any pus in the eye. And apply Terramycin or plain Neosporin ointment twice a day after cleaning. It is possible that he might have coryza, or a bacterial eye infection, so antibiotics may be needed. Have you seen any respiratory infection symptoms in him or any others?

 

[Sweetpea1299]

No respiratory issues. I have gotten thick blobs of a creamy/yellowish from the eye. Still more in there. I’m trying not to stress her out too much. I cleaned her up with warm water and a toothbrush, so she looks and smells a little better. Should I just use the Neosporin and discontinue the MicrocynAH gel?

 

[coach723]

You will need to remove all the pus, if any is left in there it will continue to regenerate. I would switch to the neosporin or get some terramycin eye ointment (tractor supply stores carry it) and use one of those. The microcyn is good for minor irritations and you can use it for flushing out, but you have a bacterial infection going, so you need a stronger treatment.

 

[LaFleche]

In addition, I would trim the head feathers as they are too long and get in the eyes impeding proper healing.

 

[Sweetpea1299]

You will need to remove all the pus, if any is left in there it will continue to regenerate. I would switch to the neosporin or get some terramycin eye ointment (tractor supply stores carry it) and use one of those. They microcyn is good for minor irritations and you can use it for flushing out, but you have a bacterial infection going, so you need a stronger treatment.

What is the best way to get it out? It is very thick and deep.

 

[coach723]

Here are is a video that may be helpful. You can google for others. Sometimes just manipulating and squeezing will get it out. Other times you might need to use a q-tip or something to remove parts of it. If it's adhered to the eye, that makes it more difficult, and you can try lots of flushing, warm wet compresses, and lots of ointment to hopefully loosen it. If you use tweezers or q-tips, you obviously need to be careful not to injure the eye.

 

[Sweetpea1299]

Thank you. I have been flushing with saline solution, putting wet compresses, cleaning her eye then filling it with terramycin, twice daily. I have been able to get most of the gunk out. At first I was able to squeeze some out, a foul smelling paste. Then it was a hardened whitish glob, I could get using a q-tip. Now its like its adhered to her nasal cavity and its a tug of war, so I’m using tweezers to pull it loose. But I have almost all of it out and I can now see her eye. It seems to have a film over it. I’m hoping the saline washes and ointment will help with clearing that up. I’ve started her on supplements and mealworms for extra protein. She is much more active, although she still doesn’t open the wounded eye.

 

[coach723]

Sounds like you are making good progress. If the terramycin doesn't seem to get it then you may need a stronger eye drop, which you would likely need a vet for. If the infection went on too long then she may lose the sight in that eye. They can adapt with some time and help, but will always be a bit more susceptible to a predator.