Eye injury

[222danette]

Hi everyone,

I have a hen with an injured eye and I'd like some advice on how to relieve her discomfort.

My rooster was beating on her and she started avoiding him, but one night she didn't want to go into the coop and I noticed her eye was only half open with a little thick drainage. I separated her for a week and administered veterinary antibiotic ointment and the yuck cleared up. However, she still won't open the eye, it seems mildly swollen, and the pupil is dilated abnormally and has a greenish cast to it.

I'm afraid the lens is subluxated. When this happened to my elderly cat, the vet said it was painful and the eye had to be removed.

She doesn't seem all that uncomfortable, is eating and drinking, but I don't think she sees much out of this eye, and I don't want her to be in pain. Does anyone know of any drops or ointment that could relieve any discomfort? I know I can't use anything ending in 'caine'.

Thanks,

222danette

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos?

 

[222danette]

Can you post some photos?

Trying to figure out to how to do it.....

 

[Happy hen lover]

There's a icon on left , bottom row when you go to write reply. It will ask you to drop photo go to galley and click it . That's how it works on my phone. ( I just learned this the other day)

 

[222danette]

Can you post some photos?

Trying to figure out to how to do it.....

 

[222danette]

It's hard to see in these photos, but if you can enlarge the last one, her pupil has a greenish cast. Her good eye has a normal black pupil. Does anyone know of anything I can give her for pain relief? I'm afraid the eye probably has to come out?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I separated her for a week and administered veterinary antibiotic ointment and the yuck cleared up. However, she still won't open the eye, it seems mildly swollen, and the pupil is dilated abnormally and has a greenish cast to it.

I would wait and see if the eye will heal.
What is the antibiotic ointment you put in the eye? I think I would continue with a daily rinse of saline and application of eye ointment in the eye. The eye may be damaged and she's blind or she may lose it, but from the photo it's intact, so I would continue to treat it.

What's going on at the back of her head? Have you taken a look at that too? Is there a wound under the feathers?

 

[222danette]

I would wait and see if the eye will heal.
What is the antibiotic ointment you put in the eye? I think I would continue with a daily rinse of saline and application of eye ointment in the eye. The eye may be damaged and she's blind or she may lose it, but from the photo it's intact, so I would continue to treat it.

What's going on at the back of her head? Have you taken a look at that too? Is there a wound under the feathers?

It’s where the rooster was holding on to her. There’s no open wound, but there seem to be permanent lumps where he grabbed her. She’s had those for quite a while

 

[MysteryChicken]

Your bird is lucky to still have a pupil.

I have a rooster that got a pretty bad eye injury I think a month, or two ago from fighting with the other rooster. His eye was very painful, & swollen. His entire eye at one point was green, but that went away after some long term care.

There was lots of bloody discharge from the eye for awhile. It seemed to have gotten worse before it got better. I think that was because of the severity of the injury though. He managed to keep the eye, but he's totally blind in that eye now.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would remove any rooster who hurt my hens. He can be separated in his own pen. Hopefully, you hen’s eye will get better. But hens can get along okay with sight in just one eye. For the neck injury, use plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment on the wound daily. If the wound is still fresh, you may need to separate her in a dog crate with food and water, but keep her with her flock for company. BluKote is something I have sprayed on head and neck wounds to prevent others from pecking the red skin.