Eye Issue and Re-introducing Chicken Back to Flock

[jslater14]

Morning! I had originally posted about my 8 month BCM about a week and a half ago who seemed to have some sort of eye injury. She didn't appear to have any other symptoms but was lethargic and hiding. Initially, the eye was gunky.

I moved her to our garage as soon as I noticed and started to clean the eye with saline solution and added in an antibiotic eye drop once a day. Again, no other symptoms but she was not interested in eating or drinking, so I was syringe feeding her electrolyte water. After a few days, we had to go out of town for the weekend (this past weekend) so had to put her back with the flock. When we returned, she had been picked on a bit, a little blood around the eye area. I immediately put her back in the garage this past Sunday and continued with the saline flush, antibiotic drops and eye gel multiple times a day. The eye now has that white/yellow, think film over it, but seems to be clearing some. I've tried to gently push it out but don't want to hurt her. She's been eating and drinking, but not as much as normal. Her poop is really watery, with a random one that is normal.

My question is, she seems to be depressed being by herself now. I can't find anything else wrong with her and the eye situation seems to be SLOWLY getting back. Should I still keep her separated or try to re-introduce her back to the flock?

 

[coach723]

Link to previous post:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sick-chicken-eye-infection.1645613/
You were given good advice there. Can you get current pictures of the eye? It could be pus, or it could be clouding of the eye if the eye was damaged and now blind.

 

[jslater14]

Link to previous post:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sick-chicken-eye-infection.1645613/
You were given good advice there. Can you get current pictures of the eye? It could be pus, or it could be clouding of the eye if the eye was damaged and now blind.

The first pic of the eye is not my chicken but basically what the eye looks like when open. It looks like it’s breaking away from the side of the eye but when I try to apply any pressure to loosen it out, it doesn’t move.

The other pic is of her obviously swollen eye and her current state - sleeping. I will say I just brought her back in from trying to free range with her flock, but a couple are chasing her and then side hides otherwise.

I’m just at a loss of what to do at this point. She’s been back in her space in the garage since Sunday. I felt like she was making progress (eating, drinking) but it’s hard to say whether or not the eye is getting better. And then now, the sleeping is obviously a regression although she may be exhausted from me on extreme alert outside.

She’s also pooping but because she’s not eating her normal amount, she’s not pooping as much and is watery most times. The poop looks normal to me, with the exception of being watery.

 

[coach723]

If it looks like that, I suspect it's pus. That has to be removed or the ointments and drops will not do any good. You will need to flush it out well and remove it with manipulation and sometimes a qtip will help. Sometimes it adheres to the eye and takes a bit of work to get it loose. Just take your time and try not to damage the eye. If you don't feel able to do that, then vet care would be best. If infection is not taken care of it can get worse, affect the other eye as well, or become systemic.

 

[jslater14]

If it looks like that, I suspect it's pus. That has to be removed or the ointments and drops will not do any good. You will need to flush it out well and remove it with manipulation and sometimes a qtip will help. Sometimes it adheres to the eye and takes a bit of work to get it loose. Just take your time and try not to damage the eye. If you don't feel able to do that, then vet care would be best. If infection is not taken care of it can get worse, affect the other eye as well, or become systemic.

So this just came out. It definitely was stuck to the eye. Pretty sure she hates me now

 

[coach723]

LOL! It will probably start feeling better now. How does the eye look underneath?

 

[jslater14]

LOL! It will probably start feeling better now. How does the eye look underneath?

It looks like an eye but still looks a little gunky. She’s laying down but her head is twitching a bit? Is that normal? Maybe from pain?

LOL! It will probably start feeling better now. How does the eye look underneath?

me again we got the puss out Thursday afternoon and I had been flushing her eye with salt water and putting some colloidal silver drops in it with eye gel in the outside, 3 times a day. This is what her eye currently looks like. Is that clearish-white thing in the corner a concern?

 

[coach723]

Looks like pus. I think you need to use something a little stronger than the colloidal silver for this. I would flush the eye again, remove all that pus, and use, preferably, terramycin eye ointment a couple of times a day. If you can't get that (it's available on line, or in some feed stores without a prescription in most states) then I would use plain neosporin. There are also even stronger eye drops you can get with a prescription from a veterinarian.

 

[jslater14]

Looks like pus. I think you need to use something a little stronger than the colloidal silver for this. I would flush the eye again, remove all that pus, and use, preferably, terramycin eye ointment a couple of times a day. If you can't get that (it's available on line, or in some feed stores without a prescription in most states) then I would use plain neosporin. There are also even stronger eye drops you can get with a prescription from a veterinarian.

Lord, more puss??? Why didn’t it come out with the other?? lol.

I do have terramycin. Just put around the outside of the eye?

 

[coach723]

As long as there is infection in there, the pus will just continue to regenerate. You may need to flush it out daily until it starts to get better. I would flush once, remove any visible pus, apply the ointment after that. The terramycin goes IN the eye. Easier if you have one to hold the bird and one to apply the ointment, but you can do it by yourself, wrapping the bird in a towel like a burrito with her head sticking out can make it easier to hold her wings. Just hold the eye open, put a small amount, 1/8 to 1/4 inch in the eye. It's formulated for eyes and will dissolve and spread pretty quick. I would do it 2-3 times a day. If the other eye looks fine, then just treat the one, if the other has any issues, I would treat both eyes.