Eye issue....is this part of fowl pox?

[Robert G]

Due to the sudden rainy weather, my flock is currently going through dry fowl pox thanks to the mosquitoes. While most are recovering well, some have their eyes messed up including some month old chicks. Is this part of fowl pox and will it go away or did they lose their eye for sure? I've attached a picture but not very clear. They won't let me catch them since they seem to be scared with only being able to see through one eye. I hope it's only temporary.

 

[Eggcessive]

Fowl pox virus has a tendency to affect the eyes, and sometimes there can be a secondary bacterial infection in the eyes if scabs are near. Can you get a clear picture? Is there pus in the eye? I would clean the eye with saline or water, and put some plain neosporin ointment or terramycin ointment from the feed store into the eye. Thry not to disturb the scabs since it can spread the pox more.

Young chicks have a much harder time with pox, and it tends to be worse on the face. Sometime pox can affect the insides of the beak and throat, and those birds may have yellow patches inside the beak. Those birds may have trouble eating and drinking due to the pain. Maybe you could check them in the dark with a headlamp or flashlight, and use some ointment on the eyes.
Here is some reading:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/fowl-pox-prevention-treatmen/

 

[Robert G]

Thank you so much for the info. They are eating and drinking water but I feel bad that they are going through this because of the ridiculous amount of rain we've been getting late in the year. The good thing is the colder weather is setting in so there shouldn't be any mosquitoes. But then again, they already did their damage.

 

[Eggcessive]

Fowl pox can spread through aerosol and direct contact with shed scabs for quite some time. If possible, you might want to separate affected birds from those not showing symptoms. But I realize that with young chicks, that might not be possible. There is a pox vaccine available online for both young birds and older chickens. One type is for chicks 4-8 weeks old, while the other is for chicks over 8 weeks to adults. They say to give it before laying age, but you can give it to layers with an egg withdrawal time. Or you could just let them all become exposed, and they should be immune to that strain in the future. Here is some reading about the vaccines if interested:

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail...YXak0jikRzKqob7uPM-HMmQbI2s-110RoC-AEQAvD_BwE

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=63c9bff7-0ae9-41a5-bce7-773d195ee78c&sfb=1&itemguid=ba5d6b40-4276-4d45-89b6-62d36fc6db5d&utm_content=42967&ccd=IFF003&CAWELAID=120295250000088342&
CATARGETID=120295250000466166&cadevice=t&gclid=CjwKCAiA5qTfBRAoEiwAwQy-6XsXrlYg9T8adfKfX1gfZLUSMRuNPZ0Pnms1CZEwWJQfxnUtvBSoLxoCV98QAvD_BwE

http://www.hygieialabs.com/aefp.html

 

[Robert G]

I was able to catch one of the chicks since it's getting dark. Hope this helps. I don't want to mess with it in fear of spreading it more.

 

[Robert G]

This is the one that worries me. Did she already lose her eye?

 

[Robert G]

Fowl pox virus has a tendency to affect the eyes, and sometimes there can be a secondary bacterial infection in the eyes if scabs are near. Can you get a clear picture? Is there pus in the eye? I would clean the eye with saline or water, and put some plain neosporin ointment or terramycin ointment from the feed store into the eye. Thry not to disturb the scabs since it can spread the pox more.

Young chicks have a much harder time with pox, and it tends to be worse on the face. Sometime pox can affect the insides of the beak and throat, and those birds may have yellow patches inside the beak. Those birds may have trouble eating and drinking due to the pain. Maybe you could check them in the dark with a headlamp or flashlight, and use some ointment on the eyes.
Here is some reading:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/fowl-pox-prevention-treatmen/

Eggcessive what are thoughts on the last pic? Her eye looks shut pretty tight.

 

[Eggcessive]

Is the eyelid stuck together? What do you see when you open it with your fingers? If it is stuck together, hold a warm wet compress to the eye for a few minutes. Have you used any antibiotic ointment in the eye?

 

[Robert G]

I haven't done anything to it. Should I put do the warm compression or antibiotic ointment?

 

[Robert G]

I haven't tried to open it. I can only catch her at night when she roosts in the coop. During the day she free ranges.