Eyeworms or not?

[Ivywoods]

Well, I don't have a picture to post, but I am wondering if my FBCM has an eyeworm. I "googled" images of poultry eyeworms, and it doesn't look like any of the few pictures that came up. (Oh my gosh! Before I put the "poultry" clarification in the search, the images that came up were more than enough to make me sick!)

Anyway, he doesn't really have swelling or bulging around his eye, but he does have more of a small amount of white foam in the corner of his eye. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[itsmyobsession]

I dont have any experience with eye worms, but when my FBCM's (2 of them so far) have gotten like this it turned out to be a respiratory infection, how is the breathing? If he is kind of stretching out the neck and opening his beak to breath it is an upper respiratory infection.

 

[Ivywoods]

His breathing seems to be normal. I have noticed the "foamy" eye for 3 days now. I have ordered some VETRX just in case it is an eyeworm.

It very well could be an infection. I am just not sure. Right now they are in temporary housing because our little barn lost it's roof in a windstorm, and our big old barn lost one end and is leaning so bad it is not safe. We are in the process of "waiting" for the little barn to be rebuilt, and I am going to build separate housing for all of the chickens. I built a chicken tractor after the storm, and the little bantems in there are doing great, but it won't be sufficient housing for the winter. My FBCM's are in a temporary coop that I built. It is secure, but when we have wind and rain, it does get damp in there.

I suppose I should treat the possibly infected one and the rest of them that are in the temporary coop with some sort of antibiotic. Any ideas what antibiotic I should use?

 

[Country Cluck]

I just went through something very similar. My pullet's eye went from clear to cloudy in 24 hours and then totaly white. I to Googled poultry eye diseases and it come up with a lot of info. I bought several medications to treat it, but ultimately I ended up at the vet. I first looked for Terramycine, but I was told that it has not been manufactured in over a year and no one had it. The lady at the feed store had me buy Vertericyn which comes in a gel form for eyes. After 2 days she wasn't getting any better, so I called a vet and he prescribed her Tobramycin. He said he thought that the Vetericyn was not strong enough to kill the infection. but you can always try that first. It cost $25 at the feed store and Tobramycin was $15 at the pharmacy. Tobramycin is used for people as well as animals, so if you can get a doctor to write it (if you know one) you could save a $75 vet bill.

If the chickens droppings are a bright or dark green color that is an indication of an infection. It took 2 weeks for her eye to heal and she is back outside now, but she has a film on her eye still after a week that looks to be a scab of some sort, so I don't want to pull it off just yet, but she can see in both eyes.

Also I saw First State Vet Supply does have Terramycine back in stock since last week and I believe they wanted $14 + shipping.

 

[rosco]

i had the same issue. i was told to buy "nfz puffer" found at tractor supply or Gebo's or the like. it is not approved for chickens and i think it may be in the goat section. maybe the livestock's dog section. contains 0.2% Nitrofurazone. manufactured by Neogen Corporation for Hess&Clark, inc. i've bought it but not used it. i'm afraid for some reason.

read through the tweety threads. it can get a lot worse. i mean a lot worse. bulging eyes (out to 2" of "cheese"), almost dead, stretching of neck like it can't breath, etc.

our vet said it was a sinus infection and a chicken expert said it was an occular infection (the sinus surrounds the eye socket, i think). either way, it can get really, really bad.

let me know by posting on my thread or PM'ing if you find the answer. i'll do same if you like.

 

[rosco]

here is link to my first post (graphic photos): https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=383043

here is link to second post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4899208#p4899208