Face is swollen, oozing, and smelly. Rampant infection? *pg 2 new pics

aubreynoramarie

designated lawn flamingo
9 Years
May 27, 2010
5,416
36
241
Reno, Nevada
Okay so Petey is now eating and drinking on his own again after the coon attack two nights ago.

But I have a new question.

Yesterday one of his eyes was completely swollen shut. It wasn't oozing but was a little crusty. This morning the other eye was irritated by a white cloudy substance. I sucked a big white lump from the eye and he was able to see again. This evening both eyes are equally swollen and crusted shut and if touched ooze a very foul smelling whitish liquid. His nose is also secreting a yellowish brownish thicker goo. I am trying to keep these clean. I am trying to put a little pressure on the eyes so all of the fluid will come out, then I flush the eyes with a saline solution. I have been washing the nostrils with warm water and then using a syringe to suck out the gunk.

Petey is on tetracycline poultry antibiotic. It's diluted in his water.

My question is now
A) where did this infection come from? He doesn't seem to have any flesh wounds on his head at all. He had a small puncture wound on his back that is healing well. He also seems to have a shoulder injury with some built up fluid that seems to be healing.

B) what now? Is the draining a good or bad sign? And why is his other eye just swelling up now- two days after the attack? I am trying to get my hands on penicillin, but isn't an antibiotic the best for infection? Should I be really worried or is it normal for an infection to get so smelly and oozy before it starts healing? Or is the smell and ooze a clue that it's maybe gone too far and he won't make it?

He has started eating and drinking, but I still force feed him also. He is on tetracycline, poly-vi-sol, aspirin, and electrolytes. His eyes are being flushed with saline solution.


Here he was yesterday. This was his good eye. Not swollen but irritated.
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Here he is today. Both eyes are this swollen.

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i'm so sorry about your little guy. Were it me, with something this serious, i would take him to a vet. He may have come down with a secondary respiratory infection from the stress of the attack. He probably needs an opthalmic ointment for his eyes, like terrimycin. And he may need a different type of antibiotic. My vet seems to prescibe Baytril for most infections. But she does prescribe others, based on the type of infection.

If you can't get him into a vet, i would at least treat those eyes with an antibiotic. Wondering if you can get one online without a prescription.
 
Hmm okay I could order that but who knows when it will arrive. I have gone through a ton of vets lookin for someone who would take my hen who broke her leg. It's futile.
Would a disinfecting contact cleaner work in the mean time?
 
Do you have a Petco nearby? i just found this online: http://www.petco.com/product/114008/Vetericyn-Animal-Ophthalmic-Gel.aspx

Or
have you checked at your local feed store to see if they have a Terrimycin type eye ointment?

It is hard finding a good vet for chickens and other farm animals. i am lucky to have a good vet. But she only works Monday through Thursday. Although the other vets at the office are supposed to know chickens, i haven't tested that out yet. We lost a really good large animal vet clinic for our goats when their office closed down. Haven't found another yet. We all have to become so resourceful when we have farm animals, just for the lack of professional help.
 
i haven't worn contacts in a long time, but i think i remember reading that the contact disinfectant is not meant for use in the eyes. It's meant to disinfect the contacts. i think you want to be super careful with eyes, as they are so sensitive. Until you can get to a feed store to buy a terrimycin ointment, i would just keep using plain saline.
 

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