Foamy eye in Ducks? Help!

[Abi184]

Hi,
So I have 2 drakes and due to the time of the year they have been fighting. I’ve always split them up but sometimes my dad lets them out early so by the time I get to them they’ve already been fighting. One morning I noticed the under eyes of one of the drakes ( he’s called Dave), seemed red and a little irradiated. I thought nothing of it thinking the other drake had tried to go for his eyes. The next day I went out to him and he had chopped straw stuck in his eye, so I flushed it out and got the straw out, but the next day (today) his eyes seemed to get a little worse like the white part on the outside seemed to be a bit swollen and one of his eyes was completely shut and foamy. The other one is healing well tho. Should I ring the vets

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd wash the eyes out with sterile saline let it dry then use Terramycin eye ointment.If that doesn't clear it up then ring the vet, Of course you can ring the vet now and get the Terramycin from them. Make sure they always have water deep enough to dunk their heads in to keep their eyes and nares clean. This is a tough time of year for drakes, do they get along other times of the year?

 

[Abi184]

I'd wash the eyes out with sterile saline let it dry then use Terramycin eye ointment.If that doesn't clear it up then ring the vet, Of course you can ring the vet now and get the Terramycin from them. Make sure they always have water deep enough to dunk their heads in to keep their eyes and nares clean. This is a tough time of year for drakes, do they get along other times of the year?

Yes they have gotten on fine through the year. It’s only now they have began fighting but I’m not surprised. Thank you! I have him separated from the rest of the flock I only have one girl in with his at a time so he doesn’t get lonely. He’s still quacking around and being himself his eye just seems irritated a lot. Thank you so so much

 

[Miss Lydia]

Those hormones really make them ornery. I'm sure he is happy to have company and having him separated should help alot to get his eye back to normal. Sounds like you will do all you can to help him get over it.

 

[Abi184]

Those hormones really make them ornery. I'm sure he is happy to have company and having him separated should help alot to get his eye back to normal. Sounds like you will do all you can to help him get over it.

I will try everything in the books and more Dave was my little ducking who hatched . I’m happy one of his eyes are okay. Tomorrow I’ll wash his eye out with saline and see what happens

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you can share pictures that would help. Hopefully if a scratch or something was in there like you said and irritated the eye just some TLC will help. Be sure to let us know how Dave is doing.

 

[Abi184]

This is his left eye. The one I thought to be the worst. Although they both sorta look like this.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Bless . Keep washing it out with saline and warm water, apply the Terramycin if you can get it. I usually wait till evening to apply because they wash it off if not. Make sure he can dunk his head to keep them clean and keep him away from the rest until they are healed. Maybe longer. If he doesn't have any other symptoms like discharge from nares or puss from his eyes then they should heal up pretty quick. He's a handsome chap!

 

[Abi184]

I’ve just washed his eyes out with the saline and this is the result. One seems to have a bit of swelling? I’ll try get the ointment hopefully it works. Is foamy eye fatal, can it kill them? I don’t think it’s a URI as he had straw stuck in his eye so I’m thinking it’s the after math of having that stuck in his eye

 

[Abi184]

Update: one of the eyes seems to be rather swollen. It’s quite hard underneath his eye