Foamy Eye/Sinus Infection? Please Help!!!

[orrlux]

Good Morning!

Yesterday I discovered one of my ducks has a really bad foamy eye. My Drake passed a few months back and since then my female duck has become the favorite to pick on/“mate” with by the other ladies. The back of her neck is nearly bald and, as I just mentioned, has developed a pretty nasty foamy eye in both eyes. I looked it up and seems like it can be treated with time and separation, but she’s also become very quiet/slow/inactive and kept to herself. As of the past hour I’ve enclosed her away from the other females with a clean plastic pool and some food to relax in low gear. Should I be worried about something more than just a foamy eye? Thank you!

This is her at the moment, looks like she has two white eyes with how much foam is there

 

[Miss Lydia]

Foamy eyes happens when ducks don’t get to dunk their heads to clean their eyes and nares. It can come from infection to so keep an eye on her to make sure she isn’t having other symptoms, they may have kept her from grooming properly. Hopefully having some space where she can eat and relax will get her feeling good again. Terramycin eye ointment is a way to treat eye issues and warm salt water to rinse them out can help recipes online for saline eye rinse. After a few days if you can tell she’s doing better maybe try putting one of you more relaxed ducks in with her for company but be there to see how it goes. You can use neosporin in or Veterycin on her neck. If you notice any symptoms showing up along with foamy eye post back quick.

 

[ruthhope]

Good Morning!

Yesterday I discovered one of my ducks has a really bad foamy eye. My Drake passed a few months back and since then my female duck has become the favorite to pick on/“mate” with by the other ladies. The back of her neck is nearly bald and, as I just mentioned, has developed a pretty nasty foamy eye in both eyes. I looked it up and seems like it can be treated with time and separation, but she’s also become very quiet/slow/inactive and kept to herself. As of the past hour I’ve enclosed her away from the other females with a clean plastic pool and some food to relax in low gear. Should I be worried about something more than just a foamy eye? Thank you!

This is her at the moment, looks like she has two white eyes with how much foam is there

View attachment 3442097

Hi @orrlux

I am sure you are right to separate your duck until she has recovered. Is there another duck who isn't aggressive who might keep her company?

Are you going to adopt a drake? there are so many rescued drakes out there that would love a good forever home. You might advertise on your state thread on BYC; check out your local chapter of the Humane Society or branch of the SPCA. There is a facebook group Rescue Ducks that could likely help you https://www.facebook.com/groups/388169774565866
or any local to you group on Facebook, or NextDoor

As for the foamy eye, do bath the eyes with warm salt water [1teaspoon salt in 1 cup of lukewarm water] and ensure that your girl has deep water to dunk her head. I have a muscovy drake that frequently gets foamy eye for no obvious reason. He is the cleanest of all my drakes when it comes to bathing, and he always has access to a deep tub of drinking water in his compartment in the coop. He has a deep tub of drinking water outside the coop during the day and a wading pool when outside the coop.

His foamy eye started when he was out of sorts for more than a month this winter, with a big molt. It is much better now that he is back to par health wise, but still occasionally comes back. I have stopped worrying -- he isn't bothered, and I just take out a tub of luke warm water [no salt] and dunk his head in then poor the rest over his head when he has foamy eye. That seems to be less traumatic to him than bringing him in and formally bathing his eyes with saline.

Don't worry too much about foamy eye when you have ensured general good health and availability of water to bathe and to dunk the head in

 

[orrlux]

Foamy eyes happens when ducks don’t get to dunk their heads to clean their eyes and nares. It can come from infection to so keep an eye on her to make sure she isn’t having other symptoms, they may have kept her from grooming properly. Hopefully having some space where she can eat and relax will get her feeling good again. Terramycin eye ointment is a way to treat eye issues and warm salt water to rinse them out can help recipes online for saline eye rinse. After a few days if you can tell she’s doing better maybe try putting one of you more relaxed ducks in with her for company but be there to see how it goes. You can use neosporin in or Veterycin on her neck. If you notice any symptoms showing up along with foamy eye post back quick.

Having her own space seems to help greatly, so we have continued doing that. When I let her out in the morning her eye is still foamed up, but goes away shortly after and I've regularly been rinsing her eyes. She's still pretty lethargic, but walking around a little more and seems to have some appetite back!

 

[orrlux]

Hi @orrlux

I am sure you are right to separate your duck until she has recovered. Is there another duck who isn't aggressive who might keep her company?

Are you going to adopt a drake? there are so many rescued drakes out there that would love a good forever home. You might advertise on your state thread on BYC; check out your local chapter of the Humane Society or branch of the SPCA. There is a facebook group Rescue Ducks that could likely help you https://www.facebook.com/groups/388169774565866
or any local to you group on Facebook, or NextDoor

As for the foamy eye, do bath the eyes with warm salt water [1teaspoon salt in 1 cup of lukewarm water] and ensure that your girl has deep water to dunk her head. I have a muscovy dtrake that frequently get faomy eye for no obvious reason. He is the cleanest of all my drakes when it comes to bathing, and he always has access to a deep tub of drinking water in his compartment in the coop. He has a deep tub of drinkign water outside the coop during the day and a wading pool when outside the coop.

His foamy eye started when he was out of sorts for more than a month this winter, with a big molt. It is much better now that he is back to par health wise, but still occasionally comes back. I have stopped worrying -- he isn't bothered, and I just take out a tub of luke warm water [no salt] and dunk his head in then poor the rest over his head when he has foamy eye. That seems to be less traumatic to him than bringing him in and formally bathing his eyes with saline.

Don;t worry too much about foamy eye when you have ensured general good health and availability of water to bathe and to dunk the head in

Thank you!

That relieves me to hear about the foamy eye, my duck is usually very clean but with the absence of the old drake I think her grooming has been interrupted by the bullying of her other two female companions. It was definitely a lot more balanced when we had our drake, so I may look into those adoption options!!

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you!

That relieves me to hear about the foamy eye, my duck is usually very clean but with the absence of the old drake I think her grooming has been interrupted by the bullying of her other two female companions. It was definitely a lot more balanced when we had our drake, so I may look into those adoption options!!

My Daffy's eyes have been much better since he finished molting and regained his place in the pecking order. I don't actually remember the last day I had to dunk his head in water