Fowl Pox/Pus oozing from both eyes!

[BronteBlu]

Well, my rooster is better and back with the flock, but I found one of the hens by the fence. I thought she might be sunning herself, but she's flighty and knew if she was just sunning herself she would take off. She didn't budge at my approach. I immediately saw that, like my rooster, her eyes were fused shut from the pox; however, there was pus oozing out and down her face! I brought her in, added antibiotic to warm water and scrambled eggs/wet dog food/dry cat food and hand fed her and got water into her. I also added a ophthalmic antibiotic to the "outside" of her eyes hoping some would seep inside. I need to know if I should use some warm water and gently get her eyes as cleaned up as possible and then add the ophthalmic antibiotic? I am worried.

Also, I have 2 baby chicks I removed from the coop before the pox outbreak. Someone told me there is something I can add to their water to prevent/immunize them from the pox...anyone know what it is?

 

[MandyH]

I've got turkeys dropping like flies from the pox. Are there pox on her eyelids that are swollen and have her eyes swollen shut? Also, having pus indicates some infection. I know it will be hard, but culling would be the best way to go. Does she have the yellow cankers in the corners of her mouth or wet pox in her throat. There is an immunization you can give but it's really not advised unless pox become a problem.

 

[BronteBlu]

My chickens all have the dry pox. Most are nearly back to normal. I don't know how I missed her; maybe because she's so flighty and managed to avoid me until her eyes were completely shut.

There's nothing in her mouth or throat. It's just her eyes. I realize there's an infection, but I really want to know if I should try cleaning her eyes with a warm cloth and then add the ophthalmic antibiotic, or just leave her eyes alone. My gut tells me to clean as much of the infection away from her eyes as I possibly can. But I don't want to make matters worse if my gut is wrong.

I've put vitamins and electrolites, as well as antibiotics in her food and water which I am administering to her in small amounts every few hours (which I did with my rooster until his eyes opened up and he was able to eat/drink on his own).

I know the wet pox is usually fatal, which may be what your turkeys have. My chickens are all my pets (I brought them to Texas with me from Washington state in June 2009), so if yours are pets too, I am so sorry you've lost many of them. It's always difficult.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Why would you cull when most birds survive, and pox is not a disease where you worry about carriers?

Yes, clean up the eyes, then apply the ointment. Treat external lesions with iodine or blukote; internal ones with listerine (the original foul tasting kind, not the milder versions that are now available). Treat internal lesions twice daily, the external ones once daily (although if necessary you can skip a day).

Separate ill birds from those who haven't contracted pox; spray for mosquitos and nightly spray repellant such as you would use on yourself or your children around all the coops. Remove open water sources or add chlorine to prevent mosquito breeding. If you have a pond, consider acquiring muscovies or gambusia (mosquito fish).

 

[MandyH]

Quote:
Because if she's that bad already and who knows how long she's had it, there's really no sense in letting her suffer. Also, they can have the pox virus for 2 weeks before they show symptoms, so just because they don't show the signs today, doesn't mean they won't tomorrow.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Okay, clean out her eyes, removing as much mucus and pus as possible. Try to get a prescription for an antimicrobial eyedrop/ointment.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I still don't see the point.

 

[MandyH]

I forgot to add that pox are contagious until the scabs dry up.

 

[BronteBlu]

Okay...no fights please!

My gut said to clean my hen's eyes, and I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to make it worse. I've cleaned them as much as I could without causing irritation or pain. She tolerated it, but I knew when she'd had enough. I then added the ophthalmic antibiotic ointment to her eyes, gave her a few bites of food, some water and put her in her cage with a couple of heating pads on top of the cage to keep her warm.

I realize she may be pretty bad, but to me, I would not kill my child if they were really ill. I'd do my best to take care of them and hope they pulled through. My chickens are my kids. I can't just cull because they're ill. My rooster looked much worse than this hen; and I could have culled him but that's just not me. As of today, he's back out, tail high and strutting around with his girls....

All the chickens have the pox. We had a flood on Oct. 4th. I cannot get rid of the water, and I worry about putting bleach into standing water that the chickens wade through and drink from.

The temp has dropped and we've had some steady winds, so I'm hopeful the mosquitoes won't get bad. I was told that once the birds have had the pox they won't get it again.

 

[purpletree23]

Please don't let the chickens wade through and drink the standing water. They can get any number of horrible diseases that way. Keep them locked in their coop until things dry up or you find some way to divert/drain the water.

Keep doing what you are doing but instead of using warm water to clean her eyes use contact lens storage solution.You can get 2 big bottles at Walmart. Generic is fine.

Soak a cotton ball with the saline solution and gently wipe the eyes using a new cotton ball when the first one is soiled. The solution has germ killing properties but is gentle enough for eyes. It might foam a little like peroxide so don't be alarmed. Keep cleaning but not enough to hurt her and then add the ointment. Do this at least twice a day and along with the terrific care and nutrition you are giving her hopefully she will recover.