Guinea with eye problems

[mimi41651]

We have a hen that has been sitting on a nest in the woods. She came out today to eat and there is something wrong with her eyes. She can't see. She is running into things and wants to keep her eyes closed. It also looks like the top of her head the skin has been taken off. Has anyone ever had this problem? I don't know what has happened to her overnight. Any help is appreciated.

 

[JLeigh]

Sounds like she escaped a predator. I'm so sorry to hear this. Poor thing.

 

[PeepsCA]

Yep, sounds like a predator attack to me too. Slather on plain neosporin on her head wounds, clean her eyes with a warm wet cloth... if you can catch her. Is the nest ok? Does she try to get back to her eggs? If not, I'd keep the Hen contained/confined and her wounds cleaned/medicated until she is healed.

 

[mimi41651]

She let me catch her and I have her in a dog crate in the house. Her nest looked fine, but I got the eggs and started up the incubator. She can't see! It's almost like she is blind in both eyes. I've been putting warm cloths on her eyes. And the Neosporin on her head. I'm just worried about her eyes. It being on Sunday, I couldn't find a store to get anything for her eyes. Thanks and any more info will be appreciated.

 

[PeepsCA]

If your Hen's eyes are swollen shut from injury (not infection) you can give her a 1/2 baby aspirin (or the equivalent in liquid form) 2-3 times a day to help relieve inflammation. Aspirin only, not tylenol, advil or aleve etc.Cold compresses (even cold tea bag compresses) would help more for inflammation than the warm compresses.

If the Hen's eyes are infected/stuck shut... I'd rinse them with a saline solution if you have any. Some swear by the 3 in 1 contact lens solution, but to me that seems scary... that stuff stings even watered down 50/50 because it has peroxide in it. I've actually used plain Neosporin (or even generic triple antibiotic ointment, as long as there's no pain relief ingredient in it) as an eye med for eye infection issues many times... on horses, dogs, cats, birds/keets, and even on myself... but a few squawked about it when I recommended it for a Peafowl eye issue cuz "it says on the label do not use in eyes"

. I've never blinded a bird (or any animal) with it or made any eye issue worse by using it tho (and I would not recommend it to use on a Guinea if I wasn't sure it was safe). I've successfully cured many eye issues with it, including just recently on a 3 day old turkey poult that got pecked by it's brooder mates in the eye... the eye was puffy and stuck shut, and the bird was pitiful with just one eye to see out of. The Neosporin helped keep the eye from sticking shut and the problem it was cleared up in 3-4 days. (The active ingredients are the same in both meds, the tube just doesn't say "opthalmic" and the price tag doesn't say $29.95 on plain Neosporin). I put a dab on a clean finger then hold the dab of ointment to the bird's eye and let it blink a few times to coat the eye... and the ointment quickly melts, covering the eye.

 

[mimi41651]

Thank you sooooo much. I will try the ointment tonite. I don't have any baby aspirin, but I have the 81 mg. Would half of it be about the same? You don't know how much I appreciate your advice~~my animals are my "kids"!!!!!!

 

[PeepsCA]

Actually I think a baby aspirin has the same mg dose in it as a normal low dose, 81 mg... the size of the a low dose pill and getting it down her throat (not her esophagus!) may be difficult, so maybe break it up into smaller pieces, or maybe dissolve it in a little water and then soak it up with a couple small pieces of bread and try getting it down her throat that way. However you get it into her, she's not going to like the taste, so be prepared for a struggle... good luck!

 

[mimi41651]

Do Guinea's have a second eyelid like some animals have for protection? She is opening her eyes, but it looks like a white film over her eyes. Does this mean she is blind, or just protecting her actual eye?

 

[PeepsCA]

Yes they have a 2nd eyelid, inflammation can sometimes cause them to keep it over the eye... usually just part way but all the way isn't out of the norm. At least she is opening her eyes, that's improvement, right?

Try covering one eye and she if she opens up the 2nd lid on the other eye when you make a sound or do something that she'd normally try to look at and see what's going on.