Has anyone ever dealt with Eye Worm? What is the treatment

[LisaJean]

My first thought when I saw "Eye Worm" was that it was the newest viral threat to Microsoft Windows.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

I guess I'd be worried that putting lysol (even diluted) or kerosene in the eye would make the chicken go blind! Not to mention the excruitiating pain.


I refuse to go look myself. I still haven't got over the idea that there can be worms in eggs, no matter how rare they say it is..

 

[dlhunicorn]

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/202800.htm
(MERCK)
"...Eggs of Oxyspirura mansoni , Manson’s eyeworm, are deposited in the eye, reach the pharynx via the nasolacrimal duct, are swallowed, passed in the feces, and ingested by the Surinam cockroach, Pycnoscelus surinamensis . Larvae reach the infective stage in the roach. When infected intermediate hosts are eaten, liberated larvae migrate up the esophagus to the mouth and then through the nasolacrimal duct to the eye, where the cycle is completed..........
As a treatment for Manson’s eyeworm, a local anesthetic can be applied to the eye, and the worms in the lacrimal sac exposed by lifting the nictitating membrane. A 5% cresol solution (1-2 drops) placed in the lacrimal sac kills the worms immediately. The eye should be irrigated with sterile water immediately to wash out the debris and excess solution. The eyes improve within 48-72 hr and gradually become clear if the destructive process caused by the parasite is not too far advanced. "

 

[Julie in Al]

Diana thanks for the info. I have called lots of Vets here today and not one of them even the avian vets will treat chickens and none of the names they gave me to call do either.

 

[speckledhen]

I personally feel that neither kersosene nor lysol belong in anyone's eyes. You risk blindness, IMO, by using them in a birds' eyes, no matter how much farmers way back when did it. That's just my two cents on that particular subject. I am not a vet, nor are any of the moderators, to my knowledge, and we don't have an on-call vet here, so everyone should take all recommendations made with here a grain of salt and do their own research.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Julie that stinks... if IF it is eye worm, then all I have read all agree that the Merck treatment (plaing a specific substance at a specific place under (local) anethesia) is the way to treat it...
I have not found any other (proper veterinary) reference to support any other other effective treatment for it. Lets hope it is something else? How is her condition at the moment and what are you using to treat ?

 

[thndrdancr]

Wow, they can get this from just eating a cockroach? Thats horrible, poor birds. I found a roach in MY babies nestbox when I cleaned it out, I will try to make sure they dont get stick around.

 

[Pine Grove]

This can be taken with a grain of salt also, But unless Julie is able to find a vet that will do, or even knows how to do the procedure her bird will definitely go blind, If in fact it is an eye worm, I have dealt with eye worms many, many times.
I have used vetrx, Ivomect, valbazen and the lysol solution, The kerosene I have never,nor would I.
The valbazen is my personal choice. But the others work also. Never have I or the countless others that use these has had a bird go blind.Peter Brown even suggest the lysol solution.
The question was asked if anyone ever dealt with and treated the eyeworm. I have and this is what I use, I understand it sounds harsh, But without a Vet it's the only alternative

 

[dlhunicorn]

My main concern is possible misdiagnosis...finding a rehabber that has perhaps seen (and dealt) with this before would be most helpful.
Here is a link listing a few rehabbers in Alabama (just type in the state and hit search)...perhaps one of them can help you further:
http://wildliferehabber.com/modules/xoopsmembers/index.php

 

[Nugs]

To funny!