Has anyone seen this problem before?

[sara1226]

I have a bantam silkie with a bizarre problem. Over the past several months we have noticed sometimes her eyes will be a bit foamy, but only occasionally. The first time I noticed it, I rushed her in the garage and assumed it was an illness. However, after she got into the garage (in a cage with only wood chips), it cleared up and went away within a couple hours. There was no nasal discharge.

Then my husband noticed something, she has an odd habit of sticking her whole beak in the sand (or water when she drinks), and then it seems like her nostrils get blocked with debris. I also noticed that her nostrils seem extremely small and narrow compared to all my other chickens. But yet again, next time I saw her with a runny eye I put her back in the garage. Within a few hours she was again back to normal. No nasal discharge.

It's been rainy here lately, so the sand in the run area is wet, and low and behold this chicken has a foamy eye again. This has been happening on and off for months now. If it was an illness... Wouldn't she be consistently getting worse, and wouldn't my other chickens have symptoms? I'm getting a bit tired of rushing her into my garage, thinking she's a goner, then in a few hours she's totally fine.

The only thing I can think of to do is put some vet rx on her nostrils a couple times a day to help her breathe when she gets junk jammed in there. There are no other symptoms, she is eating and drinking normally (and molting currently) Can anyone else give me any suggestions or have any similar experiences they can share?

I don't care to read posts telling me to cull her. We only have a flock of 8, and they are pets. Not for dinner. My family is very attached to them.


Thank you everyone!

 

[Eggcessive]

That is kind of strange. I don't exactly know why the eyes develop foam, but it sometimes occurs with swelling around the eye in respiratory infection or injury. Maybe she is getting some kind of pressure build up in her eyes when her nostrils get blocked, but I am just guessing. You also could treat her with some oxytetracycline or Tylan which are drugs that treat respiratory disease, just in case.

 

[sara1226]

That is kind of strange. I don't exactly know why the eyes develop foam, but it sometimes occurs with swelling around the eye in respiratory infection or injury. Maybe she is getting some kind of pressure build up in her eyes when her nostrils get blocked, but I am just guessing. You also could treat her with some oxytetracycline or Tylan which are drugs that treat respiratory disease, just in case.

It is strange. Am I right that if it was an illness it would have progressed over these last few months, and it probably would t come and go all the time? I know I have injectable tylan.. Not sure I want to use an injection on her. I'll have to see what other kinds of meds I have on hand.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can give the injectable Tylan 50 ORALLY 1/4 ml twice daily for 5 days, followed by some probiotics or plain yogurt afterward. She could have a low grade MG infection, or she may just have some sensitivity to something in the coop.