HELP! Both eyes swollen shut

[becks123]

Hen was missing yesterday afternoon but came home to roost last night. Now I realize she was probably missing because she couldn't see her flock...

Found her this AM with eyes closed/swollen. I figured she was stung or something. Washed her head with hydrogen peroxide then with betadine to avoid infection... then I quarantined.

One eye was shut, the other eyelid/membrane was inflamed but has since down..but eye is shut/watery. When I put her head to water she drank, but no food. I gave her some mush food and could see some on her beak when I last checked on her so hopefully she is eating and drinking now.

Now after researching I'm worried it is something worse? Any home remedies or suggestions I can purchase at tractor supply???

 

[Eggcessive]

Does she have a bad odor around her face? Do you think she could have been attacked? Is all the yellow stuff on her face, the mash feed? Is there any nasal drainage? Any rattly breathing, gasping or cough/sneeze? She might have symptoms of a respiratory disease, but I would get her settled and make sure that she is eating and drinking. Use some warm compresses on her eyes to soften the crusty drainage. You can use some Terramycin eye ointment or plain Neosporin in her eyes twice a day. Tempt her with some scrambled egg, the wet feed, and a little canned cat food or tuna. Hopefuly the eye swelling will go down.

 

[becks123]

Does she have a bad odor around her face? Do you think she could have been attacked? Is all the yellow stuff on her face, the mash feed? Is there any nasal drainage? Any rattly breathing, gasping or cough/sneeze? She might have symptoms of a respiratory disease, but I would get her settled and make sure that she is eating and drinking. Use some warm compresses on her eyes to soften the crusty drainage. You can use some Terramycin eye ointment or plain Neosporin in her eyes twice a day. Tempt her with some scrambled egg, the wet feed, and a little canned cat food or tuna. Hopefuly the eye swelling will go down.

No bad odor that I can tell...stuff on her face is the mash food. She isn't coughing or sneezing. I will do the hot compress + reg neosporin tonight and see how she wakes up! Good thinking on the food I will do that too, just wanna make sure she is still taking in water and food!!!

 

[becks123]

OK... now it seems like she has nose discharge today. No odor.

 

[becks123]

One of her eyes is open now with less swelling!!! Other eye is open and watery. Still some discharge from nose, but no coughing or sneezing. She is eating now.. With this type of turnaround and no medicine, could it be that she was stung by something??

 

[Myrshine]

If there is no odor, it is always best assumed that you're dealing with MG. Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD), or most commonly known as Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). MG is a bacterial infection of poultry, affecting all different species of birds. This disease is most commonly given from infected parents to the offspring, as the MG bacteria can be transmitted vertically into the eggs of developing embryos, making any chicks that hatch, always infected and sick with the bacteria. So please don’t ever breed from your sickly infected flock to sell or giveaway chicks/hens/roosters to anyone. You can freely choose to hatch for yourself, but you should not ever sell and or giveaway any extra roosters as you’ll just be giving someone else your flock’s disease, causing them a devastation. MG is a permanent lifelong chronic disease- meaning, that you can treat or have the symptoms go away, but whenever the bird gets stressed again, the symptoms will keep coming back or get worse. All birds (even recovered birds) remain lifetime long carriers of the MG bacteria, spreading and shedding it through their feces, feathers, dander, respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids. This is a serious permanent lifetime disease of poultry and is incurable, but treatable with antibiotics. Since MG is caused by a bacteria, antibiotics can help keep symptoms at bay until the symptoms resurface whenever birds become stressed again. Keep in mind that over-use and/or misuse of antibiotics also creates antibiotic-resistant bacteria, making the disease harder to treat than before. It’s critical in any livestock animal, especially poultry, to get any sick or symptomatic birds tested to find out which specific disease they have as soon as possible. That being said, most choose to cull all birds, disinfect and start over fresh. If you’d rather not, then the other option is to keep a closed flock- no new birds into your flock and no birds leave your sick flock. If you choose to start over, always quarantine any new birds that you decide to bring into your flock, 30 day quarantine isn’t always enough, therefore, it’s best to do a 60 day quarantine AWAY from your healthy birds, in another area.


Here's more information about MG:

• https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

• https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/blog/protecting-your-flock-what-you-need-to-know-about-mg-ms/

• https://afarmgirlinthemaking.com/respiratory-conditions-poultry-mycoplasma-in-chickens/

• https://www.maine.gov/dacf/ahw/animal_health/documents/backyardpoultry/Mycoplasma Factsheet.pdf

• https://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D9107.PDF

If you are in the US, here is a list of testing and necropsy labs for poultry & other animals:

• List of US Poultry Labs - https://www.heritageacresmarket.com/poultry-necropsy-labs/

• List of Poultry Authorized Labs (NIPIP) - https://www.poultryimprovement.org/documents/AuthorizedLaboratories.pdf

• Zoologix PCR testing for livestock (poultry, equine, bovine, avian, etc) - http://www.zoologix.com/avian/index.htm

• USDA Diagnostic Tests - https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou..._Lab_Information_Services/SA_Diagnostic_Tests

• Research Associates Lab (RAL) - http://www.vetdna.com/test-type/avian-bird

• Poultry Health Services Diagnostic Tests - https://www.poultryhealthservices.com/lab/tests/

 

[becks123]

If there is no odor, it is always best assumed that you're dealing with MG. Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD), or most commonly known as Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). MG is a bacterial infection of poultry, affecting all different species of birds. This disease is most commonly given from infected parents to the offspring, as the MG bacteria can be transmitted vertically into the eggs of developing embryos, making any chicks that hatch, always infected and sick with the bacteria. So please don’t ever breed from your sickly infected flock to sell or giveaway chicks/hens/roosters to anyone. You can freely choose to hatch for yourself, but you should not ever sell and or giveaway any extra roosters as you’ll just be giving someone else your flock’s disease, causing them a devastation. MG is a permanent lifelong chronic disease- meaning, that you can treat or have the symptoms go away, but whenever the bird gets stressed again, the symptoms will keep coming back or get worse. All birds (even recovered birds) remain lifetime long carriers of the MG bacteria, spreading and shedding it through their feces, feathers, dander, respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids. This is a serious permanent lifetime disease of poultry and is incurable, but treatable with antibiotics. Since MG is caused by a bacteria, antibiotics can help keep symptoms at bay until the symptoms resurface whenever birds become stressed again. Keep in mind that over-use and/or misuse of antibiotics also creates antibiotic-resistant bacteria, making the disease harder to treat than before. It’s critical in any livestock animal, especially poultry, to get any sick or symptomatic birds tested to find out which specific disease they have as soon as possible. That being said, most choose to cull all birds, disinfect and start over fresh. If you’d rather not, then the other option is to keep a closed flock- no new birds into your flock and no birds leave your sick flock. If you choose to start over, always quarantine any new birds that you decide to bring into your flock, 30 day quarantine isn’t always enough, therefore, it’s best to do a 60 day quarantine AWAY from your healthy birds, in another area.


Here's more information about MG:

• https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/poultry/FS-1008 Recognizing and Preventing Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

• https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/blog/protecting-your-flock-what-you-need-to-know-about-mg-ms/

• https://afarmgirlinthemaking.com/respiratory-conditions-poultry-mycoplasma-in-chickens/

• https://www.maine.gov/dacf/ahw/animal_health/documents/backyardpoultry/Mycoplasma Factsheet.pdf

• https://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D9107.PDF

If you are in the US, here is a list of testing and necropsy labs for poultry & other animals:

• List of US Poultry Labs - https://www.heritageacresmarket.com/poultry-necropsy-labs/

• List of Poultry Authorized Labs (NIPIP) - https://www.poultryimprovement.org/documents/AuthorizedLaboratories.pdf

• Zoologix PCR testing for livestock (poultry, equine, bovine, avian, etc) - http://www.zoologix.com/avian/index.htm

• USDA Diagnostic Tests - https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/lab-info-services/sa_diagnostic_tests/!ut/p/z1/vZNPc-IgGMY_Sw8eI4SkCe4tuhnjttoZ21TNhSEJJuwSSAlq7adfYvey_aPby3JheOd5gOf9AcjAGmSS7nlFDVeSCrveZAFZuJMpxL57O42_uzBKRrObJAwgvPbB6iS4vfMn7vge2jkewyhehvM4niHoeiD7mv8xCaz_IX1YYHc8G6F_88NPRgQv-R9BBrK24CXYBNchG7HSc5BfYsfHAXXyvESO5yMUeBDREOe9upCmNTXY0LbmHSmUNEwaIniuqT4OYEeJ2mmyVcWuO62o5A0VpGZUmPpUETQnXG6Vbk59Jh3Te16wV3nJaSVVZ3hBDOtM9yfimQzZ-Q6s-kufgbREFwQ9xTeC95gu3WJjU4SfpwjBas_ZAaSy74oA91_kkkDw4xJr-5j5z6enLLIMe2rPBqz_F0R7NtLzybyyqaipnd4J1h8pbYxKqPz180Uy97D1aLZlmunhTttybUzbfRvAATwcDsNKqUqwYaGaAfzIUtvNwfpvJWibNE0b7B2dX8vkZbxwpits8NET1dXVb3w2KQE!/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?urile=wcmath:/APHIS_Content_Library/SA_Our_Focus/SA_Animal_Health/SA_Lab_Information_Services/SA_Diagnostic_Tests

• Research Associates Lab (RAL) - http://www.vetdna.com/test-type/avian-bird

• Poultry Health Services Diagnostic Tests - https://www.poultryhealthservices.com/lab/tests/

Thank you so much for this information. So this means all of my birds have this now? Or would I cull this one and be Okay?

If all of my birds have it...am I still able to eat their eggs?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would not jump to conclusions about your chicken just yet. She showed up with swollen shut eyes and the swelling has decreased dramaticly in one day. Injury still could be possible. Keep her nostril cleaned off with a wet cloth or Qtips. Keep cleaning the eye and apply ointment twice a day. Terramycin eye ointment is helpful if this is a respiratory disease, such as MG. Testing is the only way to know exactly. It its best if her symptoms increase to sneezing or the eye continue to have bubbles or develops pus, to put her on an oral antibiotic, such as Tylosin (tylan) in her water. You can buy that online from Jedds.com. Let us know how she gets along.

 

[Myrshine]

Thank you so much for this information. So this means all of my birds have this now? Or would I cull this one and be Okay?

If all of my birds have it...am I still able to eat their eggs?

I suggest getting testing done to confirm MG as a diagnosis BEFORE giving ANY antibiotics. As long as there is no antibiotic withdrawal, eggs and meat are safe to consume. I wouldn’t cull her because if she has it, it’s almost very certain the rest have it. I don’t believe it’s an injury unless there is missing flesh or dried blood around the eye.