HELP! Hen's eyes scabbed shut from Mycoplasma!

[McPhersonChicks]

She is separated from the flock. We have her on Oxytetracycline and we apply Vetericyn ophthalmic ointment twice a day. The eye is still swollen but the wounds are starting to scab and heal... problem is she can't see. I don't know what to do for her. All advice is welcome.

 

[Eggcessive]

That looks like fowl pox scabs, unless she has been pecked. It is a virus spread by mosquitoes that has to run it's course over 3-5 weeks. Are you opening her eyes to put the ointment inside? Maybe try putting her a cage near food and water (and near the other chickens) so that she can find it easily. Here are a few links to read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/avian-pox-how-to-treat-your-chickens-for-avian-pox
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/510

 

[McPhersonChicks]

She is in her own pen with food and water, and she is close to the others. I was told to coat the outside of the eye with ointment and it would work it's way into the eye. I can't do much now because a scab had formed over the eyes. I want too try a warm compress but I'm not familiar with the proper way to do it.

 

[K R 2709]

I think that the easiest way to do a warm compress would be to use a rag with warm water.
I hope that she is better soon

 

[Eggcessive]

I think that the easiest way to do a warm compress would be to use a rag with warm water.
I hope that she is better soon

X 2. You could hold her in your lap with a towel and use a warm washcloth over the eye for 10 minutes or so. You could also , along with that, drip a little saline eye wash over the eyes, and then resume the compresses. once you get the eyes open, then squeeze an 1/8 of an inch of ointment into the eyes. Neosporin ointment (plain) works well also.

 

[McPhersonChicks]

Did the warm compress, got one eye partially open, the other scab wouldn't let up. I'm very concerned about how she will eat or drink the water with her antibiotic, if she can't see.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would repeat the compresses again in the morning. If you can get the ointment inside the eye, it should keep them open the next time. Use the ointment twice a day, If the eye doesn't open then next time, keep on wetting it with saline and it has to open eventually. Get some help and open the eye with both thumbs. Keep her in a cage, and she should be able to find the water and food if she is sitting near them. Give her some scrambled egg for some extra protein. Dip her beak in the water.

 

[seminolewind]

My rooster had it like that . The black scabs looked almost like they were on the eye, but they were on the edges of the lids and his eyes were swollen shut. The warm soaks sound good, and the triple antibiotic ointment is what I used. Antibiotics won't help unless there's another infection going on there.

 

[James Leenders South Afri]

I got 7 days of Doxybird tablets from my vet, just held her beak up and gently opened it and popped the pill in. I have covered the one eye (that is totally shut) with Prenine antibiotic ointment, seems to be painful to her but might prevent other infections. Having read the posts on this and other sites I am going to continue to treat her and hope for the best. James Leenders (South Africa).