Help! One of my hens has a swollen eye. What do I do?

[AngelinaThePekin8]

Her eye isn't looking very different from the last time I posted, she has been eating and drinking and foraging fairly well. She hangs out with the rest of the flock for the most part, she keeps her distance from the other chickens quit a bit though. I am going to "flush" her eye but don't know if I should use water or saline? Or salt water?
She seems to be adapting well to not being able to see out of one eye, hopefully she can still see out of it when this whole eye infection or whatever it is goes away.

Questions I have right now...
1. Should I give her nutri-drench water again? I haven't given her any in a week or so now and when I did it wasn't very much as she wouldn't drink it. (I want to know because she is very light/thin right now and I think it would help but am not sure, wither way I don't think it would hurt any to give it to her.
2. Should I continue the vetrx? I stopped putting it on her when I stopped putting terramycin in her eye.
3. After flushing her eye should I start applying terramycin again?
4. if she goes or is blind in her left eye what should I do?
5. Should I use salt water to flush her eye with? Or should I use saline (it will be homemade as we don't have any actual saline) or would just water work fine for the eye flush?
6. What do you use to make the saline water with? I will look up how to do it myself but would appreciate any advice on how and what to use to make it.
7. How much of the water/saline water or whatever I Decide to use to flush her eye with, should I make?
......
I will try to get photos of her eye today. I should have pictures of her eye today a few hours from now.
......

Thank you, for any and all of your answers to my questions and for any suggestions and advice given!
(I hope this all made sense).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Saline is best to use when flushing out the eye. You can purchase saline or make it yourself. 1/2tsp salt per cup of water boiled for 15 minutes makes it sterile. Make fresh daily.

After flushing and cleaning out the eye, put the Terramycin ointment into the eye.

I would stop the VetRx.

For Poultry Nutri-Drench, I would direct dose her at 1cc per 3 pounds of weight. You can do this twice a week. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

Saline is best to use when flushing out the eye. You can purchase saline or make it yourself. 1/2tsp salt per cup of water boiled for 15 minutes makes it sterile. Make fresh daily.

After flushing and cleaning out the eye, put the Terramycin ointment into the eye.

I would stop the VetRx.

For Poultry Nutri-Drench, I would direct dose her at 1cc per 3 pounds of weight. You can do this twice a week. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

Thank you!
My tap water is well water I read that you shouldn't use well water for the saline solution. Does that matter to much or what?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you!
My tap water is well water I read that you shouldn't use well water for the saline solution. Does that matter to much or what?

It shouldn't matter since you are boiling the water.

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

It shouldn't matter since you are boiling the water.

Okay, thank you!
I will get pictures of her eye tomorrow before and after the rinse/flush.
Quick question what should I use to boil the water with?

 

[Eggcessive]

Use a saucepan with water and salt. 1/2 tsp per cup of water, or make a quart with 2 tsp of salt. Bring it to a boil, and lower to simmer for 15 minutes. Place in a clean jar. Some of these things can be looked up on Google. Drug stores sell saline as well. I use Bausch and Lomb Eye Relief, a good saline eye wash. You then just drop some into the eye (a few drops) to rinse the eye, and then place the eye ointment into the eye.

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

Use a saucepan with water and salt. 1/2 tsp per cup of water, or make a quart with 2 tsp of salt. Bring it to a boil, and lower to simmer for 15 minutes. Place in a clean jar. Some of these things can be looked up on Google. Drug stores sell saline as well. I use Bausch and Lomb Eye Relief, a good saline eye wash. You then just drop some into the eye (a few drops) to rinse the eye, and then place the eye ointment into the eye.

Olay, thank you so much!

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

So I am going to rinse/flush Turkey's eye today but want to ask a few questions first.
1. How much saline solution should I make?
2. What or how do to properly store the saline
3. How many times or for how long should I apply the saline?
4. What should I look out for with the chickens eye?
5. What are the best ways to hold a chicken when rinsing its eye?
6. Does it matter how big the syringe is for the saline?
7. I can't find very many how to videos on rinsing chicken eyes (I am more of a visual learner) so any tips on how to do so would be greatly appreciated I already know how to rinse her eye but am little unsure at the same time (if that makes sense).

I am going to start the saline here in a few minutes after doing some last minute research on how to make it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Make 2 cups at a time. Any left over can be placed in a very clean glass jar and put in the fridge. You can store it for a day, so if you make some tonight, then use all that you made by tomorrow night and then make fresh.
It doesn't matter how large the syringe is for flushing, since all you're doing is drawing up the saline and rinsing her eye.
Try to get her eye open when you rinse, look for any white or yellow pus, gently wipe any that you see out of her eye.
If you have someone that can help hold her that's always a bonus, but if not, then swaddle her lightly in a towel, capturing her wings so you have more control over her. Once she's settled for a few minutes, work on her eye. Take your time. It would be good to have a couple of paper towels or tissue handy, just in case you need to wipe saline from her beak or nostrils.
You've got this

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

Make 2 cups at a time. Any left over can be placed in a very clean glass jar and put in the fridge. You can store it for a day, so if you make some tonight, then use all that you made by tomorrow night and then make fresh.
It doesn't matter how large the syringe is for flushing, since all you're doing is drawing up the saline and rinsing her eye.
Try to get her eye open when you rinse, look for any white or yellow pus, gently wipe any that you see out of her eye.
If you have someone that can help hold her that's always a bonus, but if not, then swaddle her lightly in a towel, capturing her wings so you have more control over her. Once she's settled for a few minutes, work on her eye. Take your time. It would be good to have a couple of paper towels or tissue handy, just in case you need to wipe saline from her beak or nostrils.
You've got this

Thank you! We don't have any syringe right now it turns out. My mom got rid of the ones we had but tomorrow I will see if my dad can get a few.