Help! Rooster, Milk eye, not eating

[chickmamat]

I have a 6 month Roo who I noticed today and a milky eye, he keeps it closed, so it must be painful. Otherwise he seems “okay” he is still walking fine, although slowly. He however is not eating or drinking. Is more docile than usual. Could it be mareks? Or just an injury and the pain is effecting his appetite?

 

[RoosterML]

I have a 6 month Roo who I noticed today and a milky eye, he keeps it closed, so it must be painful. Otherwise he seems “okay” he is still walking fine, although slowly. He however is not eating or drinking. Is more docile than usual. Could it be mareks? Or just an injury and the pain is effecting his appetite?

I can not tell you what it is. If not drinking or eating something is really wrong and if persists for a few days personally I would put the animal down. Sorry to say but I don’t see a good outcome.

 

[Eggcessive]

To me it looks like the eye has been injured or is infected. It is possibly a scrached cornea, but I am not a vet, and I would try to see a vet or at least get some good antibiotic drops, and perhaps a steroid eye drop. The best you can get without a vet is Terramycin (oxytetracycline) eye ointment from a feed store—it is locked up, so ask a clerk for it. That will only treat a mild infection or MG, but better than nothing. I have used plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment in emergencies, and that would be a good alternative.

 

[333113]

Looks like an injury to me. I would isolate him so no one can peck at his eye, give him food and water, and wait. Chickens have remarkable recuperative powers, if they can rest, eat, and drink undisturbed.

My vet introduced me to sterile saline solution the last time I brought in my cat for an eye injury. It was $2.95 at Walmart, a price I could afford. He said to wash the eye a couple times a day. Okay, it was a cat, not a rooster, but I noticed that the swelling and inflammation went down every time I spritzed his eye. Maybe this will help your roo.

I have added it to my first aid for animals kit, and to my first aid kit for the family, too.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can also buy eye wash at Walmart, RiteAid, or most drugs stores for under $4. But I would use an antibiotic ointment as well.

 

[333113]

To me it looks like the eye has been injured or is infected. It is possibly a scrached cornea, but I am not a vet, and I would try to see a vet or at least get some good antibiotic drops, and perhaps a steroid eye drop. The best you can get without a vet is Terramycin (oxytetracycline) eye ointment from a feed store—it is locked up, so ask a clerk for it. That will only treat a mild infection or MG, but better than nothing. I have used plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment in emergencies, and that would be a good alternative.

My vet also recommends triple antibiotic ointment, generic is fine, but without pain relief..the pain reliever is not good for chickens.

 

[chickmamat]

He’s taken a turn for the worst. I got him to drink a little water, have a few bits of a scrambled egg, and a drop of nutridrench yesterday. Was able to get the terramyacin ointment in his eye. This morning he had drool coming out of his mouth, and he won’t stand up or eat/drink anything. He keeps making little moaning noises. Is there anything I can do? I have tetracycline but he won’t drink so idk how I would even administer it.

 

[RoosterML]

He’s taken a turn for the worst. I got him to drink a little water, have a few bits of a scrambled egg, and a drop of nutridrench yesterday. Was able to get the terramyacin ointment in his eye. This morning he had drool coming out of his mouth, and he won’t stand up or eat/drink anything. He keeps making little moaning noises. Is there anything I can do? I have tetracycline but he won’t drink so idk how I would even administer it.

Sorry but sometimes owning animals one must make the difficult choice. Put the animal down if not you find someone that will.

 

[Eggcessive]

He may have something else going on not releated to the eye, or perhaps the other chickens sense that something is weong with him, and pecked his eye and made the dots on his comb. I would try to make him comfortable near food and water, and separate him in a crate or pen. You can use some towels to prop him up or consider making a chicken sling. Is he moving both legs normally? Has he lost balance? He can have 2-3 ml of the NutriDrench daily. Offer some scrambled chopped egg, tuna, and wet chicken feed. What does his crop feel like—empty, full, hard, or puffy? What his poops like? A vet if possible could be helpful.