Help Us To Make Her Feel Better - Hen Abscess Above Eye

[JetRx]

Hi All,

She's a nine-month-old Buff Orpington. Two days ago we noticed a marble-sized lump (abscess?) above her eye. Not sure if we should lance. Moved her to our spare room. Applied Terramycin to the eye. She's eating and drinking. Like most animal lovers we hurt when they hurt. Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Are you living where it is cold outside, or is it warm where there are stinging insects around? There looks to be a spot that could be a peck or a sting on the upper lid. Does she have an nasal secretions, noisy breathing, or sneezing, coughing, or other signs of a respiratory infection? Lancing may help to get any solid pus out if it is an abscess. A tumor could also be possible, if it's not a respiratory infection or an abscess. Tumors tend to be more firm. Has she been picked on before, or is she lw in the pecking order?

 

[JetRx]

Eggcessive, Thank you for your reply.

We're in Alaska. She's one of 17 (5 Plymouth Rock, 5 Buff Orpington, 6 Cherry Eggers + an Indian Runner). Actually the Buffs appear to run the roost and generally get their way. I haven't witnessed any aggression in the flock. They have plenty of room with easy access to food & water.

I place powdered PDZ between layers of the white pine shavings inside the coop "common" area (occasionally, as needed) ...but only when hens are outside in the run. Pellet PDZ wasn't available so when using powder I'm careful to minimize potential for any respiratory issues. I don't think it's an inflamed sinus.

Still debating whether to lance this thing. Watched a similar procedure on an anesthetized parrot (youtube) . Lots of heavy infection was scraped out. Not sure if she could endure that...at least while conscious. Perhaps just opening it up and letting it drain. I've read squeezing can push infection back into other areas.

 

[Eggcessive]

If it respiratory, the swelling would be in the sinuses. Do you see any pus inside the eye chamber? If you suspect respiratory, it would be good to get her on some Tylan or oxytetracycline antibiotic, and to try to drain the pus from the sinus. Antibiotics can be found in feed stores, especially in the cattle medicines. An abscess will usually drain pus if lanced, while a tumor would probably just bleed. Pus in chickens eventually becomes a solid cheese-like mass.