Hen going blind, or what? Need suggestions

[SpottedCrow]

Yes it does and I can feel that burn from here...A saline wash or eye ointment might do better.

 

[Pine Grove]

A saline wash or eye ointment wont kill the worm, If you think vetrx is bad, Eye worms were once treated with kerosene dropped in the eye.
Judy, Eye worms are common in the northern states also, wherever there are wild birds and cockroaches there is eye worms.
The 3 wormers I reccomend are lavamisole sheep oblets(2 per gallon of water for 1 day)..Safe guard goat wormer(1 drop per pound of body weight, more wont hurt)..valbazen( dilute with equal amount of water then 1 drop per pound of body weight..repeat in 10 days..instead of vetrx in the eye, Valbazen can also be used

 

[JudyMcKinn]

Pine Grove, do you mean just worming the hen with the Valbazen will take care of the eye worm, or do you mean to put the diluted Valbazen into the eye, also?

 

[Pine Grove]

Yes put the Valbazen in the eye and give orally.

 

[robin416]

Judy talk to your vet before you put something like wormer in your bird's eyes. I kept thinking about this today, couldn't figure out why it bothered me. First, they make medications specifically designed for the eye for a reason. They are purer, don't contain additives that will cause damage. Using a wormer intended for internal use, mixed with non sterile water could lead to more problems than you are currently experiencing.

I will have to check on this but I don't believe the eyeball itself can obsorb anything. The ointments or drops that we use are surface curatives, not internal.

Maybe one of the medical people on the board can hop in here on that.

 

[JudyMcKinn]

Unfortunately, the 3 or 4 vets in our area might not be able to even recognize a chicken, let alone know anything about them. It's amazing that they seem to have no knowledge whatsoever about poultry, and care less. Completely useless to ask them anything about poultry.

 

[Pine Grove]

Judy, My thoughts exactly, I've been raising chickens and all other types of poultry and gamebirds going on 30 years, If what I told you wasn't safe and effective, I would not have suggested it, Im down south, I have seen lots of eye worms and have treated them, Many that was misdiagnosed by vets that said it was an upper respirtory aliment
It would be great if you could find a vet that would take a smear of the tear duct, To see if it is indeed an eye worm,(your hen fits the description) But if not, the valbazen and "non sterile" water I'm sure is safer than the dirty,poopy toes she is using to scratch her eyes with...good luck

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

OK this is scary, Our little BB had one eye closed for about four or five days. He would open it but kept it closed a lot. I thought a wasp sting or something but it eventually went away. Probably not eye worm then right?

 

[dlhunicorn]

Judy, I am unable to give you any kind of tips other than what I have found in the literature and below is that... what I would suggest is that you read the info below and then post your question to Peter Brown at featherfanciers.com... (he sells the Valbazen and can give you further instructions on that )
here is the info I have on it:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/PS/PS01200.PDF
Eye Worms
Primary species : Oxyspirura mansoni
Location : Under the nictitating membrane of the eye and in the naso-lachrymal duct.

Symptoms: Scratching of the eyes; can cause blindness.

Treatment : Physical removal of worm using local anaesthetic.

....An interesting example of this is the eyeworm ( Oxyspirura mansoni ). The eye worm lays eggs on the surface of the eye. These eggs are then washed down the naso-lachrymal duct and pass into the intestinal tract of the host and are voided with feces. The eye worm eggs must then be consumed by a cockroach, the intermediate host. After an
incubation period, the worm larvae becomes free inside the body cavity and legs of the cockroach. After the cockroach has been consumed by the avian hosts (chickens, turkeys, peafowl and ducks) the eye worm larvae are released in the crop. They migrate up the esophagus, tear ducts and back to the eye. The time required for the cycle to be completed may be a few days or several weeks depending upon the worm
species........"

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/xchg/dpi/hs.xsl/27_2745_ENA_HTML.htm
"Eyeworms are hairlike transparent worms 8-20 mm long found in the fowl's eye. Eggs of the worm are eaten by the bird. They hatch in the crop and the young worm migrates up the oesophagus and through ducts to the eye.

....Treatment for eyeworm can only be done by a veterinarian as the worm is removed under local anaesthetic."


http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/202800.htm
(MERCK)
"...Eggs of Oxyspirura mansoni , Manson’s eyeworm, are deposited in the eye, reach the pharynx via the nasolacrimal duct, are swallowed, passed in the feces, and ingested by the Surinam cockroach, Pycnoscelus surinamensis . Larvae reach the infective stage in the roach. When infected intermediate hosts are eaten, liberated larvae migrate up the esophagus to the mouth and then through the nasolacrimal duct to the eye, where the cycle is completed..........
As a treatment for Manson’s eyeworm, a local anesthetic can be applied to the eye, and the worms in the lacrimal sac exposed by lifting the nictitating membrane. A 5% cresol solution (1-2 drops) placed in the lacrimal sac kills the worms immediately. The eye should be irrigated with sterile water immediately to wash out the debris and excess solution. The eyes improve within 48-72 hr and gradually become clear if the destructive process caused by the parasite is not too far advanced. "

 

[JudyMcKinn]

I guess I will try the Valbazen. There isn't a vet in 150 miles who would know anything about a chicken, or how to remove an eyeworm. I called our local feed store/vet supply, and they have the Valbazen. Still might not be eyeworm, but the worming won't hurt either--have never wormed them. No other signs of worms in the flock, however.
Thanks to everyone for their info.