Hen with an eye injury after reintroduction to the flock WITH PICS

[sammi]

I'd try and get some more terramycin eye ointment, and cool packs might help also..
I would alternate cool and warm..

if you have antibiotic eye drops for humans, you can use those.

I would keep the eye clean..but not so often it irritates it.
once or twice a day maybe.

this site has other kinds of eye ointments:
the neomycin-poly...ointment has an anti-inflammatory in it that might help with swelling.


http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/store/index.php?cPath=21_57

 

[SeramaLife]

How is it?

 

[Chickenaddict]

Sorry it took so long to get back. I did the vetRX treatment and got no goo coming out or anything, Her eye is still the same but the exposed tissue looks like it is drying out. Noone around here carries terramycin eye ointment so i'd have to order it online and god knows how long it would take to get here so i'm currently at a loss on what to do. I flush her eye out with saline twice a day now altho i think it helped doing it 3 times a day to keep it moist. I'm guessing its not infected at this point seeing as i couldn't get anything out of her eye. She still acts like her normal self, this doesn't seem to bother her a bit.

 

[Chickenaddict]

UPDATE....
She got much better and the lump had gone away, It did pop whatever it was. Now it is back and worse then before. I have been putting terramycin eye ointment on it for 1 week now. I am starting to think this is a tumor of some sort. It is affecting her balance and now she won't eat and is very lethargic. I wish i could afford to take her to the vet but it just isn't in the cards right now. I am still at a loss on what to do for her. I am gonna try getting some scrambled eggs in her shortly. I have aueromycin on hand but that is for respiratory illnesses which i am sure she doesn't have. Her poop is very watery and very little fecal matter in it. Please help me help her, she is such a sweety and it is breaking my heart to see her suffer like this. If there are any other antibiotics i can give her I would like to do so. I am a little uneducated as to how to cure illnesses due to the fact that it rarely happens around here. IMO i keep my chooks a little too clean. She is in the house with me and will stay here until I get this resolved. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tuppemor]

The first thing that crossed my mind when I saw the pic was Cherry Eye, a condition common in dogs with droopy or bulging eyes (others can also get it, but much more rarely). I know cats can get it too, and I see no reason why a chicken couldn't?

It is when the tear gland of the third eyelid loosens, becomes swollen and "pops out".

Treatment is surgery, where it is stitched back in place or just removed. Removing it may cause dry eye. Both are fairly simple procedures, but I wouldn't do it myself (perhaps removing it is ok IF you have the necessary knowledge, skill and equipment).

Slight cherry eye

Bad cherry eye

Edited for pic.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Altho it looks alot like what she has her eye is swollen into her head too not just the corner of her eye. It had popped and went away for days before coming back again. I'll try to get another pic of her this morning. I am thinking its some sort of cist or tumor. Surgery is not an option for her

.\\


ETA: pics

You can see in the first pic how swollen it is
The second pic shows the mass that seems to be weeping again
I have tried to apply pressure to get the gunk out but i'm afraid to lance it in fear it will damage her eye more. Her poops are a very vivid green and mostly water if that helps. SHe is eating but very little. I got her to eat some eggs yesterday and feed in the afternoon. I even took her outside so she could eat some clover and grass. She feels like she is wasting away and is pretty off balance. She spends most of her time sleeping. I am really worried about her and would hate to loose her

 

[SeramaLife]

I have a hen similar to that. It started when she was young,I don't know how. Her's is under the skin at the corner of her eye. It goes down and then swells up again in a regular cycle. I pulled back the skin to look at it for the first time a week ago. It looked like yours except she has had no ill effects. It probably is not the same thing, but I hope it helps.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Thanks Ondra it does help knowing someone else is going thru a similar experience. I am hoping it is just the pressure on her brain from the swelling in her eye that is making her off balance? i bought her last year in june when she was 3 months old so she has really grown close to me. When i got home from work today I took her outside again and she seemed to be doing a bit better. I will keep up on the terramycin eye ointment for awhile and hope for the best. Until then she is safe and as comfortable as possible in the house next to me with lots of love and attention. She ate better today too but her droppings are still a vivid green color which concerns me. I am heading up to the feed mill tomorrow morning to get more eye ointment and maybe see about a different antibiotic but all they seem to carry are ones for respiratory illnesses which she doesn't have . Anyone have any ideas on what kind?

Ondra I forgot to ask How is your hen doing? Is her eye getting any better?