Hen with swollen eye

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Rachel5589

Chirping
Jan 6, 2019
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Hello,
I noticed yesterday that one of my hens has a swollen eye. I have moved her to an isolated area Incase it is something contagious. I've had chickens for about a year and a half and this is the first (possible) sickness we have came across. She is acting fairly normal, eating and drinking, no signs of breathing problems. What else could cause a swollen eye? When I looked online most things say it could be coryza but, wouldn't she be lethargic and not eating with that? I gave her some Vetrx last night and it looks a little less swollen today. Thanks!
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It could be from a viral infection, but it could also be something relatively simple, such as a sinus infection, to clear up with just a bit of ophthalmic antibiotic ointment. That's what I suggest you try first, along with a saline flushing of the eye to remove possible foreign bodies that could be contributing.

You can get terramycin eye ointment at the feed store or you can use Neosporin. I happen to have had eye surgeries and have leftover steroid drops, and that really knocks out the swelling in a hurry.
 
How does her face feel where it is swollen? Does she have a watery eye, small bubbles in the eye, or any sneeze, cough, or rattly breathing? Mycoplasma gallisepeticum (MG) is more common than coryza, and it can cause conjunctivitis (pinkeye) and sinus infection which appears as swelling around an eye or the face.

It is important to look for dirt or debris in the swollen eye, to rule out a peck or injury. More rarely, we sometimes see threads where there is a tumor in the face.
 
I rinsed it with some eye drops my daughter had from a previous eye surgery. I felt the swollen part and it feels soft. There is some drainage coming from the nostril on the swollen side...I tried to wipe some of it away with a napkin and it was thick and stringy but it is clear and not pus like. She is acting fine, I put her in a different fenced in area in the yard than the other chickies and she is walking around pecking as if nothing is wrong. Does not have anything raspy or weird sounds when breathing. I don't see anything in the eye or any type of pecking injury.
 
MG is contagious and can be diagnosed with testing. It is a common disease found in many backyard flocks. Your other birds were probably exposed to it at the same time she was, and not all birds will she symptoms. MG can become symptomatic if the bacteria is lurking around or brought in by a carrier bird, and when the chicken has some stress from molting or cold weather, symptoms can occur.
 
So now I have a few other birds showing symptoms of respiratory problems, except they are different than my first hen. My rooster is coughing and not acting himself, he is usually very protective of his hens and always stays by their side but he is now being stand offish. Another hen is coughing and has bubbles in the corner of her eyes. Definitely sounds like MG from what I've read online. I cannot get ahold of tylan anywhere locally, the stores here do not sell it anymore and said it's a vet only item now. Called around to vets and nobody can see a chicken until Tuesday. so I went to tractor supply and got terramycin (oxytetracycline) tablets as I had read online that could treat MG. anyone have a dosage amount as this is labeled for cattle. It is 250mg tablets. Also, how long is the egg withdraw period for antibiotics?
Thanks

Good news... The first hen that showed symptoms in the picture above is showing much improvement.
 

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