Injured eye?

[Jennifromtheblock]

Hi all! So we are new at having chickens. Everything has been smooth sailing for the past 3 months. Chickens are happy and healthy. When closing up their yard the other night however, I noticed one of our Rhode Island Reds was laying in the nesting box and not in the coop with the others. Upon further investigation, her left eye appears to be popping out (yes you read that correctly) I’m not sure what could have caused this as I can not find anything remotely similar. I have her separated from the rest of flock in case it’s a packing injury or some type of weird infection. I have also been putting Terramycin on it as of yesterday. This morning looked to be no change. Anyone have experience with anything similar. Will she lose the eye? Her other eye looks completely normal.
She is drinking water and eating still.

 

[SmiYa0126]

@Wyorp Rock @azygous @Eggcessive eye super swollen please help!

What antibiotics do you have on hand? Human grade or animal grade?

 

[azygous]

This may be a case of infectious coryza. You will need to clean all the pus out of the eye or blindness can result. There also appears to be crusty lesions in her nares which also need cleaning out.

Once the pus is cleaned out of the eye, it needs to be flushed with saline and then Terramycin antibiotic eye ointment needs to be used in the eye twice a day.

 

[Jennifromtheblock]

@Wyorp Rock @azygous @Eggcessive eye super swollen please help!

What antibiotics do you have on hand? Human grade or animal grade?

I don’t have any on hand as of yet. I checked the local feed store and they only had fish antibiotics. Will that work?

 

[Jennifromtheblock]

This may be a case of infectious coryza. You will need to clean all the pus out of the eye or blindness can result. There also appears to be crusty lesions in her nares which also need cleaning out.

Once the pus is cleaned out of the eye, it needs to be flushed with saline and then Terramycin antibiotic eye ointment needs to be used in the eye twice a day.

I can see doing that but the thing that worries me is the black portion around the eye. Is that a part of the eye? I don’t want to pop the eye out…

 

[Jennifromtheblock]

I can see doing that but the thing that worries me is the black portion around the eye. Is that a part of the eye? I don’t want to pop the eye out…

Also, how does one get this if that is the case?

 

[SmiYa0126]

Also, how does one get this if that is the case?

Looks like it's caused by bacteria.

 

[SmiYa0126]

I don’t have any on hand as of yet. I checked the local feed store and they only had fish antibiotics. Will that work?

Per @azygous you just need the terramycin. Do you have someone that can help you hold down your hen so you can squeeze the pus out?

To calm a hen while holding it down, stretch the legs out behind it, and hold gently but firmly, you can see in the video that she's on a flat surface, like a table. If you have a disposable tablecloth you can use that you can throw away, and use gloves as well.

 

[Eggcessive]

It looks to me like there has been an injury to the eye, or she might have hemorrhaged into the eye itself, noted by the redness inside the eye. Is there pus in the eye or dried mucus in the nostrils? I would clean away any pus, and keep applying the Terramycin eye ointment 2-3 times daily. Could you see a vet?

 

[Jennifromtheblock]

It looks to me like there has been an injury to the eye, or she might have hemorrhaged into the eye itself, noted by the redness inside the eye. Is there pus in the eye or dried mucus in the nostrils? I would clean away any pus, and keep applying the Terramycin eye ointment 2-3 times daily. Could you see a vet?

There does seem to be some mucus in the front area now. I don’t see anything in the nostrils but at the time when I noticed the eye, from the same side nostril looked like she had a bloody nose persay. I’ve been applying the Terramycin and when I apply it, the blackish area feels hard to touch. Is that normal?
The only nearby vets we have I don’t believe specialize in chickens. I was a little surprised by the feed store not having much for medication as they are a big seller of chicks and feed.