Its Time To NAME THAT EYE PROBLEM!!!Update: PG 11 bottom of Post #101

[joebryant]

Quote:
I also have a month-old chick with a swollen eye. Where do you buy the opthomolic AB cream? It and the saline treatment sounds like what my chick needs.

 

[The Wolf Queen]

Thanks guys. You are all a big help. Is flushing out a birds eye similar to flushing a horses (a syringe with a little tube attached, that you place in a certain part of the nose then when you push the syringe the liquid comes out thru the tear duct therefore flushing the eye)? Oh and what number should I look up to call to get the MG tests? Did I mention I have around 80 young birds to test? How do I tell them apart when the tests get back? Oh and besides the ax (just CANT do it and for some reason head chopping is just kinda dishonoring the dead to. Yeah I know I sound tarded) whats the quickest way to cull a bird?

 

[dlhunicorn]

no indeed not... flush the same way you would a dog or cat or baby even... you may need to wrap the bird in a towel (use what is size apprpriate) and get someone to GENTLY hold the bird in place while you tilt the head to the side so that the solution runs off onto the floor (and not down the beak where the bird may swallow it).
Is the bird showing any other signs of illness (lethargic , wheezy or congested sounding?)
@Joe > I know Peter Brown from firstate vet supply has one (order online he can ship overnite) if your petstore does not have one.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
I also have a month-old chick with a swollen eye. Where do you buy the opthomolic AB cream? It and the saline treatment sounds like what my chick needs.

Just in case anyone else is as ignorant as I am and Googled "opthomolic AB cream" and could only get information about AB cream for the abs... I don't need that because I already have great abs; they're just covered with fat, but I digress... Opthomolic AB stands for opthomolic antibiotic. I found that out when I called Tractor Supply. TSC sold me a tube of terramycin cream for about $15. Hopefully that and flushing the eye under a slow stream of warm water from the faucet will fix the problem.

Edit:
"Terramycin(oxteracycline hydrochloride)
Antibiotic Ophthalmic Ointment with Polymyxin B Sulfate.
For animal use only."
1/8-ox (3.5-gram) tube

 

[threehorses]

Exactly as dlhunicorn says - you just wash it out with the eyewash solution. You can get some VetRx into the eye sinuses by putting some on a q-tip and pressing it gently against the cleft in the roof of their mouth. And there is an opening from the eye tear duct down into that cleft. But bridging the gap between the two openings (tear duct and cleft-choanal- in the beak) is best left to professionals. We just touch the outside of both.

On testing, I believe they just random spot test - maybe a couple of the worst birds.

 

[mypicklebird]

This is from a quick internet search- this appears to be the info for your Ag extension for New Mexico:

NM Dr. Ron Parker, New Mexico State University, Agricultural Extension Service, Box 3AE,
Las Cruces 88003. Phone: (505)646-1709, FAX: (505)646-3164.
E-mail: [email protected].


And here is a link to a list of State Poultry Associations (New Mexico is in there) a call to either of these places should point you in the right direction to either get someone out to test your flock for you, or somewhere to send a culled bird to- to have tested.

http://www.poultryscience.org/psapub/Resource_List/State_Associations.pdf

And in reply to the question about if horse eye flushing is similar to birds- NO, if you try to flush via the nostril of the chicken, it is more likely to go into the mouth via the choanal opening, and you risk drowning your bird.

In reading this thread you mention earlier getting just the right birds during the summer- if they were/are from multiple places- you need to work on a good quarantine protocol/procedure for the future- you can't bring birds in from several places and mix them or house them close to each other without risking mixing infectious agents (bacteria/virus). Remember incubation periods-- healthy looking birds may be incubating problems!

I commend a chicken project- but try to find a local knowledgeable adult person to work with/mentor you. There are lots of poultry pit falls to fall into if you are a beginner. Look into if there is a local FFA or 4H group that you can get involved with. You need to involve your Mom in especially if you are going to be asking a state employee onto your property to test birds.

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
I've been told you can find the non-iron formula in CVS pharmacies in the states. I spent some time looking in walmart and was unable to find it in ours, and a couple of grocery stores, so she could probably find the other stuff there, too.

Offer to do some chore that you don't usually do for a month or so to pay her back for the vet trip and cvs stuff - that way you're showing initiative and responsibility (which might be a little bit of Rx for the yelling heheh).

 

[The Wolf Queen]

IM sorry im kinda disgruntled with this whole mess. Where is the cleft on their beak? Pics welcome and who should I call to get hose tests. Im so frustrated right now

 

[mypicklebird]

If you use Terramycin and it helps- it is supportive (not definitive) of having MG. For those of you selling chicks or birds, really you should get these birds tested- as they are probably carriers, even if they look fine after treatment.




Quote:
I also have a month-old chick with a swollen eye. Where do you buy the opthomolic AB cream? It and the saline treatment sounds like what my chick needs.

Just in case anyone else is as ignorant as I am and Googled "opthomolic AB cream" and could only get information about AB cream for the abs... I don't need that because I already have great abs; they're just covered with fat, but I digress... Opthomolic AB stands for opthomolic antibiotic. I found that out when I called Tractor Supply. TSC sold me a tube of terramycin cream for about $15. Hopefully that and flushing the eye under a slow stream of warm water from the faucet will fix the problem.

Edit:
"Terramycin(oxteracycline hydrochloride)
Antibiotic Ophthalmic Ointment with Polymyxin B Sulfate.
For animal use only."
1/8-ox (3.5-gram) tube

 

[dlhunicorn]

I believe there are a couple of very helpful videos on youtube for flushing the eye and putting it the AB cream... those may be helpful if your mother is unsure (I know I never had to use an eye ointment on my children but did for my dog and a couple of pigeons)