Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

[perchie.girl]

Since you are all so kind and caring I am going to ask this here.

I have a 2 week old salmon faverolles chick in the brooder that has an irritated eye. The skin around the eye is a little swollen but not discolored. The eye is watering but the discharge is clear. I contacted the hatchery and I was already doing everything they suggested for her. I have been giving her vitamins, probiotics and electrolytes. I keep the eye clean often through out the day. She is eating and drinking and is one of the more feathered out of the 5 chicks. She is active and seems fine except the weepy eye. She is the feisty chick of the bunch.

The one thing suggested that I am not doing was antibiotic ointment for the eye. Since most veterinarian medications typically found at feed stores are restricted here in California I had to have my vet order it for me. It has not arrived yet.

I had this same issue when I was child and we first moved here to California. Doctors couldn't figure it out. It took years to clear up as it was allergies. I still get the weepy eye when I visit out of state for extended periods then come back to California. I take a pill and it clears up.

What are your thoughts? Should I go ahead and give her the ointment when it arrives or is she just going through allergies.

Sorry for another thread derailment.

Opthalmic ointment isnt regulated... for horses. I have bought it on several occasions at the feed store. Here in San Diego.

but if you cant find it you can get it here. Not to worry if you need a prescription they will ask for it.

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_search_results.html?gas=opthalmic ointment

I believe this is the one I used for my horse.



Here is the link for the page for the above medication

I keyed in the words Opthalmic ointment for horses... the info for the medication says its good for all livestock.

You may also try simply irrigating with Sterilized Saline as well... could have gotten something in there

Good luck
deb

 

[Blooie]

Oh, Grimm, I have no idea. Will she let you rinse it with some distilled water? Might take one person to hold the chick with one hand and keep the eye open with the other while you pour a gentle stream of water over it. Could be allergies, could be something as simple as a tiny bit of bedding in there. I thought I read somewhere where someone else had a similar problem but was able to take the bird to an avian vet, who found a small pin feather (sorta like the chicken equivilant to eyelashes) growing down and inward instead of up and out. That's another possibility, although remote and probably hard to spot without a magnifying glass. There are human made eye allergy drops at any drugstore - could you try that until the antibiotic ointment arrives? I'm grasping at straws here.....

 

[perchie.girl]

Some where around here is a check list for a first aid kit for chickens. I keep one for the horse so I only had to add a few things...

I will see if I can find it.

It is something every chicken owner or animal owner should have on hand... Most of it can be bought at the 99 cent store, The feed store will have some other stuff... NONE will require a vet to supplement.

Me I keep on hand Banamine... for horsie tummy aches... I am sixty miles away from the nearest vet and a bout of colic will kill a horse so my vet allowed me to buy some off his truck supplies.

If you have livestock like horses sheep goats .... llamas... you will have a regular vet that can make house calls. Most of them will tend your dogs and cats for injections and ongoing meds like prednazone (for allergies) house call alone will have a fee attached.... so Line your critters up when you have to have a regular horse vet visit...

But having a dedicated first aid kit is an awesome thing to keep in the feed room of the coop... or someplace safe in the house...

deb

 

[Grimm]

Opthalmic ointment isnt regulated... for horses. I have bought it on several occasions at the feed store. Here in San Diego.

but if you cant find it you can get it here. Not to worry if you need a prescription they will ask for it.

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_search_results.html?gas=opthalmic ointment

I believe this is the one I used for my horse.



Here is the link for the page for the above medication

I keyed in the words Opthalmic ointment for horses... the info for the medication says its good for all livestock.

You may also try simply irrigating with Sterilized Saline as well... could have gotten something in there

Good luck
deb

This is what my vet ordered for me. He says it is fine for poultry and I can even use it on the dogs and cats if need be. He only charged me his cost for 2 tubes. Less than $15 total. He is a really kind vet. When my older dog was spayed he noticed she had a rash on her belly. He gave us medication for it at no charge. He even called to check on her a week later.

What feed store in San Diego? I live in the Inland Empire so that is not too terribly far. Since I don't have a car any trips out of town are on the weekends only when my husband is home.

 

[Grimm]

Oh, Grimm, I have no idea. Will she let you rinse it with some distilled water? Might take one person to hold the chick with one hand and keep the eye open with the other while you pour a gentle stream of water over it. Could be allergies, could be something as simple as a tiny bit of bedding in there. I thought I read somewhere where someone else had a similar problem but was able to take the bird to an avian vet, who found a small pin feather (sorta like the chicken equivilant to eyelashes) growing down and inward instead of up and out. That's another possibility, although remote and probably hard to spot without a magnifying glass. There are human made eye allergy drops at any drugstore - could you try that until the antibiotic ointment arrives? I'm grasping at straws here.....

Thank you! I never thought it could be a pin feather. I did notice when she first arrived some of her down was stuck in her eye so I cleaned it to try and move the down.

I read a thread about a salmon faverolles chick who had this issue but her eye was crusting over. (the thread about Derperella) Frou Frou's eye is weeping not crusting. I still clean the discharge. When my DH gets home I'll make a chick burrito and have him hold her while I flush it. Time to dig out the magnifying glass...

 

[Grimm]

Some where around here is a check list for a first aid kit for chickens. I keep one for the horse so I only had to add a few things...

I will see if I can find it.

It is something every chicken owner or animal owner should have on hand... Most of it can be bought at the 99 cent store, The feed store will have some other stuff... NONE will require a vet to supplement.

Me I keep on hand Banamine... for horsie tummy aches... I am sixty miles away from the nearest vet and a bout of colic will kill a horse so my vet allowed me to buy some off his truck supplies.

If you have livestock like horses sheep goats .... llamas... you will have a regular vet that can make house calls. Most of them will tend your dogs and cats for injections and ongoing meds like prednazone (for allergies) house call alone will have a fee attached.... so Line your critters up when you have to have a regular horse vet visit...

But having a dedicated first aid kit is an awesome thing to keep in the feed room of the coop... or someplace safe in the house...

deb

This would be great to make sure I have everything I might need. I have hunting dogs so I keep an extensive animal first aid kit that includes prescription items that work for most of the animals we have here. When we got our first group of chicks I had added a bit to the first aid kit for them but this weepy eye is new ground for me.

Our first aid supplies in general would put the 99 cent store to shame. I am overly prepared. We lived in a cabin in the mountains miles from anyone and phone service didn't work in the winter when the lines froze. With bears always coming up to the cabin I had to make sure we had emt supplies in case our dog got into it with the local wildlife.

I keep water soluble and capsule antibiotics on hand but didn't think to get an eye ointment. The one area I over looked.

 

[perilloux5]

Oh that is hilarious.... Its like chicken foot ball.

deb

Yes, exactly. I love to give mine a couple big juicy worms and sit back and watch the show. As one is running around with the worm the others are grabbing bits as she runs by.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: Good deal with the vet for sure... The feed store I use is Double S right off the 8.... technically El Cajon fringes.

http://www.doublestackandfeed.com/

They have a very knowledgeable staff... and If they dont have it there is a fellow who's sole job is to find it for you...

My animals are in Jacumba. which is a sixty mile drive from there... So once you get to Jacumba there is another hours drive.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
You can also purchase antibiotics at a good sized aquarium store.. for emergency use too.

For the eye ointment its important to keep the tip steril... So use a sterile glove on your delivery hand and squeeze a bit on a gloved finger tip then Cap the ointment... Now you can administer to what ever struggling animal you have... LOL.

Since I am right handed I put the glove on my left hand... That way I can use my strongest arm for controlling said critter... LOL.

deb

 

[Grimm]

You can also purchase antibiotics at a good sized aquarium store.. for emergency use too.

For the eye ointment its important to keep the tip steril... So use a sterile glove on your delivery hand and squeeze a bit on a gloved finger tip then Cap the ointment... Now you can administer to what ever struggling animal you have... LOL.

Since I am right handed I put the glove on my left hand... That way I can use my strongest arm for controlling said critter... LOL.

deb

I have fish antibiotics already. My Roo has a fish tank in her room. We have been thinking about a pond stocked with tilapia or cat fish.

I'll have to get some finger cots. I have gloves but if I am only using the finger tips then the cots would be better.

Thanks again.