My Chicken Got A Tick!

[Sonia Gawlas]

HELP!! my chicken got a tick near her eye a couple days ago, we took it out and thought thatd be it. today She went missing for most of the day and when we finally found her, her eye was all swollen!! What do I do? Can she get a disease? Will she die? someone please help... I dont want to loose her just yet!

 

[Sue Gremlin]

She will probably be fine, my guess is that she is experiencing a bite reaction just like you or I would. Is she acting ok otherwise? Chickens don't seem to get sick from Lyme disease if that is what you are concerned about, but they can become infected.

 

[Chickassan]

How did you remove it? Could you have possibly left the head?

 

[Eggcessive]

Ticks can inject a blood thinner, and the area around the bite may swell and appear bluish from the hemorrhage under the skin. This happens frequently around the wattles or comb.Some use 1/2 tablet of 25 mg benadryl given once orally to help reduce swelling.

Another possible problem is that ticks can spread spirochetosis or tick paralysis. It is rare in the US, but can happen especially in the South. It is a bacterial disease treated by many different antibiotics.

 

[Sonia Gawlas]

How did you remove it? Could you have possibly left the head?

Theres no way i left the head. When I pulled it out i made sure the tick was intact!

 

[Sonia Gawlas]

She will probably be fine, my guess is that she is experiencing a bite reaction just like you or I would. Is she acting ok otherwise? Chickens don't seem to get sick from Lyme disease if that is what you are concerned about, but they can become infected.

yes she is fine! it doent seem to bother her other than the fact that she cant see well in one eye due to the swelling

 

[micstrachan]

What is spirochetosis? Lyme is a spirochete. Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Tick paralysis, also called spirochetosis or brachyspira, is caused by a bacteria spread by ticks. It sounds like it may be fairly rare, but if there are strange symptoms, diarrhea, lthargy, increased thirt, poor appetite, and paralysis, it may be something to consider. It can be treated with penicillin, Tylan, tiamulin (Denagard,) and others.Here is some info about it:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/avian-spirochetosis/overview-of-avian-spirochetosis
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/140/spirochaetosis/

 

[Sue Gremlin]

yes she is fine! it doent seem to bother her other than the fact that she cant see well in one eye due to the swelling

Then I wouldn't worry a bit. You can give a chicken benadryl to help with the swelling, but honestly, I woudln't unless it interferes with her eating and drinking and other day to day activities. It would be more stressful to both of you than it's worth. It is likely to go down and heal up in a few days.