My chickens appear to have swollen eyes! Please Help!!!

[OrpieLover31]

If the ones who were acting bad at first are already starting to act a little better even without treatment, I think you're fine to go with tetracycline if that makes you more comfortable. I'm a vet student, so the needle thing wouldn't bother me personally, but I know it's not like that for a lot of people. I think even I'd worry that I was going to do it wrong and somehow hurt them, so I totally get where you're coming from.

Ok. I think I will go with the tetracycline. Will that cure them for good? OH! And how in the world did they get a respiratory infection?

 

[Pyxis]

You could always just contact your state vet and see if they charge to do the test; there's no harm in that.

 

[OrpieLover31]

You could always just contact your state vet and see if they charge to do the test; there's no harm in that.

Ok. I will contact them if some of them dont get any better within the next week.

 

[Pyxis]

Ok. I think I will go with the tetracycline. Will that cure them for good? OH! And how in the world did they get a respiratory infection?

If it's mycoplasma, no, not for good. That bacteria is really hard to kill. We studied others of its type in vet school; the darn thing is actually shaped like a corkscrew and literally burrows its way through flesh and tissue and lies dormant until the bird gets stressed or the immune system is otherwise weakened and then there's a flare up and you have to treat again. If they just have respiratory infections, yep, they'll be right as rain in no time.

A lot of times respiratory infections happen when the birds are cooped up for prolonged periods in a coop that has too little ventilation, which happens a lot in the winter when the birds don't want to go out.

 

[OrpieLover31]

If it's mycoplasma, no, not for good. That bacteria is really hard to kill. We studied others of its type in vet school; the darn thing is actually shaped like a corkscrew and literally burrows its way through flesh and tissue and lies dormant until the bird gets stressed or the immune system is otherwise weakened and then there's a flare up and you have to treat again. If they just have respiratory infections, yep, they'll be right as rain in no time.

A lot of times respiratory infections happen when the birds are cooped up for prolonged periods in a coop that has too little ventilation, which happens a lot in the winter when the birds don't want to go out.

Ok. Thanks for your help! I needed it! I think this was all caused because we had to keep them all cooped up for a entire day because their were stray dogs on the loose and we were to busy to watch them for the day. But really, thanks for your help!

 

[Pyxis]

Ok. Thanks for your help! I needed it! I think this was all caused because we had to keep them all cooped up for a entire day because their were stray dogs on the loose and we were to busy to watch them for the day. But really, thanks for your help!

No problem! Keep us updated on these guys!

 

[realsis]

as for the injection yes tylan usually knocks it .its a lot stronger and gets right to it but you do have to be able to give an injection. its really not as difficult as you might imagine it to be.please look at you tube video and it will instruct you how to do it. there are two places for injection, the back of neck, the brest i believe you tube had instructional videos for both areas. I've injected chicken, Horses,dogs, even my fish in times of illness and they trend to recover quite quickly with injectables. but if you're not comfortable you can try water soluable method.its not near as strong and recovery is a bit longer. also depends on how much liquid they actually injest. but ultimately you have to do what your comfortable with! if you don't notice improvement with water soluable it might require an injection . i wish you the very best of luck. please keep us posted on how they are doing!

 

[moody-chicken]

Can you use amoxicillin to treat this?

 

[OrpieLover31]

I got some good news! I went out to check on my chickens and the older chicken who was the other ago up on the roost was out in the run ready to free range! So far she seems to be having fun out there picking at bugs and worms! She has not gone back in the coop for the entire day! She appears to have no swelling and the others are just fine even my Buff Orpington is doing a lot better now! I cleaned the chicken coop and just finished the coop that I was building! I think I might switch some of my chickens in there tonight!!! Thank you guys for the help! At least they are doing a lot better now!!!