My chicken's eye is swollen and she is lethargic...

[Gwindollyn]

We took her to the vet and she said that it could be an upper respiratory infection or just an eye infection. We couldn't really afford the $155 for the x-ray and she has not had any respiratory symptoms, so we elected to forgo the x-ray and get the antibiotics and mobic and eye salve. It's going on 4 days and we see little improvement. Her eye does now open part way, whereas it was not opening at all before...but she is really mopy and lethargic still. Though we have to chase her down to give her meds and she shows up with bells on at treat time! Help? What am I doing wrong/right?

 

[AGstudy]

How is her eating and drinking? Has she lost alot of weight? How is her breathing? Does she sneeze?

 

[Gwindollyn]

I'm not sure how much she is eating, but when I bring them treats, she shows up and chows down with a vengeance just like the rest of them, plus visibly she looks the same as ever physically. So I don't think she has lost much weight. Her breathing is fine. No sneezing. Just a swollen eye. And she is obviously uncomfortable and not well. It is heartbreaking.

 

[The Coop Crew]

I'm not sure how much she is eating, but when I bring them treats, she shows up and chows down with a vengeance just like the rest of them, plus visibly she looks the same as ever physically. So I don't think she has lost much weight. Her breathing is fine. No sneezing. Just a swollen eye. And she is obviously uncomfortable and not well. It is heartbreaking.

I’m so sorry she isn’t feeling well. Do you see any sort of pus in the eye? If there is any pus you must remove it or it won’t heal. Maybe a warm compress would help? Do you have a picture of her eye?

 

[Gwindollyn]

Thanks for your kind words. There is no pus that I can determine. If you open the eye though, it is blood red. The other eye is clear and normal and my other hens are totally unaffected. The vet has me putting salve on her eye 2x a day...I believe it is the equivalent of Neosporin only the Rx type. Plus antibiotics 1x a day and anti inflammatories and pain meds 2x a day. It's been 4 days with just a little (very little) improvement.

 

[Eggcessive]

What oral antibiotic did your vet prescribe? It could be MG, a common chronic respiratory disease, especially with the swollen eyelid and sleepiness. When you open the eye to use the ointment, look for any bubbles or foam. Have you recently added a new bird to your flock or have wild birds visiting your feeders? Since MG can make carriers of all of your other poultry, I would not sell or rehome any of them for their lives.

 

[Gwindollyn]

What oral antibiotic did your vet prescribe? It could be MG, a common chronic respiratory disease, especially with the swollen eyelid and sleepiness. When you open the eye to use the ointment, look for any bubbles or foam. Have you recently added a new bird to your flock or have wild birds visiting your feeders? Since MG can make carriers of all of your other poultry, I would not sell or rehome any of them for their lives.

Doxycycline is what the vet prescribed..her eye appears normal, wet but not foamy or bubbly or full of mucus or pus, just very red.

No new birds. The same four we've had since they were bitty chicks. And nothing can get to them. My husband made their run like fort knox. lol

 

[AGstudy]

How does the chicken house smell? Any ammonia fumes? Do you use pine shavings? If so, is there a chemical smell to the shavings? Just trying to rule things out...

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know how she gets along.

 

[Susan Skylark]

I treated a quail for bilateral conjunctivitis, mopey, lethargic, eyes swollen shut and bright red. She was totally stressed out by her 4 brothers (bad male to female ratio!) which may have precipitated it. My working diagnosis was chlamydia (mycoplasma is on the list as someone else has already mentioned but much harder to treat). I used tetracycline orally twice daily (doxycycline is a cousin) and applied terramycin to the eyes 3-4 times daily (ocular tetracycline). She felt better in a couple days but it took a week to clear up the eyes. Can you increase eye meds to 3-4 times daily? Are other birds pecking at it?