Mystery Eye Condition

[TheLaboratoryBF]

Hello! Hoping I can get some help with one of my new chickens (“feed store special” started pullet picked up yesterday) who has an eye injury/disease. Didn’t notice until I got her home, unfortunately. She seems to be missing a properly formed eyeball as she doesn’t have a pupil/iris/etc. She does have an eyeball itself but it’s just a fleshy pink color with a roadmap of blood vessels all over it (no cloudiness/film). There is no discharge, no odor whatsoever, no other symptoms (no sneezing, wheezing, coughing, she’s eating and drinking voraciously, and poops are normal). This is just affecting the right eye, left eye is perfectly formed, functional, and healthy.

There is a scab on her lower lid (the dark line in the photo) along with some dried blood below that so I’m wondering if this was a physical injury or if she was born this way (really hoping it’s not an infectious disease). Also of note: the tissue surrounding the eyeball appears slightly swollen but when I press on it, all I feel is the bone of her socket (no softness/squishiness whatsoever).

Thanks and happy to answer any other questions to help diagnose.

ETA: Exact age unknown; I’d say ~10-12 weeks old.

 

[coach723]

I think what you are seeing is the tissue of the eye socket rather than the eyeball itself. I'm wondering if there actually is an eyeball behind that swollen looking tissue. Injury, illness, or deformity, I can't really say. In this case, a good avian vet might be your best option. If not, I would suggest flushing it out really well with sterile saline, and getting some terramycin eye ointment (image below), available without prescription, and putting that in the eye a couple of times a day, to see if it improves anything. Some feed stores carry it, and there are online sources.
I will tag a couple of others who may have some advice.
@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock

 

[TheLaboratoryBF]

I think what you are seeing is the tissue of the eye socket rather than the eyeball itself. I'm wondering if there actually is an eyeball behind that swollen looking tissue. Injury, illness, or deformity, I can't really say. In this case, a good avian vet might be your best option. If not, I would suggest flushing it out really well with sterile saline, and getting some terramycin eye ointment (image below), available without prescription, and putting that in the eye a couple of times a day, to see if it improves anything. Some feed stores carry it, and there are online sources.
I will tag a couple of others who may have some advice.
@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock
View attachment 4228466

That’s an interesting thought I hadn’t considered and now that I think about it, she doesn’t have a third eyelid either (at least that’s visible on the external side of the tissue. Terramycin is prescription-only here, but I have an older tube in my chicken first-aid kit so I’ll start that tonight.

ETA: I flushed it last night and sprayed it with Vetericyn to start.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have to agree with coach723 in that there may be a punctured eyeball from an injury (peck or a sharp object,) but injuries or a tumor can make the conjunctival tissue prominent for awhile. Since there is a scrape on the lower eyelid, I do wonder if she has an eye. The ointment that was recommended would be good to do for a week or so, to make sure the eye is treated if there. I have used plain triple antibiotic in eye injuries in my chickens.

 

[TheLaboratoryBF]

I have to agree with coach723 in that there may be a punctured eyeball from an injury (peck or a sharp object,) but injuries or a tumor can make the conjunctival tissue prominent for awhile. Since there is a scrape on the lower eyelid, I do wonder if she has an eye. The ointment that was recommended would be good to do for a week or so, to make sure the eye is treated if there. I have used plain triple antibiotic in eye injuries in my chickens.

Thank you both! I have triple antibiotic ointment in my own medicine cabinet (that’s not old/expired like the Terramycin ) so will apply that for a week and report back. I do have a chicken vet the next town over but I’m currently a furloughed fed (without pay) so am trying to watch pennies. If worse comes to worst, I will take her in, however.

 

[Eggcessive]

I don’t know if there is much a vet could do if the eye is missing. Has there been any bullying in the flock?

 

[TheLaboratoryBF]

I don’t know if there is much a vet could do if the eye is missing. Has there been any bullying in the flock?

I just got her (and her two “siblings”) yesterday. They were in a small wire cage at the feed store (unknown how long they were there) so definitely could have been some anxiety/boredom pecking.

 

[coach723]

Hopefully the ointment will help and at least bring the swelling down some, then maybe it will be possible to get a better look at the eye itself, if it's still there.