Orpington going blind. Has no pupils. Recent issue

[giarcpnw]

Hi,

Long time reader, first time poster. My one year old Orpington has been recovering from the fowl pox the last two months. She was fine a week ago and this morning i saw her bumping into things and craning her neck a lot. I though she was acting drunk until i walked up on her and she didn't run. I have taken pics of her eyes and you can see she no longer has pupils and light no longer seems to have an effect dialating her eyes.

From what i can gather this could be so many things. Marek's, Botulism, ad nuaseam bird illness list.
She has no other symptoms and all her fowl pox lesions are gone. Could the POX have done this?

Any ideas would be helpful as i have no idea what course to take. The vet unfortunately is not an option. No one really handles birds near me in LA.

Thank You

Craig

 

[giarcpnw]

I forgot to answer the other questions:

Symptoms may have been present for over a week. I leave and return from work while it's dark.

Non of my other birds have these symptoms although my Australorp is also recovering from the pox.

NO bleeding or injury

She eats organic crumble, scratch in the morning.Water is fresh daily with some ACV.
treats will be banana, cooked squash and she free ranges on the weekends.

Poops: I have no idea. She is so close to the other 3 girls I cannot tell whose poop is whose. NO bloody stools though.

Bedding is fine pine wood shavings but the girls roost up on 2x4s

Thanks,

C

 

[Eggcessive]

Sadly, the only cause I know that causes constriction of the pupil or irregularly shaped pupils is Mareks disease. Here are a couple of good links. Note all 18 pictures and captions of the Cornell site:
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/502
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf

 

[casportpony]

Sorry, but she looks like some of my Marek's birds, but many are several years old and doing just fine.

-Kathy

 

[giarcpnw]

I assume they do not get their sight back. Also, do I need to restrict her from the other girls. None of them show symptoms. How long? Is there a vaccination or medicine for this. I know it's some sort of internal herpes infection.

ugh,

Poor thing.

C

 

[Wyandottes7]

I assume they do not get their sight back. Also, do I need to restrict here from the other girls. None of them show symptoms. How long? Is there a vaccination or medicine for this. I know it's some sort of internal herpes infection.

ugh,

Poor thing.

C

As far as I know, they do not get their sight back. If she has Marek's, all of your other birds have already been exposed, so that wouldn't be a reason to isolate her. However, I'd make sure that she is getting something to eat and drink each day. If she can't see very well, she may have trouble eating and drinking. She would also be more vulnerable to predators or being attacked by another chicken.

There is a vaccination for Marek's, but it is given usually when a chick is one day old. It only works if you give the vaccination before the bird is exposed to the disease. Marek's is nearly everywhere, so if the vaccine is given later, it will have less chance of working.

 

[giarcpnw]

Thanks you for you help everyone. Last question, will she lay again and if so will her eggs be safe to eat?
I'll make sure water and food are always in the same place for her to get too.

craig

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Yes eggs are safe to eat. She may do well if she can get to food and water. If you Google mareks disease there are many very good links to read, and here on BYC is a long running thread where you can ask questions of many veterans with Mareks in their flocks--things like where to get testing, where to get vaccines for day old chicks, symptoms, treatments, etc.

 

[Nambroth]

Craig,

So sorry about your hen. This is not a diagnosis, but I also really this that this does look like what happens in Marek's birds. I have a link in my signature that goes over some of the questions you might have about Marek's, if you are interested in reading.
The 'good' news is that even if this is Marek's, because it's taken the ocular form and she's a bit older, she may well live through it. Like casportpony mentioned above, some folks have had Marek's positive birds with this symptom go on to live several years.

Unfortunately, there is no medication that can cure Marek's, if that is indeed what she has. Some people have had limited success with homeopathic remedies, but these, at best, keep the bird from getting worse, and never 'cure' anything. A vaccination is available to help prevent it, but it does not cause immunity, isn't a cure, and is best administered to chicks less than 24 hours old. Administering it to an already-exposed bird is very likely useless.

You may just have to keep an eye on her and make sure she gets around safely, and gets enough to eat and drink. A small scale (a postal or kitchen scale) can be very beneficial to see if she has any weight loss over the long term. Sometimes blind chickens attach themselves to a flockmate 'buddy' and follow them around to better get to feed and water. If you free range, be advised that your blind hen will obviously have a much harder time escaping any predators.

Her eggs are safe to eat, humans cannot get Marek's, and they do not pass it through the egg.