sick chick/swollen eye

[Tejasgal]

I have a 5 week old chick that started having problems with its left eye. Started crusting over and eventually the skin grew up over it swelling to about the size of a little marble.
The right eye started to water with tiny air bubbles and crusting over a little. In addition to the eye it has been having slightly labored breathing. I have been putting antibiotic in the water and neosporin on the eyes. This has been a week but tonight I was able to extract and clean out the swollen left eye it had a large M&M size ball of yellow infection. I put more neosporin on the eye area. Has anyone ever had this issue and what is the cause? I am thinking broncitis but
wonder if its a insect bite being the eye was so infected. Please help me with understanding what it could be.

 

[silkiechick1994]

Sounds to me like your little chick either has a very bad eye infection or a infectious upper respiratory infection. I would rinse daily with saline solution to keep it clean and keep putting the neosporine on the eye. On a side note your chick could have an eye worm. What does the eye look like? As for the respiratory issue. Is she coughing up crud or oozing yellow stuff from the nose? It might be worth getting some Tylan 50 from a tractor supply or co op. it works maricles for respiratory issues. I'm not sure what the dosage would be for a chick though.

 

[Tejasgal]

Since I cleaned out the chicks left eye from the large ball of infection I cannot see an eyeball at all just a slit in the skin. I wonder if the eyeball was part of the junk I cleaned out. And before the eye was enclosed I did not see any worms in the eye. I will find the antibiotic you recommend for the bronchitis. There is a light yellow drainage from the nose...I have been cleaning that crustation off too

 

[Stewarts]

Can you get this poor creature to a vet? If so, I'd do that ASAP!

 

[silkiechick1994]

Yes the Tylan will help her fight off the respiratory infection. As for the eye I've never had to deal with an infection that bad before. Poor little one. I think @Stewarts is right about the vet part. Large animal clinics don't charge a whole lot for chickens. Especially for a chick. I just had to take one in for a cracked pelvis the other day and only cost me 20 for an exam and the medicine for an adult. The vet can also give you the proper dosage for the Tylan 50 so you don't overdose the poor thing by accident. I will say that once you give her the stuff mine always did better with a little treat afterwards to get the taste out. I used yogurt cause its something I know mine enjoy. If you can't get her to a vet then I would just continue to rinse out the eye and keep putting neosporine on it. Giving some electrolytes should help her immune system a lot too. Gatorade can be used in a pinch and sure does make a difference. She'll need all the help she can get. I sure hope she makes it.

 

[silkiechick1994]

Something I forgot to mention about the respiratory thing that is important. She will ALWAYS carry this from now on. It will be a reoccurring thing that comes out during stressful times. Once they get over it the first time it's not usually that bad. My entire flock caught this unfortunately. I've been having to watch them and if they show any signs I dose them for a week with the Tylan. Some of mine have it and some don't. Its really not as bad as it seems if you read about it. I don't breed or sell any of them because I wouldn't want to Infect anyone else's flock with what mine have. Doesn't hurt the eggs though. Still tasty as ever. Since you said that about the yellow gunk I'm thinking that the respiratory issue is what caused the eye problem. One of my hens had the side of her face swollen with puss and stuff when she had it. Wouldn't surprise me if that was the cause. If you treat the first thing it should help get rid of the second.

 

[Tejasgal]

It's been 2 days since I cleaned the eye out from the infection while continue to put neosporin and antibiotic meds. Angel (yes I named her/him) is acting and feeling a lot better. If I had to do it all over again I would be going to the vet. Angel is going to continue to stay in our bathroom living in the plasic tote sleeping on hay and enjoying a warm place to live till she is big enough to be outside in the coop. As far as the other chickens they are all healthy. She has become a pet eating bread from my hand so even though she only has 1 eye she is doing as well as a regular chicken. I believe since the large amt of pus was removed she is able to fight the bronchitis.

 

[Stewarts]

So glad the little girl is doing better.

 

[silkiechick1994]

Very good!! I'm so happy she/he is doing better. It's amazing what a little TLC can do.

 

[Tejasgal]

Yup just sad her eye didnt get healed