Sick chicken with swollen face

[5arrowsfarm]

Has there been any wheezing or sneezing, runny nostrils, head shaking going on with her or any other birds in your flock?

We have one hen who sneezes, but it’s not constant and she’s not runny at all.

 

[casportpony]

Yesterday I noticed one of my hens had a really swollen face. Only one side is affected, the other side looks completely normal. The eye is swollen shut with liquid oozing out of it. Her mouth is so swollen to the point where she can’t swallow or close her beak. She smells pretty bad, which is new. Any ideas on what happened or what medicine I can give to her?

She smells bad, or does the eye smell bad? Either way, can you clean up her face really well with warm water and open her eyelid? Also, check her choanal slit, it should look like this:

Please post new pictures of her all cleaned up.

 

[aart]

It was probably around 6 hours. She was fine when they were let out to free range, and then I went to check on everyone around 2 in the afternoon and she was in bad shape.

I would suspect an insect bite (or maybe snake bite?) then.

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[casportpony]

I enlarged the picture from post number 1.

 

[5arrowsfarm]

I would suspect an insect bite (or maybe snake bite?) then.

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Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
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View attachment 1479494

I’m starting to think it was some sort of insect or snake bite. I don’t think if it was some internal issue that it would only affect one side of her face. I’m in Moravian Falls, NC. I’ll add that to my profile. Thank you!!

 

[casportpony]

I’m starting to think it was some sort of insect or snake bite. I don’t think if it was some internal issue that it would only affect one side of her face. I’m in Moravian Falls, NC. I’ll add that to my profile. Thank you!!

Have you taken a look at her eye yet? And is it the just the eye that smells. When I read your first post I assumed you meant it was the eye that smelled, and a swollen, smelly eye almost always means infection, which is why I mentioned sinus infection, antibiotics, and surgery.
FWIW, one-sided sinus infections are more common than two sided ones, so keep that in mind.

 

[5arrowsfarm]

Have you taken a look at her eye yet? And is it the just the eye that smells. When I read your first post I assumed you meant it was the eye that smelled, and a swollen, smelly eye almost always means infection, which is why I mentioned sinus infection, antibiotics, and surgery.
FWIW, one-sided sinus infections are more common than two sided ones, so keep that in mind.

I think it is the eye that smells, but I’m not 100% sure. I’m going to try to clean the eyelid and apply an antibiotic ointment. I was able to open her eye slightly, but I could barely see it due to the swelling. She wasn’t able to drink, so I gave her some water through a syringe which went well.

 

[aart]

She wasn’t able to drink, so I gave her some water through a syringe which went well.

She could swallow or did you get the syringe right down into the esophagus?

@casportpony can you give chickens something like benedryl to reduce that swelling?
Thinking that might be appropriate if it was a bite.

 

[casportpony]

She could swallow or did you get the syringe right down into the esophagus?

@casportpony can you give chickens something like benedryl to reduce that swelling?
Thinking that might be appropriate if it was a bite.

There are some references to using it, but I have not used it. I can look up the dose if anyone is interested.

 

[dawg53]

My first thought was that it was coryza. Since there are no other symptoms and no other birds are showing coryza symptoms, it's an eye infection. It could be viral or fungal but I suspect it's bacterial due to the foul odor. The infection should be removed from the eye and she should be given an antibiotic such as amoxicillin or doxycycline.
In chickens, benadryl will not reduce swelling, it will however keep the trachea open so she can breathe. I dont think this is an issue in this instance, but if it becomes one, use childrens benadryl. Dosage is 1/2cc orally, once in a 24 hour period.