Sudden red/blood eyeballs?!!!

[mandymcg05]

I noticed today one of my pullets having red colored eyes. No they haven’t always been this way. One eye is SOLID red and the other eye is starting to redden at the bottom. What on earth??? No other symptoms that I can tell I did see her eat and drink. Left eyeball is completely red and right eyeball is starting to redden at the bottom. Hard to get a picture I am currently treating with corid for cocci after seeing red blood in poop in the coop.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm interested in what others have to say on this...but here are my thoughts.

Pullets do develop different eye color from chickhood, so that is a possiblity. her adult color coming in. (I have had Marans which naturally have a copper eye).

The right eye looks normal to me. So adult coloring is a thought.

However, looking at the left eye, I am also seeing some irregularity in the pupil. Is that from camera angle? Or is that the way the eye looks?

If so, my best guess is Ocular Marek's which changes the color of the iris from the tumor growth as well as the shape.

There isn't anything you can do. It can progress very slowly. The other birds have been exposed already, but if Marek's, you can decide if you want to cull this bird.

I'm not thinking it is any kind of eye irritation as the eye itself would be bloodshot and swollen, and while the membranes are a bit pink, I don't think they look infected.

Marek's often strikes just before point of lay, which this young pullet looks to be about at.

Hopefully someone has a better thought than I do.

LofMc

 

[ShannonR]

The one red side looks like a blind eye.

 

[mandymcg05]

I'm interested in what others have to say on this...but here are my thoughts.

Pullets do develop different eye color from chickhood, so that is a possiblity. her adult color coming in. (I have had Marans which naturally have a copper eye).

However, looking at the left eye, I am also seeing some irregularity in the pupil. Is that from camera angle? Or is that the way the eye looks?

If so, my best guess is Ocular Marek's which changes the color of the iris from the tumor growth as well as the shape.

There isn't anything you can do. It can progress very slowly. The other birds have been exposed already, but if Marek's, you can decide if you want to cull this bird.

I'm not thinking it is any kind of eye irritation as the eye itself would be bloodshot and swollen, and while the membranes are a bit pink, I don't think they look infected.

Marek's often strikes just before point of lay, which this young pullet looks to be about at.

Hopefully someone has a better thought than I do.

LofMc

Thank you for the input. I pray to god you’re wrong though. This pullet is about 2-3 months old I believe. She’s in a flock with some comets and BR that should be laying any week now. Would anyone else show signs or symptoms??

 

[mandymcg05]

The one red side looks like a blind eye.

Can you see the bottom of the opposite eye starting to turn red? Is she going blind before my eyes??? What would cause this so suddenly.

 

[ShannonR]

Can you see the bottom of the opposite eye starting to turn red? Is she going blind before my eyes??? What would cause this so suddenly.

I read the original post, but I wasn't able to see the other eye turning red from the pictures.

 

[Kiki]

Can you get more pictures of the left eye?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you for the input. I pray to god you’re wrong though. This pullet is about 2-3 months old I believe. She’s in a flock with some comets and BR that should be laying any week now. Would anyone else show signs or symptoms??

Not necessarily. Marek's is not an all or none proposition especially since you have different breeds. The other breeds may have natural immunity while this one bird was simply vulnerable.

Check the shape of the iris in that left eye. If that IS irregular, my best guess is ocular Marek's...which some birds live with for a number of years before going blind as the tumors grow too thick to see through.

LofMc

 

[mandymcg05]

I read the original post, but I wasn't able to see the other eye turning red from the pictures.

Check the very bottom. You may have to zoom to tell.

 

[mandymcg05]

Not necessarily. Marek's is not an all or none proposition especially since you have different breeds. The other breeds may have natural immunity while this one bird was simply vulnerable.

Check the shape of the iris in that left eye. If that IS irregular, my best guess is ocular Marek's...which some birds live with for a number of years before going blind as the tumors grow too thick to see through.

LofMc

I feel like it’s possible position of the camera and the blood color at the bottom starting to come over the eye.