Swollen eyelid and swollen flesh around eye

[chicken pickin]

When tending to my girls yesterday I noticed one of them has just one swollen eyelid and the red flesh around her eye has puffed up also. She seems that she is eatting drinking and can see some what out of that eye But the puffiness was a little worse this morn and she keeps shaking her head( I can only imagine she feels the irritation). Ive read a few other threads and I think Ive found people use Terramycin eye ointment and i think I read something about vetrx. Ive never had a sick chicken so im not sure what to do. If anyone has any suggestions im all ears. I will try TSC today to see if they have any eye meds. I will try to get a pic of her also.
Thanks

 

[chicken pickin]

So I called around to all the feed stores in trown yesterday and not much luck. One store carried nothing and said to put neosporin on her eye. Blue seal only had Vetericyn which they said is for use on all animals and then I called TSC who didnt have anything in stock either except Vetericyn. Does anyone know if vetericyn is safe for use on chickens I know the product says for all animals but I dont want to damage her eye. My only other option would be to order meds online. Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[Leslieb118]

Vetericyn is perfectly fine for chickens. I used it on one of my hens that got pecked in the eye. It helped a lot. However, it is not an antibiotic eye ointment. If you need one with an antibiotic, then Terramycin would be the way to go. TSC usually carries it, but every time I go in there the spot is empty! What I did for my hen was wash the eye out with saline solution, then applied the Vetericyn gel on and in her eye. I do want to stress though that I knew from the start it was a pecking injury because I saw it happen. That treatment would probably only work for an injury or a foreign body, such as dirt, in the eye. If you're dealing with something respiratory, Vetericyn won't cure it. Good luck!

 

[chicken pickin]

Thanks for replying. I dont think its a pecking injury only because im pretty sure she is top of the pecking order. I suppose it could be an injury from free ranging they were in the woods a little bit the other day maybe a stick poked her eye. Other than that I dont know what to look for to figure out what the problem is so I dont know what dirrection to go in to figure out what meds are best. My local tractor supply does not have terramycin in stock right now. I may have to call other towns.

How would I know if it was related to a respiratory problem?

 

[kreagerm]

Just keep an eye on it. My one pullet started with these same symptoms, then 2 days later got bubbles in the eye, so at that point i knew it wasn't just a peck to the eye. I actually gave Tylan over 5 days and everything cleared up nicely.

 

[chicken pickin]

What is Tylan and where can it be purchased?

 

[Leslieb118]

You can get Tylan 50 injectable at Tractor Supply. The dosage for a larger chicken is 1/2cc and for bantams/small is 1/4cc. injected into the breast once a day for 3-5 days. You can also give it orally through an oral syringe, but you'd have to do it for about 5-7 days

 

[chicken pickin]

Thank You I will keep an eye on her and watch for new symptoms and I will look into that medication. Would the terrimycin eye ointment be as effective as tylan or are they for 2 different things. Ive never had a sick chicken so Im new to all the poultry meds and such. Also is vetrx for eye infections? I feel so confused

 

[Leslieb118]

Terramycin won't treat a respiratory infection. A lot of respiratory infections present in the eyes. If you start seeing bubbly eye, discharge from nostrils, things like that, you need to get her on Tylan. VetRx is not really a "medication". It's more of a soothing type of thing, like Vicks vapor rub. It does help in some instances, but it doesn't really cure anything either.

 

[chicken pickin]

Should she be isolated from the rest of the flock shes not showing any respiratory symptoms yet? I called tractor supply they have the tylan in stock they said the label says for i think cattle and swine is that accurate that this is the one still used for poultry? It is also the injectable, its all they have. Do I have to inject it? The lady on the phone said I could add it to the water I also read people shoot it straight down the chickens throat not sure howsafe that sounds.