Swollen face

[mmgillan]

After I let my gals out of the coop this morning, I found this one back in the coop on the roost. When I looked closer I saw something black, maybe a tick, above her eye. When I touched it it fell off so I couldn't have a closer look. Left her with a tiny puncture wound and a small amount of blood. I cleaned it with peroxide & put some antibiotic onintment on it. Could a tick cause swelling in her wattles & face?

 

[DiannaMM]

hmmm,not sure about a tick causing the swelling but it sure looks like what happened to my rooster after he got a little frost bite. i treated it with neosporin and he was all better.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Hello,

I saw that no one has answered your post yet, so I hope I can help you.

Its possible that the swollen face can be from the tick. Ticks and other blood sucking buggers can carry a whole array of bacterias that can infect their host. Are you sure it was a tick and not some sort of scab? Maybe your hen got pecked- was it at the top of the head or above the eye? If so, it could be that she got pecked as this is where a lot of hens aim when they mean business!

I'm not at all an expert on chicken health, but I read a lot up on it and my concerns are is that it looks like is something called infectious coryza. However, I find it curious that her waddle is swollen also- Because of that, I'm doubtful, thinking it could just be an infection from either a tick bite or maybe from being pecked.

It would be helpful to post a few more pictures at other angles. Also, there is a guide/write up on the top of the page of the emergency/diseases/injuries and cures page labeled "Have an emergency/disease? Please read first"... In that you will find a questionnaire for you to fill out and post that will help others help you.

Some questions...

Is the chicken having any breathing difficulties? Any rattle-like noises coming from its beak? Any discharge coming out from the nostrils?



If this is just bacteria from an injury or infected tick bite, then antibiotics would be your best bet.

I'm not sure of the treatment for infectious coryza, but I think it is something you would need to treat as soon as possible as it is 'infectious'. I think ... if I remember correctly... that Duramyacin 10 in your flock's water would help that, but I'm not sure...


I apologize for not being very helpful.... Right now, I am away from all my books and things to help you better because we are remodeling the room and there is no way to get to things, so please be sure and do a web search on those terms to check and see if your chicken as similar symptoms. Those webpages should also help you with treatments if you so assess what it is. I hope someone else can chime in and share their thoughts as well.

For now, I would separate the hen from the flock and watch for more hens having the same problem. I'd also get some antibiotics for your hen. Preferably something that is water soluble.


Let us know what happens!

 

[Bocktobery 10]

I agree that frostbite can cause swelling in the waddles. Absolutely, but can it cause the swollen face? That's what concerns me. To me that says "respiratory infection".

 

[Eggcessive]

I think the tick could have been the problem especially since 2 others recently have had the same thing. I would recommend giving 1/2 a child's dose of benadryl only once, and then waiting to see if it makes a difference. Swollen wattles and face usually does point to a respiratory disease such as coryza or fowl cholera, and swollen wattles alone can mean frostbite or coryza. But since you saw the tick, that's what I would treat for. Ticks can spread diseases such as fowl cholera, so I would watch for any more. They are probably worse in the south. Please let us know what happens. Here are 2 similar threads regarding a tick causing swollen wattles:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/939516/hen-with-swollen-wattles-and-neck
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/937910/swollen-puffy-head

 

[mmgillan]

Here is another picture of her. She doesn't seem to be having any type of breathing difficulties and nothing draining from her nostrils.

 

[Eggcessive]

What is the bloody dot in the right eye rim about 2o'clock? Is that where the tick fell off? Her whole face, ear lobe, and wattles are pretty swollen, and the wattles are dark. Have you given any Benadryl yet? Is there any crust around her nostrils?

 

[mmgillan]

Update on Louise. Gave her some Benadryl that night and here she is 2 days later. Acting normal. Eating, running with the other girls. Still looks a little swollen though. Hmmm, perplexed.

 

[Eggcessive]

The swelling looks a lot less from the pictures. She sounds like she is doing pretty well. Other than some residual swelling, does she have any other symptoms?

 

[Bocktobery 10]

So glad to hear (and see) that she is doing better! I hope that continues for you. I'm glad also that it does not seem so serious as it looks or seems.



Eggcessive, thanks for your post... I learned something from it! THANK YOU! I have a question though- Benedryl is for allergic reactions in the body. Why did this work instead of an antibiotic? Just curious. I was thinking that the reaction of swelling would be due to some sort of infectious element like bacteria from the tick.



Oh, AND I do want to correct my earlier post about infectious coryza- I just read and found out that it can swell up the waddles. All the photos of it I've seen the waddles are not swollen, but apparently it can. Just wanted to clear that up.