Terribly itchy eye

[calmeter]

One young chicken out of a flock of 30 is screeching and scratching her left eye. The eye doesn’t look swollen, just teary. This has been going on for about 2 weeks! I flush the eye with saline, I have veterycin wound spray as well as veterycin eye drops. I also have erythromycin ointment and triple antibiotic ointment. Nothing is getting rid of the problem. I am wondering if it’s a fungal infection? We are in Florida and have had very wet conditions.

A couple weeks ago I had one other chicken with the same problem and it went away after a couple days with saline and triple antibiotic.

Is there anything I can use on the eye if it is a fungal infection?

 

[Tookie]

Could you get a picture?

 

[calmeter]

Could you get a picture?

 

[Tookie]

Not sure what's wrong.
So is that a growth?

 

[calmeter]

Could you get a picture?

I added a picture, and I can see that it is swollen compared to the other eye.

 

[calmeter]

One young chicken out of a flock of 30 is screeching and scratching her left eye. The eye doesn’t look swollen, just teary. This has been going on for about 2 weeks! I flush the eye with saline, I have veterycin wound spray as well as veterycin eye drops. I also have erythromycin ointment and triple antibiotic ointment. Nothing is getting rid of the problem. I am wondering if it’s a fungal infection? We are in Florida and have had very wet conditions.

A couple weeks ago I had one other chicken with the same problem and it went away after a couple days with saline and triple antibiotic.

Is there anything I can use on the eye if it is a fungal infection?

Not sure what's wrong.
So is that a growth?

I don't think it's a growth. Its probably irritated from being scratched with dirty toenails. She also rubs the eye against her shoulder, so her shoulder is always damp.

 

[Tookie]

I don't think it's a growth. Its probably irritated from being scratched with dirty toenails. She also rubs the eye against her shoulder, so her shoulder is always damp.

I'll tag the experts. @azygous @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive

 

[azygous]

You can probably lift that pus off the eye with a Q-tip. If it has hardened on the surface, tease it off the eye far enough so you can grasp it with the tweezers and peel it off.

Then irrigate the eye well with saline and then use a triple antibiotic ointment twice a day in the eye until it gets better.

 

[calmeter]

Ok, I'll look more closely at it. But why would she be screaming and scratching it? I've been irrigating it and putting ointment on it for 2 weeks.

 

[azygous]

Eye infections hurt a lot. That's why she's scratching at it, only to introduce more bacteria into the eye.

Leaving pus in the eye encourages bacteria to remain and proliferate in the eye. That's why it hasn't improved with the treatment you've been trying.

Chicken pus is tough stuff. It will not absorb into the tissues as human pus does. You have to remove it. It may seem hard to do, but approach it with the mindset that you will be able to peel it off the eye once you can grab a corner of the leathery stuff with a tweezers or your fingers if you are dexterous.