Terribly swollen eye :(

[Chickenchick007]

Hi everyone — I just joined BYC but have been absorbing your wisdom for months since getting five little chicks in February. Today I am worried. One of my sweet Wyandotte hens has something going on with her left eye. The eye itself looks okay, but the skin around it is pale and swollen, like a puffy ring or some kind of growth. Her right eye is totally normal. I’m attaching pics. Her energy is fine; she’s not sneezing, not acting sick. I did see her scratching at it once, like maybe it itches? I’ve researched fowl pox but the pictures aren’t quite a match. I can’t find pictures anywhere online that look the same. She’s about 4-5 months and hasn’t started laying yet. Also of note: she’s had diarrhea on and off for the last month or so. Please help! I don’t know it I should isolate her, take her to the vet, or switch her back to feed with antibiotics…

 

[QuacksALot]

I’m sorry no one’s reached out. Looks like it might possibly be a respiratory infection?
Definitely get her some vitamins with vitamin A… but that’s all I can really recommend because I’m not too educated on respiratory infections. Let me know how it goes.
I think this might be a good product.

 

[LaFleche]

Looks like an insect sting to me. Try some Benadryl and see if the swelling goes down.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Looks like an insect sting to me. Try some Benadryl and see if the swelling goes down.

I was thinking the same thing, has it gone down? Benadryl won't work for chickens, they have a different response than humans.

 

[LaFleche]

Benadryl won't work for chickens, they have a different response than humans.

It recently did work with several chickens of other users that presented with the same issue.

In case it does not work the cause may be something else.

 

[SmiYa0126]

It recently did work with several chickens of other users that presented with the same issue.

Really?! I tried it on mine and it didn't work

 

[LaFleche]

Really?! I tried it on mine and it didn't work

Might have had something else going on or some poisonous insect bite.

 

[LaFleche]

I don’t know it I should isolate her, take her to the vet, or switch her back to feed with antibiotics…

I would not use antibiotics unless you are sure that her condition is caused by bacteria.

If she is eating, drinking and behaving otherwise normally and you don't see any lesions like canker in her throat, there is no reason to separate her from her flock.
Did you notice any foul smell coming from her mouth? Take a whiff.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have seen this before and pictures of this type of swelling without the other symptoms of a foamy eye and MG (mycoplasma gallisepticum.) I would try treating her with Tylosin powder in her water. You can get that at Jedds.com. Dosage is 1 tsp per gallon of water for 5 days.

 

[Chickenchick007]

The eye itself looks okay, but the skin around it is pale and swollen, like a puffy ring or some kind of growth. Her right eye is totally normal. I’m attaching pics.

Thanks for your kind replies, everyone! Super super helpful. I'm attaching a pic from today, both sides of her face... is it just me or does the swelling look *slightly* better? Could just be the light. Her energy still seems normal and she's eating. No foul smell or any kind of odor. If it's a bee sting or something -- and we do seem to have lots of giant bees on the property this year -- maybe it will continue to go down?