I have had dry pox in the flock the last few weeks. But they were all doing really well. Then my sweet Cochin was found in the coop, with a closed, pasty eye. She had not eaten. None of the others had their eye sealed shut. I looked in her beak and thought I saw a lesion. It was very flat on the roof of the beak and easily swiped away with a Q-tip. It looked like a thin bit of white skin that peeled off. I think that is the best way to describe it. Nothing came back after that in the mouth. She's never had mucous, but at times did seem as though she was holding her mouth open and trying to swallow after she would eat something. I wish I had taken a picture first, but at the time, I was sure it was wet pox and wanted to get it out. Her appetite is not great, but she is eating, especially if I offer it to her by hand. We could not keep her eye open for a few days. I used Vetericyn Wound Spray on it and kept cleaning it and opening it, put Neosporin on it once too. But because she does not see well, I don't think she is able to see the food well. Since her eye looked a little infected and since I feared Wet Pox, I put her on Sulmet, as a sort of secondary infection type of preventative or help. Hey eye does look better, although not well yet. She laid one egg since being confined. Does this sound like Wet Pox or just Dry Pox over the eye? Would the lesions grow back in the mouth and would there be more than one if this was wet pox?
Today I found a Silkie in a different pen with a badly swollen eye. It was sealed shut as well... again, empty crop. I saw no lesions in her beak. I'm sorry I didn't photograph before I sprayed her, but I was trying to ease her eye problem and wasn't thinking pictures at the time. I sprayed her eye repeatedly with the Vetericyn Wound Spray and wiped, but could not clear it as of yet,so I put the Neosporin ointment on it, hopefully to loosen them up so I can open her eye. There are three maybe four sores on it I think. It looks horrible. I moved her to a wire crate sat over the grass after treating her with Sulmet and hand feeding bread soaked in yogurt, which she seemed to enjoy. I gave her water. She pecked at the grass and some of the scrambled egg I put in her bowl. But it seems I must keep putting the food in front of her or due to the vision trouble it's like it's not there at all. Tonight I offered chick feed, and she ate that pretty well. I could feel a good bit in her crop this evening, but I had to bring water to her and put her beak to it, then she drank and drank.
I gave the Sulmet to them straight from a syringe into the beak since I did not think they would drink enough water. I read about that on the boards here, and followed the doses mentioned, just for info.
So, what do you think? Do I have wet pox problems or is this just a bad case of dry pox on one or both? I know wet pox is much more risky and I've searched the forum looking for lesion pictures, but just don't see any. So I don't know if what my Cochin had was a real lesion or a piece of food that was ovalish stuck in her beak. I don't know if there would have to be something more. She does have a few dry pox marks on her comb and wattle, but I know they can have both wet and dry at the same time. So I guess I am searching for what to look for and if anyone knows when I would see these other signs.
I don't know if dry pox every seals up the eyes real bad. My poor Silkie has it bad on her eye and then a pox mark on her wattle too. I took a picture, although her feathers are wet from the spray and the ointment is over her eye. I could not get a good shot without putting a light on her eye, so I hope you can see it ok.
Other side... it looks like she got pecked on the corner of her eye, but it could be tiny drying sore. See the sore on the wattle too?
Thanks for any help or thoughts on this you can give.
-Fox
Today I found a Silkie in a different pen with a badly swollen eye. It was sealed shut as well... again, empty crop. I saw no lesions in her beak. I'm sorry I didn't photograph before I sprayed her, but I was trying to ease her eye problem and wasn't thinking pictures at the time. I sprayed her eye repeatedly with the Vetericyn Wound Spray and wiped, but could not clear it as of yet,so I put the Neosporin ointment on it, hopefully to loosen them up so I can open her eye. There are three maybe four sores on it I think. It looks horrible. I moved her to a wire crate sat over the grass after treating her with Sulmet and hand feeding bread soaked in yogurt, which she seemed to enjoy. I gave her water. She pecked at the grass and some of the scrambled egg I put in her bowl. But it seems I must keep putting the food in front of her or due to the vision trouble it's like it's not there at all. Tonight I offered chick feed, and she ate that pretty well. I could feel a good bit in her crop this evening, but I had to bring water to her and put her beak to it, then she drank and drank.
I gave the Sulmet to them straight from a syringe into the beak since I did not think they would drink enough water. I read about that on the boards here, and followed the doses mentioned, just for info.
So, what do you think? Do I have wet pox problems or is this just a bad case of dry pox on one or both? I know wet pox is much more risky and I've searched the forum looking for lesion pictures, but just don't see any. So I don't know if what my Cochin had was a real lesion or a piece of food that was ovalish stuck in her beak. I don't know if there would have to be something more. She does have a few dry pox marks on her comb and wattle, but I know they can have both wet and dry at the same time. So I guess I am searching for what to look for and if anyone knows when I would see these other signs.
I don't know if dry pox every seals up the eyes real bad. My poor Silkie has it bad on her eye and then a pox mark on her wattle too. I took a picture, although her feathers are wet from the spray and the ointment is over her eye. I could not get a good shot without putting a light on her eye, so I hope you can see it ok.
Other side... it looks like she got pecked on the corner of her eye, but it could be tiny drying sore. See the sore on the wattle too?
Thanks for any help or thoughts on this you can give.
-Fox
Still unsure about the vaccine since I've read you need to give it to them every year and it will be hard to keep tract of that many chickens on who got it and who didn't, who is exposed, who isn't... from what I hear, they are all exposed at this point.
