Young leghorn with eye/inflamed sinus

[Rob Sivulka]

She's 4 to 5 months old. I noticed this shortly after I got her a couple weeks ago and she was getting pecked by others. I also thought of cleaning out the coop which hadn't been done in quite a while. Lot to clean up!

The guy I got her from told me to put warm saltwater in her eye before I put erythromycin gel in the corner of it. I have been doing it 2-3 times a day for 3 days now. The film over her eye isn't as bad today, but she obviously has a swollen, infected sinus in front of her right eye. Left eye is fine. I also started her on Manna Pro Chick Starter Grower a couple days ago.

Wondering what this sickness is and what to do about it. The guy I got her from is offering antibiotics. Should I get them?

Thanks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You're on the right track with flushing the eye with saline and applying your ointment, but the pus needs to be removed in order for the eye to heal. Chicken pus will not dry up on it's own.
Do you know what antibiotic the guy is offering? It may tell a tale.
Has he expressed that he may know what you are dealing with? It's hard to know if this is respiratory disease or infection due to injury/getting debris in the eye. Bubbling in the eye in most cases is indicative of Mycoplasma. I have had foam in the eye due to injury (known injury from a scuffle), but once the eye was cleaned/flushed and ointment applied, the foam never returned. If the bubbles keep coming, then probably Mycoplasma, but the only way to know for sure is to have testing.

Do you have any respiratory illness in your existing flock? If not and you have kept her quarantined away from your flock, then you may want to consider returning her. IF she does have MG, then it can be spread to other birds.
Here's some disease info https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ps044

There are quite a few videos on YouTube about removing pus from a chicken's eye, below is just once example.

 

[Rob Sivulka]

He's not sure. He couldn't find those antibiotics. I found some Levoflaxacin, so I've been quarantining her until she finishes her medicine crums in her food. None of the other birds have the problem and she's been with them the whole time. She still is getting the bubbly eye, but the welt in front of the eye does not seem as bad, but it's still bad. Here's a pic from this afternoon. Thx!

 

[Rob Sivulka]

This looks more like what I'm dealing with...

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree with Wyorp Rock that Inwould bet the pus out,mkeep irrigating the eye with saline and put the antibiotic ointment in 2-3 times a day. The levofloxacin should work against mycoplasma gallisepticum or coryza. What dosage are you using? Is there a bad odor to her eye?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You're on the right track with flushing the eye with saline and applying your ointment, but the pus needs to be removed in order for the eye to heal. Chicken pus will not dry up on it's own.

I found some Levoflaxacin, so I've been quarantining her until she finishes her medicine crums in her food. None of the other birds have the problem and she's been with them the whole time. She still is getting the bubbly eye, but the welt in front of the eye does not seem as bad, but it's still bad. Here's a pic from this afternoon. Thx!

What is the medicine crums in her food? Do you mean medicated chick starter or?

I'd still flush the eye, press out the pus and apply an eye ointment in the eye.
The antibiotic may help with secondary infection.

 

[Rob Sivulka]

What is the medicine crums in her food? Do you mean medicated chick starter or?

I'd still flush the eye, press out the pus and apply an eye ointment in the eye.
The antibiotic may help with secondary infection.

By the medicine crums, I meant the Levoflaxacin. I'm starting VetRx tonight, but will continue with everything else I've been doing.

 

[Rob Sivulka]

I agree with Wyorp Rock that Inwould bet the pus out,mkeep irrigating the eye with saline and put the antibiotic ointment in 2-3 times a day. The levofloxacin should work against mycoplasma gallisepticum or coryza. What dosage are you using? Is there a bad odor to her eye?

I don't have a dosage. The guy I got her from suggested using 1/20th of his antibiotics per day, but we never found those. Nonetheless I'm just giving her a few crumbs of Levoflaxacin per day in addition to everything else. No odor.