Eye injury or infection

[cafrhe]

I noticed a problem today with one of our EEs. Can anyone help me decide if this is an infection or possibly a reaction to a possible injury (close call pecking?). Here is her eye before I rinsed it out and after. I am using a saline solution to clear the eye so I could see if the eye itself was damaged. I dont think the eye is damaged, but obviously she has a lot of swelling around the eye. I did not see an actual wound though.

She is eating and drinking normally. Even ate some bread crusts after we cleaned her up.

1st 2 pics are after rinsing. The feathers etc are wet from the saline solution. I forgot to dry before taking picture.






Her normal eye



Foamy discharge before rinsing the eye





Thank you for any help!
Jennifer

 

[cafrhe]

More research and a google images search seem to find the foamy eye not too uncommon. So looks like some kind of infection and possible respiratory infection.

 

[subhanalah]

Coryza or MG.
The answer is to either cull, or have a closed flock, treating as symptoms crop up.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would suspect possible MG or mycoplasma gallisepticum, a bacterial respiratory infection because of the foam and widespread swelling around the eye. Some strains are worse than others, but your flock ought to be closed to any birds going in or out since this can make the chickens carriers. If she were mine, I would give her 3 days of shots with Tylan50 injectable 1ml for 5lb, (or1/2 ml for under 5 lb,0 once a day. Use 3 3ml syringes and 3 22 gauge needles, and only insert the needle 1/4 inch into the breast muscle. Here are 2 good links about MG:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://umaine.edu/livestock/poultry/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-faq/

 

[Eggcessive]

With coryza there can be a foul odor around the head, and usually worse symptoms, although bad strains of MG can also be pretty serious. Without coughing, gurgling, thick nasal secretions, and the bad odor, I would treat her with AB's, but just remember she could be a carrier. For coryza or a bad MG infection, or for multiple chickens coming down with really bad symptoms within a week, then I would cull the sick birds.

 

[cafrhe]

Thank you all. No foul small and so far no wheezing. Maybe a little too much mouth breathing. All other chickens have clear eyes so far. Luckily the local vet treats chickens and has open hours tonight. She will be seen tonight and hopefully treated. So even if she is cured and no other chickens get sick, I have to cull her or have a closed flock?

I am very disappointed about the possibility of not being able to add chickens to the flock. We hope to sell eggs and have a lot of verbal demand. I was hoping that if the demand is actual that we would add chickens this summer or fall.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can still sell eggs for eating (not hatching.) If your vet could take a swab or blood test from her, you can get her tested to see what she has exactly. MG is rather common in backyard flocks, and while I would usually recommend culling a bunch of sick birds, I would see how she responds to Tylan50 or whatever your vet uses, and go from there. There is a vaccine for MG if it is that, (and also for coryza) that can be giiven to new members of your flock. Your state vet can tell you about diseases present in your area, and answer questions about what to do. Here is a link to finding your state vet, who can also answer questions about testing, and please keep us posted on her condition: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/poultry/participants.shtml

 

[subhanalah]

Are you keeping her separated from the flock?

 

[cafrhe]

The vet initially thinks trauma to the eye. But he didnt see the foamy discharge. I guess she wiped it away while in the carrier. He gave us an eye ointment and she got a shot of penicillin. Abx should last for 5 days. Ointment on eye 2x/day.

She is separated from the flock and I will keep her that way until I see what changes the next few days bring.

Thanks Egg--I wil check out my state vet. They may have more info that the local vet.

 

[subhanalah]

He's not an avian vet, is he?
Did he do any cultures?