Eye swollen shut.

[Jiberus]

One of our chickens has a problem with her eye are. Lots of swelling. Now the other eye is beginning to swell. Please see the attached Photo.

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

One of our chickens has a problem with her eye are. Lots of swelling. Now the other eye is beginning to swell. Please see the attached Photo.

Poor thing. I can't recommend anything for her, but I'll tag some other people for you.
@casportpony, @azygous -- any ideas?

 

[casportpony]

Is the swelling hard or soft? Is a vet an option?

 

[azygous]

Test the swelling for hardness by gently putting pressure on the swollen tissue under the eye and pushing toward the eye. If you see pus begin to leak out into the eye socket, it's infection and will require pus removal.

If the swollen tissue is rock hard, it's most likely a tumor. But the other eye starting to swell as well points to infection. It will help if you can locate some Tylan and possibly some terramycin eye antibiotic ointment or Neosporin.

 

[Myrshine]

Does she have a foul odor at all around her eyes? Any other symptoms?

 

[Jiberus]

She doesn't seem to have any foul odor, and is eating and drinking. We are rinsing the eyes with eye wash solution and applying a triple antibiotic eye cream 2x per day (beginning yesterday). The swelling is soft (doesn't seem like a tumor). We are also using Vetrx. We have ordered Terramycin, but it won't be here for a few days.

 

[casportpony]

Is a vet an option? I think she might need to have that lanced.

 

[Eggcessive]

Has she had any sneezing, nasal drainage, or noisy breathing? Are there bubbles or drainage in the eye? Swelling around an eye or face can be from a respiratory disease with sinus infection, pecking wound, or sting.

 

[Myrshine]

I don’t think this is a sting or bite, it’s a typical respiratory infection. Since it has no smell, I believe it’s Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD), or most commonly known as Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). MG is a bacterial infection of poultry, affecting all different species of birds. This disease is most commonly given from infected parents to the offspring, as the MG bacteria can be transmitted vertically into the eggs of developing embryos, making any chicks that hatch, always infected and sick with the bacteria. So please please PLEASE don’t breed from your sickly infected flock. MG is a chronic disease- meaning, that you can treat or have the symptoms go away, but whenever the bird gets stressed again, the symptoms will keep coming back or get worse. All “recovered” like birds, remain lifetime long carriers of the MG bacteria, spreading and shedding it through their feces, feathers, dander, respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids. This is a lifetime disease of poultry and is incurable. Since MG is a bacteria, antibiotics can help keep symptoms at bay until the next blowout. I personally don’t recommend anyone treating with antibiotics unless you have a proper diagnosis of which SPECIFIC respiratory disease you’re dealing with. There’s a reason why most TSC, Family Farm And Home, Rural King and other farm stores are pulling antibiotics off the shelves, it’s because people aren’t getting their birds tested or culling their sick birds. Over use and misuse of antibiotics also creates antibiotic-resistant bacteria, making the disease worse than before and much harder to treat. I suggest treating with safe natural organic remedies and get your bird tested as soon as possible. It’s critical in poultry to get any sick or symptomatic birds tested to find out which specific disease they have. Please don’t jump to antibiotics like everyone else says without a proper diagnosis.


Here's more information about MG: https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/blog/protecting-your-flock-what-you-need-to-know-about-mg-ms/

https://afarmgirlinthemaking.com/respiratory-conditions-poultry-mycoplasma-in-chickens/
I hope this helps!