Injured or sick eye and beak on chicken

[NwChickOwner]

Global communities are great but nothing beats close community that can offer an extra pair of hands and a cup of tea when times are tough.

Thank you. I’m doing my best. The vet is booked for a month and a half and the urgent care won’t see a chicken. I’m going to post an updated pic. Her eye opened today but I’m not sure if that’s good.

 

[NwChickOwner]

I went to feed the chicken today and her eye is open. She is trying to eat but it’s hard for her so I put some water on some crumbles in a little bowl and she ate! Her crop had food but wasn’t totally full. The eye is really confusing me. I treated with neosporin tonight after she ate. It looks like the eyelid may have split open but there is an eyeball in there. It’s cloudy and I feel terrible for her. I’m posting new pictures. You can see her comb and wattles are very pale but they pinked up a bit after she ate tonight, they looked worse before her dinner.

 

[alinas2010]

I went to feed the chicken today and her eye is open. She is trying to eat but it’s hard for her so I put some water on some crumbles in a little bowl and she ate! Her crop had food but wasn’t totally full. The eye is really confusing me. I treated with neosporin tonight after she ate. It looks like the eyelid may have split open but there is an eyeball in there. It’s cloudy and I feel terrible for her. I’m posting new pictures. You can see her comb and wattles are very pale but they pinked up a bit after she ate tonight, they looked worse before her dinner.

I’m going to call on the educators for more insights. I’m sorry you’re going through this with her. Have you checked her really well for mites and lice? Can you get to a farm supply store to get some Terramycin? Or you should be able to get some online even. Do you have her separated so she isn’t getting picked on and can have her own food and water?

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous do you have anymore advice after seeing the updated eye pics? It was stuck shut for a while and now it’s opened but looks really bad.

 

[NwChickOwner]

I’m going to call on the educators for more insights. I’m sorry you’re going through this with her. Have you checked her really well for mites and lice? Can you get to a farm supply store to get some Terramycin? Or you should be able to get some online even. Do you have her separated so she isn’t getting picked on and can have her own food and water?

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous do you have anymore advice after seeing the updated eye pics? It was stuck shut for a while and now it’s opened but looks really bad.

No mites or lice. No other members of the flock have any symptoms at all.

 

[alinas2010]

No mites or lice. No other members of the flock have any symptoms at all.

Okay, I was just trying to cover all bases with the pale comb/wattles. Do you have her separated so she can get her own food and water? With her vision impaired and the flock might not be letting her eat and drink and that could make her very weak. Also possible she could get picked on with her eye like that.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The warm wet compress repeated as necessary, and the antibiotic ointment applied to the eye and scabs should help you be able to open the eye and just check it for any discharge. Chickens can chase each other around and run into fencing, causing injuries to skin and beaks. Make sure that she can get enough food and water, since her beak may be sore, and her eyesight is not good. The right eye is for close up vision while the left eye is for far away vision. So seeing her food might be more difficult.

Pictures would be helpful. Are you seeing the third eyelid (nictitating membrane?) She might have suffered a tear in the injury. Do you think they were picking on her when she was injured? Moisten watery chicken feed and tuna, and even a small amount of canned cat food are other things that might interest her.

I think that I would use some saline in the warm wet compresses to the eye 2-3 times a day with a clean washcloth. Hold her while you apply it. Then coat with the antibiotic ointment twice a day. Neosporin, triple antibiotic, bacitracin, or Terramycin available from feed stores are all okay. You can make homemade saline by adding 2 tsp of salt to 32 ounces/1 quart of water, and boil it for a few minutes, then let it cool.

Vetericyn is okay to use on the face or around the eyes, but I would use the antibiotic (Neosporin, Terramycin) ointment. Vetericyn spray or eye gel is good for spraying on wounds or using in the eye, but it is not an antibiotic. It is probably bacterial or injury causing the swelling and eye drainage.

I would drip a little saline or water onto her eye to soften the sticky drainage. Then try to open it with the tips of your thumb and finger. Saline which you can make at home or buy at a pharmacy, would be good to use to flush the eye several times a day. If you have plain Neosporin, applying that into the eye twice a day may make it feel better.

All of the above is information I would suggest, I'm not sure what else can be done. You could try an antibiotic like Tylosin, but this is in addition to daily care.

The eye needs to be cleaned/flushed a couple of times a day and ointment put IN to the eye.

Does she have any lice or mites?

 

[Sondraa]

I don't understand why animal hospitals only treat some animals. That isn't good enough. Honestly. Very disappointing.

 

[NwChickOwner]

All of the above is information I would suggest, I'm not sure what else can be done. You could try an antibiotic like Tylosin, but this is in addition to daily care.

The eye needs to be cleaned/flushed a couple of times a day and ointment put IN to the eye.

Does she have any lice or mites?

I couldn't flush the eye before because it was so tightly closed. Now that it is open, I can. I'm going to pick something up but can't find anything specifically for poultry. Would you make sterile water, salt mix or purchase something like this:

Bausch + Lomb Advanced Eye Relief - Eye Wash - 4 fl oz (https://www.target.com/p/bausch-lomb-advanced-eye-relief-eye-wash-4-fl-oz/-/A-14523359#lnk=sametab)​

I have access to multiple drug stores and a Tractor Supply store.

No lice or mites I can find.