Chicken eye problem---no terramycin?

[Pearce Pastures]

Hi all,
Boy has this been a week for sick animals.

Our rooster Javier has been having an eye issue (no respiratory involved or anything else so no worries on the infectious disease front).

It starting with him getting something in his eye and then had a few hens peck at it when it starting getting weepy. We separated him and started him on an antibiotic in his water (given the pecking I thought he might develop and infection) and flushed they eye with clean water to get out a string or piece of hay or something that was inside the lower lid. However, his eye got pretty gunky and we have had him out for over week, continuing to flush the eye daily. It looks better but is still not quite right.

I thought I'd get some terramycin but seems noone carries it anymore? So what should I use?

 

[Goatherd]

http://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/neosporin-ophthalmic-ointment

Neosporin Opthalmic Ointment

You can usually find this at most drug stores. It's OTC.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Great! Thank you!

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Actually, I am hitting a snag. Can't find anything labeled opthamic in stores. Tried Target, WalGreens, WalMart...they have the regular stuff but it says it isn't for use in eyes---is this a cya measure you think or is there something in it that could cause harm? I am stopping by CVS on my way home to see if they might have it.

 

[Goatherd]

I've read on here where some people use the regular ointment in the eye, but I've never tried it and not sure if I would.

When you go to these stores, possibly ask the pharmacist for an OTC ophthalmic ointment that has an antibiotic in it. Couldn't hurt

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Thanks again---found out that they don't carry it anymore as OTC but the ingredients are the same as regular neosporin. The pharmacist did say that the formula might sting or might not be as easily absorbed as the ophthalmic but that it might work if we were willing to take a chance on it. I stopped my to get some feed on the way home and the manager I was chatting with mentioned eye worms?

 

[ragdollcatlady]

You can use regular neosporin or triple antibiotic formula...just not with the pain killer. I have used this in a pinch and it works fine.

I don't know about eye worms, but usually infections will clear up with a few days of ointment.

You can usually order the terramycin online from pet supply websites...I think I got mine from Drs Foster and Smith but Jeffers might have it too.

Good luck.

 

[Goatherd]

I'm not familiar with eye worms so no help here. Good to hear the pharmacist's advice. I do hope it works for you.

 

[Southern by choice]

You can also use thera- tears 3x a day or blink gel tears 3x day. It helps keep the eye clean and lubricated, which helps a great deal if it is a corneal scratch (which it sounds like it could be). Bedding dust can make it very hard to heal. If you can cage him where he is out of a dusty area it will help.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Thanks again. I used a sterile eye rinse on him in the morning and did the neosporin at night for the last few days and it looks better. I also dewormed him (I have never dewormed a chicken before). He is looking great and wants out so bad.