Possible eye infection

[Duarte]

Good evening,

I was seeking help to find out what i can do to help one of my two love birds. Today i noticed one of my birds had one eye shut (wich isnt normal), after closer inspection i saw that something is bothering his eye and perhaps it might be the beggining of an eye infection, he can still open it pretty well when i come closer but as soon as he gets calm he just has that one eye shut. Does anyone know what i should do to help him out? i dont really have the possibility of going to an exotic pet vet and i wanted to know if there is something i can do or apply on him. The cage was a bit dirty so the first thing i did was clean it all up and now i just want to help my pet bird, which can be a bit difficult since they are not tamed.

 

[HeatherG]

That eye looks very irritated to me! He’s keeping it closed almost all the time. Any chance his mate pecked or scratched him in the eye?

Do they have chicks, or could you separate him into his own cage?

The only thing I can think of is that you could wash his eye with sterile saline eye wash. But that would only get rid of any debris, it’s not gonna fix a scratch. Most likely he needs opthalmic ointment or drops to calm this down and prevent infection.

You may get lucky, and he may wake up tomorrow ok. But, if he doesn’t, and you can’t take him in to a vet, he may lose the eye or worse. He is likely to rub or dig at it, too, because it hurts.

Isn’t there someone who could look at your bird’s eye if he’s not better tomorrow?

Sorry I can’t magically suggest a fix☹️ Eyes are important.

 

[Duarte]

That eye looks very irritated to me! He’s keeping it closed almost all the time. Any chance his mate pecked or scratched him in the eye?

Do they have chicks, or could you separate him into his own cage?

The only thing I can think of is that you could wash his eye with sterile saline eye wash. But that would only get rid of any debris, it’s not gonna fix a scratch. Most likely he needs opthalmic ointment or drops to calm this down and prevent infection.

You may get lucky, and he may wake up tomorrow ok. But, if he doesn’t, and you can’t take him in to a vet, he may lose the eye or worse. He is likely to rub or dig at it, too, because it hurts.

Isn’t there someone who could look at your bird’s eye if he’s not better tomorrow?

Sorry I can’t magically suggest a fix☹️ Eyes are important.

They were given to me, i never knew their gender. I have had them for several years now and they never had chicks so i supose they are both male or female. They casually go at eachother for a certain spot at the bird feeder and usually the other one is the agressor, but since he is been injured i never saw them go at eachother again and overall they get along pretty well.
I've checked his eye in the morning and it is basicly the same, it looks a little bit more swollen. I just wanted to see if i could buy some drops to use but i dont know wich ones do i have to use.
I'm trying my best to find a solution, thank you so much for the comment

 

[LaManuka]

Unfortunately, a swollen eye may also be an indicator of respiratory infection, apart from anything directly involving the eye itself, because there are sinus cavities close to the eye. As mentioned above by HeatherG, you could try a sterile saline solution to wash out any irritants, but that won't help an infection or a respiratory problem, so it's important to obtain correct diagnosis, preferably from an avian or exotics vet if you possibly can. I don't know your location or situation, but the following resource may help you to find a vet who can assist you ...

Avian Vet Resources

After a suggestion by a member, @Abu Colo, the Mod Team decided to create a list of veterinarians around the world who see birds. This was something we had discussed a few years ago, but the task seemed so large that we didn't get very far. However, the need is there and we decided that the time...

www.parrotforums.com

I hope your little birdie will be ok 🙏

 

[HeatherG]

I’m guessing it’s a scratch or peck from the other lovebird, seeing as how the problem has come on suddenly, and is on one side rather than both eyes. However, eye infections are dangerous for a few reasons: an infection in one eye can go to the other eye or the brain easily.

I hope the bird is ok. My Lucy lost her left eye through some accident before she came to live with me. That punctured eye took lots of management. It’s best to treat a problem before sight is lost or a serious infection.

 

[HeatherG]

So how is this bird and his sore eye?

 

[Duarte]

Unfortunately, a swollen eye may also be an indicator of respiratory infection, apart from anything directly involving the eye itself, because there are sinus cavities close to the eye. As mentioned above by HeatherG, you could try a sterile saline solution to wash out any irritants, but that won't help an infection or a respiratory problem, so it's important to obtain correct diagnosis, preferably from an avian or exotics vet if you possibly can. I don't know your location or situation, but the following resource may help you to find a vet who can assist you ...

Avian Vet Resources

After a suggestion by a member, @Abu Colo, the Mod Team decided to create a list of veterinarians around the world who see birds. This was something we had discussed a few years ago, but the task seemed so large that we didn't get very far. However, the need is there and we decided that the time...

www.parrotforums.com

I hope your little birdie will be ok 🙏

thank you for your share, i know a vet that told me to try and aply some droplets that he recommended. I've been applying those but until now it didn't get better or worse, it's the same

 

[Duarte]

So how is this bird and his sore eye?

i've been aplying some droplets recommended by a vet i know, but i don't think it is doing much it isn't getting worse but is seems that it is not getting better

 

[Duarte]

I am going to try to get another cage and separate the two

 

[ravvlet]

I think your cage could also benefit from a deep clean and sanitizing - you can use white vinegar if you’re not comfortable using a bleach and water solution, but I’d soak that little nest box and the perches and bowls and scrub the whole cage out well. Bacterial build up on the cage can cause all kinds of issues.

If you don’t intend to breed them I’d consider getting rid of the nest box completely. Hormonal behavior can lead to violent outbursts too. Replace it with some small-bird friendly toys. Big box pet stores have lots of stuff appropriate for a bird the size of a lovebird. Avoid mirrors and bells, but anything with shreddable bits or different textures might pique their interest.

I hope your little one feels better soon.

 

[Duarte]

It is with deep sadness that i come here to tell you guys that my little pet bird passed away today, my father was home and he said that he started his lifes final stretch as soon as i left home, when i returned he was already gone. It hurts me a lot to see him go but i can promise you i did everything in my reach to help him get better. I will miss him a lot but now he can rest easy and roam freely wherever he went. Thank you all of you so much for the love and support it really means a lot💚❤️

 

[Cottonoid]

I'm so sorry 💔

 

[LaManuka]

My deepest condolences to you on the loss of this little one, I know he will be sorely missed and forever loved 🙏