Sparrow With Red, Bulging Eyes ..

[TAWhatley]

http://www.rims.net/BulgingEyes

I am assuming that:

a) this is conjunctivitis
b) Baytril should be given
c) Gentamicin eye drops should be used

Can anyone advise if this is conjunctivitis and the proper treatment?

Thanks for any assistance .. getting tired of difficult cases these past
few days.

Terry

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Terry,

WOW, that looks really odd!!!! I've never seen conjunctivitis myself but I didn't think the eyes got that swollen and bulgy!

If I didn't know better, I'd think this bird was squeezed too hard or maybe had an inflammation of the brain, causing the eyes to buldge out....I'm just conjecturing here.

I've found some sites about sparrows and conjunctivitis that might help you a bit:

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/reallen/Thesis.html

http://www.birds-n-garden.com/wild_birds_diseases.html

[Pidgey]

Working on it, Terry. Could be mycoplasms.

[TAWhatley]

Here's some pics from the Cornell site of birds with conjunctivitis:

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/hofi/recognizing.html

Couple of them look like what I've got going here tonight. This bird was dropped off at the wildlife rehab center this afternoon because I had to go there anyway to pick up ducklings, a pigeon, and another sparrow. The center gave 0.2 ml Dex IM and Gentamicin eyedrops. The Dex would have been for the swelling, but the jury is still out on whether Dex is a good or bad thing to do in such cases .. it was just their protocol, and I had to be grateful for them accepting the little sparrow.

Terry

[TAWhatley]

Thanks Brad and Pidgey .. I've got the pics posted to all my lists .. gonna drop out here and go check them.

Terry

[pdpbison]

Hi Terry,


Ooooosh, you get some real cases there.

Oh my...

In Mammals, I believe Conjunctivitis, when also called 'Pink Eye' anyway, is attended with crusty exudations.

Literally, Conjunctivitis would mean any inflammation of the Conjunctiva...and not necessarily of the eye as a whole or otherwise, without that it means by any particular germ, viris or organism as agent for the infestation or infection or inflamation.

I am worried about whether 'Gentamicin' is akin to 'Gentacin'...(on edit mode now, and I did a fast 'google', and, it is...the same thing, so...) which I feel is likely a very bad drug for Songbirds, having caused, in my assay of it, various nervious damage resulting in non-releaseable Mockers anyway, who as Babys, had injuries for which my vet at the time, prescribed 'Gentacin'. I never used it again, and never saw those nervous problems again either.

I think Terry, you might do well to consider a review of the 'Gentamicin' for any Song Birds or for any Birds in general...my fast google found lots of problems with it ruining inner ear things in people, which for a Bird, could mimic nervous system troubles and make for some bad co-ordination troubles.

Certainly the antibiotic Eye Ointment we can get those tiny tubes of, from a pharmacist, would be a good candidate for this, without their having the dangers I feel the need to caution you about respecting the Gentamicin.

Thats one hell of a swelling going on anyway...but it looks as if the eye itself is not ruined, but merely inflamed and seriously bulging...

I sure wish you well there with this Terry...

Your week for Sparrows with wierd and delicate troubles...

God Bless...

Nighty night for now...


Phil
Las Vegas

[Lady Tarheel]

Terry, I have always used BNP Ointment for the Finch Eye Disease that is prevalent in our area - no Baytril. This is an ointment that contains Bacitracin-neomycin-polymycin and has been very effective. Most of the cases I've seen the birds' eyes were totally crusted over to the point that they can't see at all. Swelling does occur but I'm not sure I ever saw swelling to the extent your little sparrow shows.

Good luck.

[Lady Tarheel]

Terry, a person(ME!) should always review their records before offering advice.

I checked back on my records for the birds with the Finch Eye Disease and found I had, indeed, given them Baytril (.01) and Itraconazole (.01) plus the BNP ointment. As I understand it, the Itraconazole is a much stronger antibiotic than Baytril but don't know why they were given together. Anyhow, my notes said that I noted improvement overnight.

Sorry - I won't trust my rusty old memory like that again.

[Pidgey]

I emailed Terry last night with a BUNCH of stuff.

As near as I can tell from the pictures, there aren't any signs of a crusty exudate or pox lesions. The big question is whether there are upper respiratory problems (runny nose, congestion in the throat, lungs).

One of the possibilities that I could find in the Avian Medicine book for that species was mycoplasmatales. However, the diagnosis depends heavily on the other symptoms and some lab. If the nasal passages aren't involved, then it could be as simple as a staph infection of the conjunctiva, for example.

One of the things that should be considered in the gross examination is if the actual orbits are displaced by the swelling. If the eyes and sinuses are not involved then a local infection is the most likely. According to the book, there are chemicals and other external irritants that can do that and those cases often resolve with simple time.

The drugs used for the different possibilites are very different although an antibiotic salve on the outside won't be a problem with some other one on the inside of the bird so the double-whammy should be a good thing.

So, we're all just waiting for news now! I hate that!

Pidgey

[pdpbison]

Hi Pidgey,


You be the Man...!


I was thinking that chemical exposure could also produce such symptoms...lord know 'what' chemical, but chemical exposure could sure do something along these lines anyway.

Looked to me like I could not see any 'crusty' business there either, so...I was thinking it is maybe not the organism we associate with the traditional 'Pink Eye'.

Staff can sure raise hell...whatever it infests or infects.

Good luck Terry..!

I got my fingers crossed...


Phil
Las Vegas