How To Treat Duck Eye Infection? 4 Common Causes and Related Ailments

Eye infections in ducks are a cause of concern, although not fatal. If it’s not severe, you may treat it by yourself.

However, how do you treat a duck eye infection? Duck eye illness is mainly conjunctivitis, which might be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi, such as adenovirus, herpes simplex virus, and varicella-zoster virus. Contacting a vet is recommended in this case. But if the eye infection is minor, cleaning their eyes with the saline solution might be handy.

Do you know eye infections can be shown as a consequence of suffering from salmonella and pigeon pox? If you don’t, this article is particularly for you. I hope you won’t mind investing 5 minutes in this study.

Duck Eye Infection: Knowing Everything About (Conjunctivitis)

Conjunctivitis is also called pink eyes, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

When ducks have red, irritated eyes, it might be conjunctivitis. This is when the inner eyelid and the corner of the eye get all puffy and sore. Ducks can get it in one eye or both.

4 Causes of Eye Infection in Ducks

1. Ducks might catch bacteria, viruses, or fungi that make their eyes all red and watery.
2. Some tiny critters like eye worms, plasmodium, microsporidiosis, cryptosporidia, or trichomoniasis can also mess with duck eyes.
3. If sand, dust, or feathers get in there, it can make their eyes irritated.
4. Smoke or chemical fumes can also be a problem.

So, when your duck’s eyes look unhappy, these are the usual suspects. Keep an eye out and take good care of your feathered friends!

And when ducks have conjunctivitis, they might show these signs:

1. Red eyes.
2. Swollen eyelids
3. Eye gunk (like discharge)
4. Feathers getting stunk under their eyes
5. Crusty eyelids 
6. Rubbing their eyes a lot

Diagnosing Conjunctivitis

When your ducks get conjunctivitis, the first thing to do is figure out what’s making their eyes all puffy and sore. If antibiotics don’t help one-sided conjunctivitis, it could be something stunk in their eye.

In that case, you should take them to a vet. The vet will wash the eye with a salty solution and use clean cotton swabs to get rid of anything that causing trouble. They might suggest medicines as well. In general, doxycycline is highly recommended. But I would never suggest you apply antibiotics on your own.

Related Reads:

• How To Treat Foamy Eye In Ducks
• Fixing Wry Neck in Ducks

2 Additional Causes of Duck Eye Infection

Besides conjunctivitis, eye issues can be caused if they have salmonella or avian pox. Let’s have a look at the disease and how they’re related to eye issues in ducks. 

1. Avian Pox

Ducks can catch a viral disease called avian pox. It can create sores on their bare skin, including their eyes. This can cause their eyes to puff up and lead to partial or total blindness. But usually, it does not harm the eyeball itself.

Once the pox runs its course, their vision should improve. You can get your duck vaccinated to prevent this. If your duck does get avian pox, the vet might recommend gently cleaning their eyes with saline solution and giving them some extra care.

According to organizational research in America, providing your affected ducks with an iodine solution might be handy. In addition, a diet with high fluid and vitamin intake will also help them to recover fast.

2. Salmonella

Some ducks carry salmonella in their stomach without getting sick themselves. However, if they get sick from salmonella, the following symptoms might be noticed.

• Diarrhea
• Feeling sluggish
• Even experience eye troubles like conjunctivitis.

In such cases, the vet can provide antibiotics and other medications to treat the infection. 

It’s important to note that ducks pass salmonella to people, so it’s always a good idea to wash your hands after handling them just to stay safe.

Recommended study: Common Duck Diseases

5 Simple Steps to Prevent Duck Eye Infections 

I have listed five preventative measures that might keep your ducks away from eye infections. That is a personalized list. You may have a look at the preventative measures given below:

1. Clean water: Make sure your ducks always have access to clean, fresh water. Dirty water can lead to eye infections.
2. Safe Environment: Keep their living area clean and dry.  Clean space reduces the chances of irritants getting into their eyes.
3. Good Nutrition: Feed your ducks a balanced diet to keep them healthy. Healthy ducks are less likely to get infections.
4. Separation: If you notice a sick duck, isolate them from the rest to prevent the spread of infections.
5. Hygiene:  Wash your hands after handling ducks to prevent the spread of diseases like salmonella.

However, regular vet checkups can also be a key step to prevent your ducks from suffering from a variety of diseases. Since vets may not always be available near your locations, I didn’t add it to the list. 

Recommended Study: Proper Habitat for Ducks

FAQs

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Bottom Line

Treating duck eye infections is a vet job mainly. I’m talking about conjunctivitis. If they’re suffering from eye issues due to other illnesses such as salmonella and avian pox, you have to keep their diet nutritious and provide them nutrients like vitamins and fluids.

However, you can’t deny the fact that prevention is always better than recovery. Take the necessary measures written in this article to prevent your ducks from suffering from eye issues and other illnesses.

Sources and References:

• https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/disease/mycoplasmal-conjunctivitis
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2810735/pdf/10487648.pdf