# Punctured Eye



## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

I thought I would post this just for informational purposes. Went out to feed late Friday and gasped when I saw one of our pretty baldhead roller cocks with his left eye closed and oozing yellow liquid. He had been fine earlier that day, so I was pretty sure this was an injury, not disease or infection. It was too late to get him to the vet, but I isolated him in a carrier. I cleaned the area around the eye (he kept it closed) with Collyrium eye wash solution. Also put a drop of Colloidal silver on it but did not attempt to actually put it in the eye. He appeared to be in pain and could not keep the eye open. When he did open it a little bit it looked cloudy and strangely flat. 

When Steve got home I asked him to take a look at Simon's eye and he examined him more closely (I admit I'm a little squeamish when it comes to things like this). He was pretty sure it was an injury, probably from a peck to the eye. The surface of the eye was flattened and the eye itself looked dull and cloudy. The yellow fluid we saw around Simon's eye was apparently fluid leaking from the eye.

So we called our vet ASAP Saturday morning and Steve took Simon in because I had a prior commitment. Our vet confirmed our suspicions. Simon's eye had been punctured, apparently in a fight with another pigeon. I'm sure it was one of my young Taganrog tumbler cocks.  They are beautiful little birds but very aggressive, little punks that they are.

Our vet said Simon has a good chance of retaining his vision in that eye if it doesn't get infected. He prescribed oral antibiotics (Cefa) Opthalmic drops (Getocin) and a painkiller (Torbegesic). Simon has to be kept separate for at least 10 days so we currently have him in the house, which also makes it easier to administer his meds. Poor Simon! He's not one I raised so he's not real friendly, but he's calm, stoic and a beautiful bird. His eye actually looked a lot better by yesterday evening. I'll try to post a picture later; would have done so initially but it's been a crazy-busy weekend.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

That's what I was going to tell you (as I read the first part)--it's possible for the eye to reseal and then re-inflate, for lack of a better word. We had a dog that happened to when I was a kid.

Pidgey


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Cathy, sure hope Simon's eye continues to improve and that no permanent visual loss occurs. I'm glad you were able to catch it so quickly and get him to a vet.

I also appreciate your letting us know the treatment the vet prescribed.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Cathy,

I'm so sorry to hear about Simon, I hope he will still have his vision-once healed.

Are you seperating those "little punks" from the ohers now?

Thanks for sharing the vets prescriptions.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

This happened to two of my roosters once. I didn't catch anything wrong with them until I noticed that they had one eye closed and one open one night. Didn't see anything oozing out of it, but now they can barely see out of the hurt eye. I seperated them and tried to give them medicine to help, but it didn't help with their eyesight. If I would have caught it sooner, we might have been able to save their vision. 
Hopefully your little pigeon will make a full recovery and see great!  It's a good thing you caught it in time!


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Cathy, I hope Simon does well in his recovery. Mrs. Bird, Jolly Roger, and Buddy Girl all send their sympathies as they know what it's like to lose any eye! They want me to tell Simon that he can live a happy and full life with just one eye, as they do.  Good luck to him!


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Birdmom4ever,


OMG...yeeeeeesh, that got me just thinking about it.

Good thing you noticed it when you did..! And got him the right attentions.


Amazing that an Eye can re-inflate and heal from something like this...


Best wishes for a happy outcome...!


Phil
l v


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Thank you all for your kind words and good wishes. Simon is _much_ better today. He is keeping the eye open most of the time now. I'm attaching a photo from this afternoon, but it doesn't show how bad it was because he has already improved tremendously. You can probably see from the photo the eye has reinflated. My brother-in-law told me eyes (in humans anyway) heal faster than any other part of the body. Perhaps it's the same for birds.

Moved Simon to a cage today because it's easier to keep clean than the carrier and he promptly started pacing, tramping through his water, etc. So I brought his mate Jasmine in too. He was quite happy to see her and I think her presence will aid in his recovery. He cooed and circled around her. 

Treesa, unfortunately I've no other place to move the Taganrogs. But I am going to sell or trade the extra, unattached cocks soon and I hope that will reduce the fighting. I wish I had room for a separate Taganrog loft. Perhaps that should be spelled "Tagan_rogue_."


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

That is a very good clear picture, and the eye does look good. I'm glad he is feeling so well that he is dancing for his mate. I'm glad you could bring her in for him. 

Do you close off his cubby until he gets back so no other male takes over his territory?

LOL on the Tagan_rogue_....the little stinkers.


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Trees Gray said:


> That is a very good clear picture, and the eye does look good. I'm glad he is feeling so well that he is dancing for his mate. I'm glad you could bring her in for him.
> 
> Do you close off his cubby until he gets back so no other male takes over his territory?
> 
> LOL on the Tagan_rogue_....the little stinkers.


Great minds think alike, LOL! This afternoon I closed their box off with paper, since they don't have a door. The last thing I want is for someone else to take over Simon's box while he's recuperating. Then there will be even more fighting. So yes, I'm saving it for them.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Yeah, I figured you would  , I learned that trick earlier. I hate getting them better and then put them back in the coop, only to have them srress out fighting to get their real estate back. I usually find a big cardboard box that fits snug in their cubby so no one can get in it.

Please keep us updated on how this handsome boy is doing. Thank you.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Simon's eye is looking good all things considered. I hope he will have retained his sight when all is said and done.

Terry


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Wow, Cathy, Simon's eye looks really good. I'm happy he didn't lose it.

I firmly believe they do better when their mates can share their "misery"  . Last winter, when we had to keep our ****** inside, we brought her mate Ken in and he spent the winter with her. They did really well and adjusted to the confinement much better than I thought they would. It sure made a difference in ******'s recovery.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Wow Cathy,


Excellent progress..!


A Handsome fellow too...


Yea, I HATE it when there is fighting here, and there is sometimes...

I like a calm, harmonious Aviary...contended 'mooings' and so on...especially since I have to live in it too..!

Lol...

Good luck..!



Phil
l v


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## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

I'm so glad to hear Simon's eye is improved. He is a fine looking guy.

Margaret


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Simon continues to improve and now wiggles terribly when we administer his meds. His keeps his injured eye open all the time now. 

I thought you might like to see pictures of the whole bird, as he is beautiful and unusual with his reverse wing (white bars instead of black) markings. I got Simon from another fancier who in turn got him from a man who has raised rollers for 50 years. He developed baldheads in every color you can imagine. Simon's mate, Jasmine, is one of my favorite color patterns, yellow baldhead, and one of my favorite pigeons. She's from my first pair of rollers and hatched in 2002. Simon is seven. They have produced some lovely youngsters.


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

My what a lovely couple!!


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Thank you! I think so too.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Cathy, they are beautiful!

I have never seen the reverse wing bars like on Simon. (BTW, I love his name.) He and Jasmine make a lovely couple.

I'll bet their babies are lookers too.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Are you sure you didn't spray paint that bird to get those colors?

Pidgey


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## Dezirrae (Oct 6, 2007)

So glad to see that Simon is getting better so quickly! What a relief  They do make a really beautiful couple too.


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Pidgey said:


> Are you sure you didn't spray paint that bird to get those colors?
> 
> Pidgey


I assure you, I did not, LOL. We have Simon and a hen that is colored the same (from the same breeder) named Naomi. They are the only rollers I've seen with the reverse-wing marking. I'm sure it took a lot of breeding to develop this color pattern. I've seen it in other breeds, but not rollers except for mine.


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