# Blind in one eye



## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

I just got a pigeon who is blind in one eye. Her good eye is a grey color, and the problem eye is a slight yellow. She is completely blind in it. I can put my finger right by her head on one side and no movement, the good eye and she moves away.

I have her in a small pen, and she eats, drinks, and prior to being penned flew and perched fine.

Is there any cure for such a thing?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Grim said:


> Is there any cure for such a thing?


Depends on what the cause is. Did the bird have an accident, causing trauma to the eye, or other injury or an infection? Any other history on the bird?

What do you mean by yellow...the color of the eye itself...or a film or discharge? 

I have a hen pigeon, Mieke (blind in one eye), and she does pretty well, but I have to keep an eye on her and make sure she has her own cubby that closes-at night, otherwise the males take advantage of her and chase her out. They can also present a nuisance and will flirt with her relentlessly. 

If she gets a mate she will have her own place then, and won't be chased away.


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## Guest (Oct 3, 2007)

Birds can be born with congenital blindness in one eye. There is also a condition where an eye can form a cataract in a squab when the parents have Paratyphoid. A cataract would show up as a cloudy area in the pupil.


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Well I just got her today, I emailed the breeder but haven't yet got a response. She is a Budapest so has large eyes to begin with. I do not see any damage, it looks discolored yellow. I have no idea if it is a film, but does not appear to be. She was in the shipping box with another Budapest but they I believe are hens and get along well, the male was being very aggressive to them so he is now with my homers.

There all 07 birds so there young, so it has nothing to do with age. The eye looks fine and so does the cere no damage that I can visually see. I hope it is not permanent.

There is little I could find online about this breed so I do not know if it is a common problem.


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

The pupil is dark, best way to describe what I see is the Iris in the blind eye is yellow, and the good eye is grey. The other two birds have grey eyes as well.

Congenital blindness, is there any info out there on this as far as what causes it and can it be passed onto their young like it being genetic?


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Anyone else with any input or knowledge of this type of thing?

Seller still has not responded I think he may have blown me off..


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

There are pigeons with non-matching irises. I think they're usually sighted in both eyes, too. You can try shining a bright, small flashlight in both eyes and comparing the pupillary reflex in both.

Pidgey


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Does anyone know if there are any diseases linked to such a symptom? Or is it something I should just deal with and give her some special care. The other 'hen' I had her with was dancing and cooing to her today. So it looks like she may already have a mate on the way.

The seller just contacted me, said he was having trouble. According to him with their large eyes and slight damage, or dust in them can cause problems. He said it should clear up in a week. I am hoping for the best,


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## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

Well if it means anything, my head trauma pigeon Ginger has very limited sight in both eyes, I don't know if it was due to something she was born with or if it was due to the head trauma. She is now with me forever which is totally fine with me. Her limitation is about 1 inch away out of both eyes. 

Cindy


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Grim said:


> Does anyone know if there are any diseases linked to such a symptom? Or is it something I should just deal with and give her some special care. The other 'hen' I had her with was dancing and cooing to her today. So it looks like she may already have a mate on the way.
> 
> The seller just contacted me, said he was having trouble. According to him with their large eyes and slight damage, or dust in them can cause problems. He said it should clear up in a week. I am hoping for the best,


I actually have a somewhat new rescue that was hawk attacked and is now
blind in one eye. I tested her the same way as you did, I can put my finger so close to her blind eye that barely a piece of paper could fit between my finger and her eye and she won't move. Once I even begin to bring my hand up towards the head on the 'good' side, she freaks. Definitely blind in one eye.

I don't know that if caused by a disease that it would be reversible once the tissue damage has occurred. I happened to see this little hen pretty soon after her attack, and I could
tell from the way the eye looked that there was a problem. Being on systemic antibiotics (Baytril) has not cured/fixed the problem w/her eye,
I suspect it will be permanent.

I hope that your hen's perspective suitor is trying to woo her on the 
'good eye' side and not just dancing up a storm on her blind side....that part of reesa's
post just hit my funny bone, though Treesa made some very good points to keep in mind
regarding the well being of a partially or fully blind pigeon in our care.

fp


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I will add, that in regards to eye injuries, seldom do the birds regain any vision in the eye with trauma. This was told to me by my rehabber who has been rehabbing pigeons with head/eye trauma for years. She said because of the anatomy of their eyes and the way they are exposed, the eyes are very vulnerable to blunt trauma. 

My bird Mieke, who lost her vision in her one eye due to hawk attack, had trauma because of branches being brushed into the eye when the hawk brought her down into the woods next door and started plucking her. We managed to get to her as the hawk took off when we rushed towards where we thought she was brought down, but he never actually punctured her with his tallons. The eye looked okay, but it is cloudy now, and the feathers that were completely plucked off her back regrew in weeks. It took her about eight hours of warmth & rehydration to come back from the shock-she was in a total trance. She is my baby now, and has bonded to me-and NEVER goes outside anymore.


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## turkey (May 19, 2002)

*How is the pigeon?*

How is the pigeon doing now? 

Julie


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