Sinus Infection / Mycoplasma / Swollen Eye

Causes

Occasionally finches will develop an infection that causes one or both eyes to swell shut. The simplest cause is an infection limited to the eye, like simple conjunctivitis. In these cases, an eye drop or ointment like Terramycin or Tobramycin or TriOptic-S applied to the open eye (you will have to pry both inner and outer eyelid open before applying) may take care of the problem.

However, more serious cases may be caused by a sinus infection. One such infection is mycoplasma. Mycoplasma is the sinus infection that sometimes affects outdoor house finches, rendering them blind. The blind housefinches hang around feeders where they can reliably find food. Other finches that feed at those feeders then pick up the disease. This, also, is frequently referred to as conjunctivitis; however, it is really more serious than a simple infection of the eye as the route of the problem is in the sinuses. Treating just the eye in such cases will not resolve the problem.

Symptoms

The most obvious symptom, the one usually noticed first, is a squinting of one of the eyes. This may progress until the eye has swollen shut. It may sometimes spread to the other eye, and in the case of a sinus infection, this is the normal progression.

If the cause of the problem is a sinus infection, then respiratory symptoms will likely develop as well. These symptoms may start after the onset of the eye problem, or they may actually begin before (however, you may not notice them until the eye problem clues you in to the potential for illness).

Respiratory symptoms include clicking respiratory sounds (like those described for air sac mites), coughing, shaking of the head, rattling breathing sounds, wiping of the beak on the perch. As the illness progresses, the bird will become fluffed and less active. If both eyes swell shut, the bird will likely perch near the food and water so they can find it easily without seeing (be sure to keep both within the reach of a single perch). Because the bird is not likely to leave this spot when it cannot see, it may poop in the same spot constantly, causing the poop to build up on the vent and possibly causing blockage. One should watch for such a situation and clean the vent with warm water if it occurs.

With mycoplasma, I have read that symptoms will start showing up between 8 and 10 days after exposure. Mycoplasma is highly contagious and can be transmitted via air, so infected birds should be removed to a completely isolated room where they will have no contact with other birds.

Prevention

The best preventative measure against this problem (particularly the sinus problem) is quarantine of new birds. Always quarantine new birds for at least a month, as perfectly healthy looking birds can frequently carry dangerous diseases such as this one. This is one condition that a bird can contract at a bird fair from a bird he/she is not even caged with. Had I not quarantined my new birds and quarantined them in a completely different room far from my existing birds, I could have lost my entire flock. If you see eye problems in any of your birds, remove the bird from the flock and watch carefully for respiratory problems.

Treatment

If the cause is a simple eye infection, treating with an antibiotic ointment or eye drop (Terramycin, Tobramycin, TriOptic-S) may resolve the problem. The eyelid must be pried open (both inner and outer. In the case of an eye drop, you let one drop roll into the eye and the excess roll off the back of the head. The ointment is actually easier to apply. You squeeze out a tiny drop of ointment and touch that drop directly to the open eye. Some of the ointment will stick to the eye.

If the cause is a sinus problem, like mycoplasma, oral antibiotics may be prescribed in addition to eye ointments. Tylan and Baytril are frequently prescribed for this problem, but there are other antibiotics that may work as well.

I had one case of a sinus infection in a pair of newly purchased Gouldian finches. They were both visibly healthy at purchase. According to my research, mycoplasma symptoms start showing up between 8 and 10 days after infection. Like clockwork, on Day 9 of quarantine, the hen began squinting with one eye. At the time, I was unfamiliar with sinus infections and I thought she must have injured it. I made an appointment with the vet to look at it. By the time of the appointment, the eye was sealed shut.

The vet found no evidence of injury to the eye and suspected mycoplasma or some other sinus infection. I was given Tobramycin drops for the eyes and Baytril as an antibiotic for the sinus infection. After a few days of treatment, the other eye became affected and I began to notice clicking sounds when she was breathing. She also began shaking her head a lot. Her mate also began showing symptoms.

I don't remember the exact order of things any more, but hospitalization with nebulization at the vet's office was necessary. They tried many different medications. I would call in every day to hear the same thing - no change, both eyes sealed shut, but eating and drinking and keeping on weight.

In the end, the male died. The hen finally got better, but the vet admitted to not knowing why or what medication worked. When she came home, she was on Tylan (an antibiotic) and Trioptic-S (a steroidal eye ointment). From that point on, I had to keep her isolated in a cage by herself. If the problem was mycoplasma, it is sometimes a chronic condition that can return at any time and potentially infect other birds.

Occasionally I would hear clicking sounds return when she breathed. When this happened, I would give Amtyl for 7 days (Amtyl includes Tylan). I do not know whether the clicking was an indication the sinus infection was beginning to return or if it was just due to long-term damage to the air-sacs. However, I wasn't going to take any chances. She was never really quite right after that - she seemed very fragile. She died a year and a half later - a sudden death with no signs of the original sinus infection.

My advice whenever you see a bird with an eye problem (squinting or closed) is to immediately isolate the bird from the flock and keep it in a completely different room (my bird was probably infected via the air at the bird fair where she was purchased). Listen for clicking sounds when breathing or other respiratory signs like head shaking, beak swiping, coughing. Any indications of a respiratory problem gives you a pretty good clue that the problem is a sinus infection. If you believe the problem is restricted to the eye, you can try one of the eye ointments/drops I have mentioned. However, be aware that you are losing valuable time if the problem turns out to be a sinus infections.

Because my experience was so drastic (the bird did not seem to respond to any medications), I would take the bird to my vet immediately and follow the vets instructions. If you do not have access to a vet, both Tylan and Baytril have been shown effective against mycoplasma. I do not know why they did not work well in my bird - perhaps it was something other than mycoplasma, or perhaps it was resistant. Both drugs are available from pigeon supply stores online and Tylan is an ingredient in Amtyl, commonly available from bird supply stores.