really appreciate the time you took to write this up - I have the same issues especially with poultry. so hard to get answers, even harder to get the right stuff to fix.** NOTE - Walter looked just just like the specimen in your post CASTPORTPONY before any initial treatment was started.
RECOMMENDATION TO ALL: If you can go to the vet and pick up a NASAL SWAB CULTURE TEST KIT and swab your chicken and take it back to send off you will get EXACT information and direction so you don't miss something and fight 2/3 of the infection only to lose out in the end because there was another component your treatment did not destroy.
Having a background in biological and neurological science helps too.
It only took 24 hours for Walter's culture to come back from Antech Diagnostics.
Source: Nasal Swab
Moderate Growth of Gram Negative and Gram Positive Organisms.
Org 1 - Escherichia Coli
Org 2 - Coagulase Negative Staph Spp
Org 3 - Enterococcus Species
1 & 2 showed (S) Sensitivity to Enrofloxacin but 3 showed (R) Resistant to Enrofloxacin (Baytril). Thus Baytril would not have helped here.
NOTE: He was on Baytril shots for 5 days with no improvement prior to this culture - ergo the culture - which confirmed what we witnessed, he had a strain resistant to it. You never know unless you culture or realize what you're using shows little or no improvement.
1, 2 & 3 all showed (S) Sensitivity to Amoxicillin. Clavamox was administered. Not much improvement after 3-5 days, but some slow improvement in the color of the mucus.
1, 2 & 3 all showed (S) Sensitivity also to Ciprofloxacin. Thus the Cipro drops in the eye, straight to the nasal cavity source and cured right up.
He had all 3 remember, so same symptoms with only 1-2 bacteria might clear with Baytril, however if you don't culture you may not be using 100% the right thing.
It's not that hard and doesn't cost that much - it's just an extra step and all vets can do it. Get some swab test kits from the vet, keep them in your animal medical place at home and when something happens - swab it and send off. Taking time to be accurate can save you a lot of time, money and grief.
Antibiotics work best when matched up with the exact correct application. Keep in mind, chickens walk in nasty environments and then scratch their nose and eyes and ears with THEIR FEET. Imagine if we did that....
