Amoxicillin and chickens

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thetree

thetree

Hatching
7 Years
Nov 27, 2012
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I have a nine month old buff Orpington that has a cough. I decided to give it human antibiotics as opposed to culling it. I separated it and have been dosing it with 50 mg of amoxicillin per day for the last five days. so far I have seen a marked improvement to the frequency of coughing. I am curious about using the eggs from this chicken.
I have been told DO NOT eat eggs from a chicken on antibiotics but I do not understand why. 250 or 500 mg of amoxicillin can't hurt anyone. It's not like the hen is taking the medicine and making poison out of it so what's the deal? These pills were prescribed to me "just in case" after a root canal and I never needed them, but if I had, the instructions were to take 3 500mg capsules a day. How can the remnants of 50mg a day be an issue? Thanks!!
 
thetree said:
I have a nine month old buff Orpington that has a cough. I decided to give it human antibiotics as opposed to culling it. I separated it and have been dosing it with 50 mg of amoxicillin per day for the last five days. so far I have seen a marked improvement to the frequency of coughing. I am curious about using the eggs from this chicken.
I have been told DO NOT eat eggs from a chicken on antibiotics but I do not understand why. 250 or 500 mg of amoxicillin can't hurt anyone. It's not like the hen is taking the medicine and making poison out of it so what's the deal? These pills were prescribed to me "just in case" after a root canal and I never needed them, but if I had, the instructions were to take 3 500mg capsules a day. How can the remnants of 50mg a day be an issue? Thanks!!
Click to expand...
The reason not to eat eggs from a chicken on any drug is that people eating them can be allergic to the drug--this is done with most chicken medicines because a certain amount of the drug can be passed in the eggs or meat until a proper withdrawal period. Eating those eggs could possibly cause you to become resistant to amoxicillin if you ever needed it for an infection. This is how antibiotic resistant bacteria (think MERSA) come about.
 
Eggcessive said:
The reason not to eat eggs from a chicken on any drug is that people eating them can be allergic to the drug--this is done with most chicken medicines because a certain amount of the drug can be passed in the eggs or meat until a proper withdrawal period.  Eating those eggs could possibly cause you to become resistant to amoxicillin if you ever needed it for an infection.  This is how antibiotic resistant bacteria (think MERSA) come about.
Click to expand...


Well said!

-Kathy
 
Thanks for the dosing information. I have seen a ton of different info.

Think mrsa:

I understand the theory and I figured I would get at least one response like that but is it really a threat in practice if it is less than half the dose I would get for a small infection and only happens once or twice a year?
 
thetree said:
Thanks for the dosing information. I have seen a ton of different info.

Think mrsa:

I understand the theory and I figured I would get at least one response like that but is it really a threat in practice if it is less than half the dose I would get for a small infection and only happens once or twice a year?
Click to expand...


You're welcome... FWIW, the dosing info I mentioned is from Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook and my vet has prescribed Clavamox at about the same rate. This link has dosing info for most drugs used in birds:
http://avianmedicine.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/09_therapeutic_agents.pdf

-Kathy
 
Last edited:
thetree said:
... but is it really a threat in practice if it is less than half the dose I would get for a small infection and only happens once or twice a year?
Click to expand...

Yes! Think vaccines... When you get vaccinated for a pathogen such as the flu or hepatitis, you are essentially getting a tiny and altered version of the flu or hep into your body so that your body can recognize it and become resistant to it.

That is essentially what is happening with things like MRSA, except by consuming a small amount of antibiotics, you are potentially introducing the antibiotics in a small enough amount that a pathogen can recognize it and develop resistance without being harmed.

This is a simplified view of what is going on but you get the idea...

cf
 
Hi I have a chicken and I think she has a cough and having mucus, although I have not seen. One day she was very decayed but is now better but still with cold symptoms and stopped laying eggs. Where I bought my hen I was told to give her amoxicillin but do not have much information about it. I can give amoxicilin for human? and the dose?
 

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