I'm lost! Please help! Silkie respiratory issue...

I'm starting on day 5 of giving my Silkie Roo Tylon 50 orally... He's not improving! Still raspy sounding. I feel bad for not having the nerve to give him injections! Now I'm at a point where I wish I had did injections from day 1... Knowing they can become immune to the same medicine being given back to back. Is it too late? Can I try again in a week or two? Or should I try a different medicine? I gave him .3cc once a day for the first 3 days when I seen no improvement I bumped it up to twice a day. I'm planning on continuing for 7 days... Also he had coccidiosis which today is his last day on Corid and his poop is blood free! At least I have something to be happy about! This respiratory issue has me worried to death and there's no way I can let him join the flock again til I know he's 100% better... Please help... I'm feeling lost! TIA

I had a similar problem and here's what a friend told me worked for her (it was too late for our hen) She said she treated her roo's problems one at a time. She decided that his respiratory issue was a bigger problem than the cocci, and so that's what she started treating. She gave him VetRX in both nostrils, in a vaporizer, and also mixed some in water and trickled it into his mouth, a couple times a day. She just treated her roo with whatever antibiotics she had on hand, I don't remember what she used, she used a couple different ones, but I think it was just Duramycin and something else. My impression was that it was not so much the antibiotics that helped him, but that the VetRX was a big help. She also kept him very warm, he was in the house WITH a heat light too. And she carefully made sure he ate and drank. When he didn't, she force fed him. If Tylan isn't working for you, you might want to try Baytril.

Anyway, after she had the respiratory issue well under control, that's when she started treating him with the Amprol for cocci. And he did make a full recovery.

I think that in our case, our hen was on such a long course of meds, and sometimes more than one at a time, that it just defeated her own immune system, and she succumbed to a variety of things. I think my friend's plain and simple approach has some merit.

Just something to consider. Our hen had cocci, but she did not have bloody droppings, and sometimes she did not even have diarrhea, but the vet confirmed cocci, anyway. She was a weird case.

And another thing. He might not have a respiratory infection. It could be ILT. I hope not, but definitely keep him isolated and keep an eye on your other birds. If any die, you should have a necropsy done to confirm. Does he have any other symptoms besides rattly breathing?

Good luck, and keep trying.

SashaRenee said:

I'm starting on day 5 of giving my Silkie Roo Tylon 50 orally... He's not improving! Still raspy sounding. I feel bad for not having the nerve to give him injections! Now I'm at a point where I wish I had did injections from day 1... Knowing they can become immune to the same medicine being given back to back. Is it too late? Can I try again in a week or two? Or should I try a different medicine? I gave him .3cc once a day for the first 3 days when I seen no improvement I bumped it up to twice a day. I'm planning on continuing for 7 days... Also he had coccidiosis which today is his last day on Corid and his poop is blood free! At least I have something to be happy about! This respiratory issue has me worried to death and there's no way I can let him join the flock again til I know he's 100% better... Please help... I'm feeling lost! TIA

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I don't know much about respiratory issues, only in humans...but is he inside? Or out with the flock?
I'd recommend bringing him in somewhere in your house, not the warmest room though, depending on how cold it is where you are?
How old is he?
Cider vinegar in his water will help with his immune system, also, cooked mushy apples (they love it) plenty of clean water, not too cold. Don't use sawdust or straw, just newspaper and some paper towels, perhaps some cheap tea towels/pieces of fabric for snuggling..
Hope he is ok in the end xxx

He is 10 months old. Today is his last day on Corid for the cocci. I've had him in my spare bedroom since I discovered he had cocci 7 days ago. I have a heater n their for him to keep him warm that kicks on n off by itself. I do have VetRX n the chicken 1st aid kit. I just help off on using it since I have him on Corid AND Tylon 50 so tomorrow Ill start using the VetRX. His eyes r crusty as well... Popping sounds when he breathes and after he's done crowing there's an odd sound. I've always heard Tylon was awesome stuff... Maybe my expectations were too high after seeing that the Corid had worked so fast that there was no blood after only 2 days of treatment! And my goodness was there A LOT of blood! I treated my whole flock with Corid as well as a precautionary thing although they all showed no signs of cocci. With my sick Roo n the beginning he was not eating or drinking so I syringe feed him meds food and water and thankfully he's eating n drinking on his own. My poor baby has been thru a lot with his sickness...

What is ILT?

Also yes I use the "mother" ACV... The first 7 days of every month even for my geese... That stuff is amazing n so many ways!

I don't know, maybe try a different vet, and if you think he's really suffering and it's being going on too long, you may have to have him put down.
But give it another week or two, things might turn around!

That's what I'm thinking... Don't get me wrong he is way better then he was Considering how he was but with only 3 days left on Tylon and he's still breathing crappy I def getting worried knowing that I will have to put him down if he doesn't get well enough to join the flock. It's better losing one bird then all but it's not easy either way... Sigh! Thanks so much for the input and kind words from u both... It sure helps! (HUGS)

Awh, well I know it's really hard, but sometimes I try and think, at the end of the day, we have the gift of painlessly relieving animals when it all just gets too much.
If left to their own devices, animals in the wild suffer for much longer, and in the cold, alone, without a more intelligent being trying to nurse them back to health.
We try our best, and if it still isn't enough, then they get to go sleep, with no pain or fear.
Good luck to you and him.x