Best treatment for gapeworm?

[Crazytexanchickenlady]

Hi @Crazytexanchickenlady Welcome To BYC

If you have photos of your chicken or a video of her actions, that would be good
(for video, upload to youtube, then provide us a link)
How old is she?
What type of food/treats do you feed?
Do your chickens have access to a source of grit (crushed granite)?
If your chicken is of laying age, when was the last time she laid an egg?

Stretching the neck, swallowing - and you being able to massage it to "fix it" for a couple of days sounds like she has a crop problem instead of Gapeworm. With Gapeworm your chicken would be "gaping" all the time, coughing and possibly be fretful in her actions because of difficulty breathing.

Feel her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks and let us know what that feels like - hard, soft, full, empty, doughy, sour smelling, etc.
While you are examining her take a look inside her beak for any plaques, canker, yellow or white cheesy looking material.

Here's a couple of good articles about crop issues. Look forward to more information, your report on her crop and your photos/video.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

Okay so I felt her crop and it feels normal and her beak is clean.

 

[Crazytexanchickenlady]

LOL Current pictures are always best.
If she continues to "gape" or stretch her neck, you need to be investigating. Check her crop for several mornings in a row to make sure it's empty. Watch to see that she is eating/drinking well and has a source of grit.

If the stretching of the neck is continuous or she has other symptoms (coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, mucous, wheezing, lethargy, etc.) then you should be concerned.

I know but it’s hard to get a pic of them all together lol but I will keep an eye on her thank you so much

 

[dawg53]

Hi there.

I'm sure two girls in my flock have gape worm, they're gaping, "snaking" their heads, rattle when they breath etc. It's been going on for weeks (although one hasn't had it that long, and has been quite poorly today).

They've been treated with flubenvet 3 (or maybe 4) times in the past 3 months. The last dose started last Saturday and was due to stop on Friday but I'm still continuing it as there's not been any improvement.

Can anyone help at all? My Orp has been quite poorly today, as if she was choking, and has barely eaten for a few days.

What else can I do?

Thank you x

You mentioned that the symptoms have been going on for weeks. In addition you've given them flubenvet several times without improvement.
Most likely you're dealing with a respiratory disease. If your birds had gapeworms, they would be dead by now from suffocation. Additionally, flubenvet in high doses will kill gapes...it hasnt happened....again, most likely a respiratory disease. Also, gapes are rare in chickens.

 

[lilypad]

Oh, I should have added, they were treated with 3 doses of ABs at the start (over the course of a month) with no change at all.

The only symptom is the gaping and rattle, other than that the other chicken who has this problem has been absolutely fine in herself, but my Orp seems to be struggling a bit.

They've been to different vets who are no help at all (chickens aren't common round here, and the vets don't seem to really care for them).

I'll try another wormer and see what happens, I have read that gapeworm can take a few doses to clear. The other hen with this problem seems to get better (no rattle) for a while, but then the rattle comes back.

Not sure what I'm meant to do x

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote: Also I have seen gaping when it was a respiratory problem (aspergillosis). Gaping doesn't necessarily mean gapeworm as dawg53 said. I have never dealt with gapeworm. This could definitely be a respiratory disease (I don't have the knowledge to say it isn't gapeworm but wanted to chime in that gaping is seen with respiratory ailments also).

 

[lilypad]

Thanks everyone, but why wouldnt the ABs they were on in the first place not help? They had 20 days on baytril and a week on septrin, the vet said as there was no impovement at all then it's unlikely anymore will help and it's likely a different illness, and to try worming in case of gapeworm.
The first hen to get sick, come to think of it, must of had this problem for about 7 weeks and non of the other 6 hens have been sick until now. I thought with resp. Infections they spread like wildfire?

I guess another vet trip is in order, but what do I do as the ABs haven't made a difference?

 

[casportpony]

Wow, 20 days on Baytril? It's possible that they have a fungal infection like Aspergillosis.

-Kathy

 

[lilypad]

Thank you kathy, I will read up on aspergillosis and ask a vet about it

 

[lilypad]

Reading up it doesnt seem like there's going to be a good out come for my girl, which I am completely heart broken about ( and wish I hadn't read just before bed ) I am a little confused how they would get this infection though, being in a run that has housed other birds who've never had this problem x

 

[casportpony]

I only mentioned it because I had one of mine get it after getting Baytril. I think it's treatable with something like fluconazole or ketoconazole, ask your vet, he/she should know.

-Kathy