Canker not going away!

[azygous]

The copper sulfate won't hurt anything to give in the water. It's used all over the world in livestock tanks as a common practice to prevent algae and parasites that can cause the sort of problem your rooster has.

It probably hurts to swallow and that's why he's lethargic, being weak from hunger. Try putting a little sugar in his water along with the copper solution. The sugar can raise his glucose and he may feel more like eating and moving around.

Sometimes canker gets so bad that the chicken can't breathe so this is fatal in some cases. Keep up with the other meds the vet gave you. They're no doubt keeping the canker from getting that serious.

Good luck. I hope the copper tips the scales and he recovers quickly.

 

[Icymeteus12]

The copper sulfate won't hurt anything to give in the water. It's used all over the world in livestock tanks as a common practice to prevent algae and parasites that can cause the sort of problem your rooster has.

It probably hurts to swallow and that's why he's lethargic, being weak from hunger. Try putting a little sugar in his water along with the copper solution. The sugar can raise his glucose and he may feel more like eating and moving around.

Sometimes canker gets so bad that the chicken can't breathe so this is fatal in some cases. Keep up with the other meds the vet gave you. They're no doubt keeping the canker from getting that serious.

Good luck. I hope the copper tips the scales and he recovers quickly.

Thanks for the help! I really hope he recovers.

I see minor bleeding on one side of the canker after giving him ACS mixed water since morning. Really hope that's an indicator of the canker coming off from his throat.

 

[azygous]

Yes, bleeding does occur when canker detaches. It's a hopeful sign.

 

[Icymeteus12]

Yes, bleeding does occur when canker detaches. It's a hopeful sign.

One thing I wanted to confirm, should I use metronidazole along with ACS or not?

 

[azygous]

Yes, continue all the medications the vet gave you. Copper sulfate is not a medicine. It's a mineral, but it can stop the growth of parasites that cause canker. It's doing the same thing that metronidazole does but it does in in a different way. It won't replace the meds.

 

[Icymeteus12]

@azygous Metronidazole and ACS don't seem to work as the canker is still there and doesn't seem to be going away. I'm going to change to Ronidazole now but I'm not sure about its dosage.

 

[azygous]

This may not be canker. Usually canker has a bad odor. If you smell nothing when you open his beak, this may be something else.

Have you been giving him the copper sulfate in his water?

Here is a study using all available medications to treat canker, complete with dosage information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9695476/

If this doesn't eventually clear up, I'm at a loss as to what to do.

 

[Icymeteus12]

This may not be canker. Usually canker has a bad odor. If you smell nothing when you open his beak, this may be something else.

Have you been giving him the copper sulfate in his water?

Here is a study using all available medications to treat canker, complete with dosage information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9695476/

If this doesn't eventually clear up, I'm at a loss as to what to do.

I'm confused by the diagnosis as well. I started off with metronidazole but when it didn't work in 14 days, I changed to Doxycycline + Nystatin for a few days which didn't have any effect as well.

I've been giving him ACS + Metronidazole since Tuesday but it didn't have any major effect. There's "mucus" or bubbly saliva at the back of the Rooster's throat and sometimes foam a bit when he drinks or eats.

His poop also turns solid sometimes and then it's runny the next day. No symptoms of sneezing or any liquid in the nose.

 

[azygous]

Do you have any friends, high school age, university age, that are taking biology courses, or even better, a veterinary student? If you can scrape some of the substance into a sterile container, someone with access to a microscope and the basic knowledge to determine bacteria from parasites, we could begin to get somewhere.

 

[azygous]

There is another possibility we haven't discussed. Avian pox. If you have mosquitoes and they have access to your rooster, this may be the diptheroid form of pox. It's a virus and would not respond to any of the treatments you've tried. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pox-virus-infection-in-birds