Gapeworm in 2 week old chick?

[ducknovice]

One of my 5 chicks, 2 weeks old yesterday, is very unwell. She's gaping/mouth breathing, eyes closed a lot, lethargic, spends more time under the lamp, does an odd cough/sneeze/chirp noise and I have seen a bit of head shaking (though not much). I took her to the vet yesterday who was perplexed. He thought she was too young for gapeworm but that also her chest sounded clear, she didn't have any signs of discharge to suggest respiratory infection and he suggested we just keep an eye on her.

She is much worse today. I found her away from the lamp, her legs aren't working well and she's very weak. I'm feeding her some weak chicken drops, water with a little apple cider vinegar and scrambled egg though she's not taking much.

I've spoken to the vet again and I'm going to get some antibiotics for her at luchtime. They don't want to treat her for gapeworm as they've said one treatment at a time and gapeworm so unlikely in bird this young.

I wondered if any of you had experienced it in such a young one? Or if you had any other ideas about what it might be? They chicks have been outside (occasionally) over the past 8 days. We don't have other chickens, though do have ducks who free range - though of course they haven't been in direct contact.

 

[Abriana]

@KikisGirls

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @ducknovice I'm sorry to hear your chick is not doing well.

Can you post some photos of your chick and your brooder?
What does her poop look like?
Did the vet perform any testing on her poop to rule our Coccidiosis overload and possibly worms.
How often is the chick sneezing? Do you provide poultry grit for your chicks (crushed granite)?
See that she is drinking well, young chicks can get dehydrated easily. Try giving wet chick starter for food, scrambled egg is o.k. but chick starter, if she will eat it, should be the main source of nutrition.
It's not unheard of for chicks to have worms, but if your chicks have been in a brooder without access to soil, then you need to investigate illness like Coccidiosis, respiratory disease and possibly external parasites like lice/mites.
Keep us posted.