Necropsy results - how to treat rest of flock

[ackie]

I just got necropsy results back from my peachick that was failing to thrive. I've attached the full report but the overall result is:

Autolysis
Hepatic Necrosis
Septicemia/Bacteremia:Ecoli

- containing nematodes (worms)
- E. coli was isolated from the bone marrow and liver;

The technician suggested a broad-spectrum wormer for the rest of the flock. He deals primarily with chickens so I figured I'd follow up here for specifics on which wormer and what quantities I should use, and if yall thought I should do anything else in light of the results.

No one else in the flock is showing any issues so no other symptoms to report.

Notes:
The bird was shipped and I guess insulated less effectively than I thought which is the listed decomposition.

 

[Waterfaery]

I'm so sorry about your peachick.

For an E coli infection it would have really needed Baytril. I would recommend keeping some of that on hand in case of future serious infections. A first aid kit is a good idea to build up. This post has has a very good list of things that are good to keep on hand.

Don't use it now, though. If the rest of the flock have no symptoms they don't need to be treated and it's a very bad idea to use antibiotics unless they are needed.

For the worming, the best thing is Fenbendazole. I believe Safeguard is the brand you have over there. For the 10% concentration, give 0.5ml per kg of bodyweight once a day for 5 days in a row. Then take a 10 day break and repeat for another 5 days.

Does it mention which nematodes? Some of them will be killed with a 3 day or even 1 day dose so if you know exactly which type(s) of worms you're dealing with, you might not need to do the 5 days. If in doubt, the 5 day dose kills all types.

It's not water soluble so you need to give it directly or else in food. I don't know how many birds you have but if you have too many to dose individually, you can add up all of their weights and then add the correct amount of the medication for the total bodyweight to a wet mash. Make up enough so that the dominant birds can't eat the whole thing, so everyone gets their share, but not more than they can finish within an hour or two.

I believe you have another bendazole based product over there called Valbazen that is water soluble so you put it in their drinking water. I have no experience with it but I think it's not really necessary unless you have a really large flock.

As for the Hepatic Necrosis, I believe it's an acute liver failure. I imagine it was caused by the other things and isn't an actual contagious disease in itself. General hygiene and healthy diet for the rest of the flock with regular worming (twice a year) would be my advice.

 

[KsKingBee]

Three weeks of age is not old enough to die from a worm infection, cocci, yes, but the report did not list the protozoa. I believe it got chilled and went downhill from that. Dehydrated, wouldn't eat, systemic organ failure. E-coli could have played a part also because the chick was too sick to fight it. If it had a pasty butt that would be a sure sign and a drop of Baytril orally for a couple of days would have cured that.

The wormer @Waterfaery was trying to remember is Valbazen, albendazole, which is water soluble, 20ml per gallon or give orally at the rate of one ml for four month or older chicks and yearlings, two ml per mature peahen, and three ml per mature cocks. Give as she directed as with the Safeguard fenbendazole.

Free-range chicks are less likely to succumb to worms and cocci than pen-raised chicks but a watchful eye is always necessary so you can be as reactive as possible when the first signs are noticed. Many of us will use a regular monthly schedule but that is more for large quantities of pen-raised chicks. A story for another time.

 

[ackie]

@KsKingBee The bird was 3 months old, not weeks, if that changes your assessment any.

The final cause of death was breaking its neck somehow, I'm guessing on the bars of the crate I had it in to keep him from being picked on by the others (though I've never had that happen before), so the worms and whatever else was going on hadn't had a chance to kill him yet. He was easily 1/4 of the size of all the others that are his same age so I was very interested in what the necropsy might reveal regarding why that was. I had medicated him previously, not with baytril but with tetracycline, and he was eating, drinking, and utilizing the heat lamp (his same age flockmates had been off a headlamp for awhile).

 

[ackie]

@Waterfaery I have few enough that I can dose them individually with safeguard. They won't appreciate it, of course, but it's good for them. Unfortunately the necropsy doesn't list what type, but it was free so I can't complain.

I also have a guineafowl in with them - what is the worming suggestion for it?

 

[ackie]

I removed the complete autopsy as I realized it had personal information on it and am reattached screenshots of the actual medical bits.

 

[casportpony]

So sorry for your loss. Will your birds eat a mash? If so you could de-worm them in their feed.

 

[KsKingBee]

@KsKingBee The bird was 3 months old, not weeks, if that changes your assessment any.

The final cause of death was breaking its neck somehow, I'm guessing on the bars of the crate I had it in to keep him from being picked on by the others (though I've never had that happen before), so the worms and whatever else was going on hadn't had a chance to kill him yet. He was easily 1/4 of the size of all the others that are his same age so I was very interested in what the necropsy might reveal regarding why that was. I had medicated him previously, not with baytril but with tetracycline, and he was eating, drinking, and utilizing the heat lamp (his same age flockmates had been off a headlamp for awhile).

Sorry, I thought I read three weeks. The chick sounds like it had internal problems from early on with its lack of development. Necropsies normally list the type of worm eggs found in the fecal exam and note the mature worms in the gut.

 

[KsKingBee]

So sorry for your loss. Will your birds eat a mash? If so you could de-worm them in their feed.

Waterfarie explained how to dose in a wet mash in a post above.

 

[Waterfaery]

Looking at that report, it seems like the worms were a major issue. There is a diagnosis of "nematodiasis" and, in relation to the liver, it says "necrotizing hepatititis with intralesional nematodes". I'm not a doctor but it reads to me like the worms were actually within the liver and causing an infection there.

As KSKingBee said, it sounds like chick was already weak from having internal developmental problems. That would allow the worms to get totally out of control. Hopefully the rest of the flock, being stronger, aren't as badly damaged but I would be taking action as quickly as possible.

I can't see any mention of which worms so I would definitely do the full 5 days. Don't forget to follow up with another 5 days after a 10 day break and keep on top of it twice a year.