Sneezing Americana

[my7luus]

My Americana, Pepper, had been sneezing a lot, every two or three minutes. Nothing else seems to be wrong although her nostrils did seem a little small. I put some VetRx on her nostrils and in her mouth and when I let her down she seemed very dizzy but after a few minutes got over it. Here are some pictures of her:

Any ideas on what's wrong and/or how I should treat it?

 

[chickachickayea]

Not sure, but the face around the eyes & nostrils seem very swollen to me, in comparison to my Ameraucana... Generally I've heard the myth of the "chicken cold" is truly a myth, and sneezing is more a sign of upper respiratory issues. Starting with VetRx is a good idea, but I hope someone can give you a more definitive answer soon.

Best of luck

 

[gimmie birdies]

try putting diatomasious earth in the feed, cup to a 50 pound sack, try garlic in water, vinegar in water, yogurt and electrolights as well. good luck!

 

[chickachickayea]

try putting diatomasious earth in the feed, cup to a 50 pound sack, try garlic in water, vinegar in water, yogurt and electrolights as well. good luck!

I thought that DE is ineffective once wet, so essentially once the bird eats it, it defeats the purpose. It's also been discussed that the dust from it can be irritating to respiratory systems, especially delicate ones. I would think that wouldn't be great if the bird's sinuses/resp. are already compromised.
Garlic is controversial, as it is a known toxin to various animals.
Vinegar is good for pH levels/gut health, but is not a known cure.
Yogurt would be okay if it's plain organic, but won't cure ailments if there are any.
Electrolytes are good.

Not an expert, but just what I've read. Don't shoot the messenger!

Also, does Pepper have any other symptoms? Eye/nose discharge? Lethargic? Abnormal poops?

 

[my7luus]

I thought that DE is ineffective once wet, so essentially once the bird eats it, it defeats the purpose. It's also been discussed that the dust from it can be irritating to respiratory systems, especially delicate ones. I would think that wouldn't be great if the bird's sinuses/resp. are already compromised.
Garlic is controversial, as it is a known toxin to various animals.
Vinegar is good for pH levels/gut health, but is not a known cure.
Yogurt would be okay if it's plain organic, but won't cure ailments if there are any.
Electrolytes are good.

Not an expert, but just what I've read. Don't shoot the messenger!

Also, does Pepper have any other symptoms? Eye/nose discharge? Lethargic? Abnormal poops?

I agree with you as far as 'natural remedies' go. I have tried these all before and they haven't done a thing. There are no other symptoms, besides the sneezing, swollen nostrils, and dizziness, do you have any other ideas?

 

[my7luus]

Not sure, but the face around the eyes & nostrils seem very swollen to me, in comparison to my Ameraucana... Generally I've heard the myth of the "chicken cold" is truly a myth, and sneezing is more a sign of upper respiratory issues. Starting with VetRx is a good idea, but I hope someone can give you a more definitive answer soon.

Best of luck

Thank you! Do you have any advice for what medicine I should use?

 

[chickachickayea]

Is it eating/drinking normally? I'm really not sure... I had a sick GLW before, unfortunately she was quite sick when I got her and did not make it. My thread on that is here.

Try to search through the threads here to see if anything comes up. I know that's not much help, but each case is different, and I really am not qualified to recommend meds :/ I hope that you find something or someone more knowledgeable comments on here...

If you have Pepper with the rest of your flock, I would consider quarantine, so that if it's anything serious or contagious she is separate from the rest. Also, this should allow for individualized care and easier observation.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do her eyes look normal to you? They lids seems a bit larger than normal, and do you see crusty drainage or any bubbles in the eye? Sneezing every few minutes could be from a virus called infectious bronchitis, which can last about a month, and does not respond to antibiotics. Mycoplasma (MG) is another that can cause sneeze/cough, nasal drainage, and the bubbles or crusty drainage in an eye. Tylan 50 injectable can be effective against symptoms of MG, which can be contagious and make chickens carriers. Here is some reading for you from University of Florida:

Infectious Bronchitis
Synonyms: IB, bronchitis, cold

Species affected: Infectious bronchitis is a disease of chickens only. A similar disease occurs in bobwhite quail (quail bronchitis), but it is caused by a different virus.

Clinical signs: The severity of infectious bronchitis infection is influenced by the age and immune status of the flock, by environmental conditions, and by the presence of other diseases. Feed and water consumption declines. Affected chickens will be chirping, with a watery discharge from the eyes and nostrils, and labored breathing with some gasping in young chickens. Breathing noises are more noticeable at night while the birds rest. Egg production drops dramatically. Production will recover in 5 or 6 weeks, but at a lower rate. The infectious bronchitis virus infects many tissues of the body, including the reproductive tract (see Table 1). Eggshells become rough and the egg white becomes watery. (See publication PS-24, Egg Quality, for other causes of poor egg quality.)

Transmission: Infectious bronchitis is a very contagious poultry disease. It is spread by air, feed bags, infected dead birds, infected houses, and rodents. The virus can be egg-transmitted, however, affected embryos usually will not hatch.

Treatment: There is no specific treatment for infectious bronchitis. Antibiotics for 3–5 days may aid in combating secondary bacterial infections. Raise the room temperature 5°F for brooding-age chickens until symptoms subside. Baby chicks can be encouraged to eat by using a warm, moist mash.

Prevention: Establish and enforce a biosecurity program. Vaccinations are available.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum
Synonyms: MG, chronic respiratory disease (CRD), infectious sinusitis, mycoplasmosis

Species affected: chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, peafowl, and passerine birds.

Clinical signs: Clinical symptoms vary slightly between species. Infected adult chickens may show no outward signs if infection is uncomplicated. However, sticky, serous exudate from nostrils, foamy exudate in eyes, and swollen sinuses can occur, especially in broilers. The air sacs may become infected. Infected birds can develop respiratory rales and sneeze. Affected birds are often stunted and unthrifty (see Table 1).

There are two forms of this disease in the turkey. With the "upper form" the birds have watery eyes and nostrils, the infraorbitals (just below the eye) become swollen, and the exudate becomes caseous and firm. The birds have respiratory rales and show unthriftiness.

With the "lower form", infected turkeys develop airsacculitis. As with chickens, birds can show no outward signs if the infection is uncomplicated. Thus, the condition may go unnoticed until the birds are slaughtered and the typical legions are seen. Birds with airsacculitis are condemned.

MG in chicken embryos can cause dwarfing, airsacculitis, and death.

Transmission: MG can be spread to offspring through the egg. Most commercial breeding flocks, however, are MG-free. Introduction of infected replacement birds can introduce the disease to MG-negative flocks. MG can also be spread by using MG-contaminated equipment.

Treatment: Outbreaks of MG can be controlled with the use of antibiotics. Erythromycin, tylosin, spectinomycin, and lincomycin all exhibit anti-mycoplasma activity and have given good results. Administration of most of these antibiotics can be by feed, water or injection. These are effective in reducing clinical disease. However, birds remain carriers for life.

 

[chickachickayea]

@Eggcessive Helped me through my sick chick I mentioned before.

@my7luus How is Pepper doing?

 

[my7luus]

She is about the same. I just noticed that I forgot to mention she she been breathing through her mouth which none of my other chickens aren't doing.