St. John's Wort

[chooks4life]

But like you said in your other post, you don't know what it was, so you can't really say that the hypericum had anything to do with recovery, right? It can't hurt to try, but one should also try to rule out *all* other things that can cause paralysis.

-Kathy

SJW/hypericum perforatum works for neurological conditions in general... It pretty much doesn't matter what they are, so there is a valid chance that it did indeed have something to do with recovery.

Of course people should try to rule out all potential causes, I dare say there's not been one person on this thread that hasn't done so, but that doesn't mean SJW is an inappropriate remedy to use while looking for other diagnoses or treating with other medications.

If we used the same drugs on chickens that we do for humans with nerve disorders, there could be some contradiction of medications there, with possible interaction of the SJW and the pharmaceutical drugs, but really what's the spectrum of neural problem treatments in chickens consist of? Mainly antibiotics.

Best wishes.

 

[casportpony]

I've also tried steroids and Meloxicam... Best results so far have been from de-worming and providing supportive care.

-Kathy

 

[chooks4life]

I've also tried steroids and Meloxicam... Best results so far have been from de-worming and providing supportive care.

-Kathy

De-worming against Marek's, do you mean?

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Of course de-worming doesn't treat it, but who's to say that worms haven't weakened the immune system, right? My current patient is a hen that has ocular Marek's, so pretty safe to assume that her ataxia, followed by paralysis is neurological Marek's. Treatment for her so far has been de-worming with Safeguard (50mg/kg for five days), dusting for mites/lice and supportive care. It's been a couple of weeks, but she is back to being able to stand.

-Kathy

 

[tridentk9]

If it does work it would be difficult to paten it as a cure ( because its a plant ) so it's not particularly profitable to a drug company... Just a thought
Also someone has to find it first... You never know maybe the OP has just found it

LOL even more difficult to patent since the feds as well as several states list it as an invasive or noxious plant. Might be difficult to find a place to grow it without bankrupting the company with eradication of volunteer plants.
http://www.invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=4411&start=1

 

[chooks4life]

Of course de-worming doesn't treat it, but who's to say that worms haven't weakened the immune system, right? My current patient is a hen that has ocular Marek's, so pretty safe to assume that her ataxia, followed by paralysis is neurological Marek's. Treatment for her so far has been de-worming with Safeguard (50mg/kg for five days), dusting for mites/lice and supportive care. It's been a couple of weeks, but she is back to being able to stand.

-Kathy

I thought I should have made my post clearer, but I was off theorizing, haha...

I know you didn't mean the worming treated the disease, I was just thinking, perhaps there is some link; perhaps in parasites, or in bacteria either carried by the parasites or by the chook, which bacteria is also damaged by the worming drugs, or perhaps the drugs affect the microbiota in the gut in some beneficial way that serves the Mareks', somehow...

Just random thoughts, nothing concrete, not enough sleep to think straight lol.

Just wondering what basis there might be for you seeing better results in birds with Marek's that are wormed. Got any theories?

Best wishes.

LOL even more difficult to patent since the feds as well as several states list it as an invasive or noxious plant. Might be difficult to find a place to grow it without bankrupting the company with eradication of volunteer plants.
http://www.invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=4411&start=1

To be fair, it's been known for centuries as being useful against nerve disorders, perhaps like other herbs it made its way onto the noxious weed list simply as a matter of pharmaceutical convenience.

Best wishes.

 

[tridentk9]

To be fair, it's been known for centuries as being useful against nerve disorders, perhaps like other herbs it made its way onto the noxious weed list simply as a matter of pharmaceutical convenience.

Best wishes.

In sufficient quantities it causes sun sensitivies in livestock. The sores allow an opening for parasites or infections, etc. Since it's invasive it spreads easily and quickly. An area that could grow St Jphns Wort in sufficient quantities for mass production usually has other crops or livestock- neither likes mixing with SJW.

I'd guess that like several other plants on the invasive and noxious weeds list, it is OK in a garden with care. I've spent a fair amount of time recently looking up plants, quite a few on those lists are sold for landscaping but not allowed in crop situations. And some plants on those lists are not allowed. Too invasive.

 

[chicknmania]

Is this the right stuff. I have tried the St. John Wort Capsules that looks like ground herbs with distilled water and it doesn't appear to be helping.
Two on my best Roo's has paralysis on the left side. The entire flock has been wormed and treated with Corid after losing 4 of my best pullets with similar symptoms. So now my best Cream Legbar and Araucana Roo's (hatched in April) can hardly stand but still has a good appetite. What I have read on this thread is giving a little hope.

yes. Follow the directions at the very beginning of this thread, by the OP.

 

[WalleyWaller]

Thank you!

 

[chooks4life]

In sufficient quantities it causes sun sensitivies in livestock.

An area that could grow St Jphns Wort in sufficient quantities for mass production usually has other crops or livestock- neither likes mixing with SJW.

Any depleted or sickened soil will be taken over by weeds but the cure is not to poison the soil or blame the weed, just to get the soil back into balance.

SJW is cultivated for both livestock and human use, so clearly like any other plant it's manageable. There's far more invasive plants we use regularly and plant thousands of hectares of, without ever a concern about their invasive natures.
Best wishes.