Treating Sinus Infection in a Chicken

[8hipchicks]

FYI – Passing info along on treating a sinus infection in chickens in case it is helpful for others:

Took Sayuri (8 mos. old Aracauna) to the avian vet. She has a sinus infection. In Sayuri’s case it was caused by the injury from her left nostril being pecked at by other chickens in the flock.

Indications:

Warm beak and comb. Swelling of the sinus cavity that runs alongside of the face and under the eye causing the side of the face and eyelid area to thickly swell. Clear “weeping” discharge (with possible foam or bubbles) from nostril and eye on affected side of face. Discharge becomes more thick and egg-white like and then goes to a cottage cheese/gluey consistency as infection progresses.

Treatment:

Immediately separate chicken from rest of flock.

2x a day: Apply warm (not hot) wet washcloth compresses to affected nostril to keep passageway open and hopefully draw out discharge. It really smells when it’s coming out.

Use Baytril orally. She was given 40mg/ml suspension/#8 ml. Shake the Baytril well before dosing. Sayuri is 3.5lbs. and her dosage is 0.4ml administered orally with syringe every 12 hours (2x day) for 10 days. The 0.4ml dosage is “a little more than she needs at her weight” but the avian vet was allowing for her being unhappy about taking it and not getting it all down. If your chicken really opens up their mouth and the throat passage way is wide open do not squirt the medicine directly down the throat as that can cause the medicine to enter the lungs and cause pneumonia.

Hope this info helps others.

Pam

 

[igep]

Just took my Wyandotte Wylie to the avian vet. She has serious sinus infection affecting left eye. Sulfa med did not work. She just put her on Tylan. I also have to force feed her since she has not been eating. My hen keeps craning her neck to one side. She also is having trouble keeping her balance. The vet says that that means the infection has spread to the brain. Prognosis very poor at this time.

 

[Auntie Wanpen]

Hi,
Thanks for sharing. Does your hen back to normal?
I have a hen that had the same symptom. First I though it's just a goop from dirt.
One of her nose is gone and replace with one big hole. I have been clean & clean but It is not get any better. I just start Tylan for two days now.
Thanks,
Penny

 

[oesdog]

Lilly is real bad with the infection on both sides. It is getting to the point to give up and euthanise. I don;t want to lose a good bird but I have been trying for days to get the infection under control. She has been on tylon for a week buit I am not sure how much she has taken as she can;t clearly see the water bowl. I have taken to giving it manualy. I am using warm water and cotten balls to wipe the eyes and warm the swellings. There seems a bit of give in them now. I have been gently massaging them and pushing the puss out of her nose. It was clear that if left she would have lost the eye on one side. I have slowely managed to take the pressure off that eye. She is not self eating so I have had to hand feed now. Wrapped in a towel I have had to push high protien foods into her. Tuna and egg and stuff like that just to keep her live. She has fight in her as she protests which is a good sign. lilly is a bird that does not like to be lifted. But of late she has not bothered when I pic her up so she is failing I think. I am away from the 25th of this month and so if she does not miraculaly improve in the next few days we will have no choice but to put her to sleep. I feel bad about this but no one will wash her eyes and hand feed her and she is virtually blinded by the infection right now. It is the kindest than leaving her for two weeks to starve to death>? I am real upset but nothing else I can do for her. Any ideas how I can break this infection fast????

Oes

 

[rpjohnson]

I asked a vet I know at the rspca and he said when it is bad a sinus flush is needed as antibiotics alone wont work

 

[oesdog]

Lilly is doing much better.
The swellings are still up but I can now see that she is moving her eyes under the lids. So there are still eyes and hopefully she might open them again! Please!!!!!

She is eating herself - we can;t move anything because she can;t find it. So she is being treated like any blind person. Everything is always in the same place.

She is taking feed and water herself and manages to get on the roosting bar at night. She has also started laying again and has laid at least 7 eggs now! She is not on tylon anymore and so what she is left with she will have to fight herself. She is having much rest and lots of love and treats. She is sadly alone now as her little friend who was laos ill passed away a few weeks back. I only have two othe girls and they are in the outside pen away from lil. We are still hoping she may recover.

Oes.

 

[kendall bryant]

Did you ever get any feed back, I have been struggling with this for 2 weeks and crying kids (pet) please advise.

 

[kendall bryant]

Did the chicken make it? my chicken is oving head side to side and not eating or drinking, been on tylan for 2 days and pencillian for one, very swollen in 1 eye, please advise

 

[oesdog]

No I didn;t get feedback Sorry.
I had our girl on Tylon three times it treated the infection but this is a virus and will stay in the system for life. I am still struggling with it for my girl. Lilly is still here but she is still really swollen and so cannot see very well. She has adapted to her blindness in that she has her own pen and nothing is ever moved so she now is feeding herself and drinking and even laying eggs. I am seeing slight improvements and the swellings are going down gradually. She is clearing the fluid by shaking her head and it leeks from her nose and eyes. I bath the eyes every two three days but not regularly now as I think it was only irritating her eyes. Lilly has been ill for months since March so it is a long battle. I had to hand feed Lilly with scrambled egg litterally opening the beak and pushing the food in. Hard but nothing else could be done or watch her starve. It was quite a while before she started feeding herself. She does not eat from her treat bowl but only from the hanging feeder. I pour thinks into the sides of it so she can get it without too much trouble.She has to peek a few times before finding the feed. She can navigate her pan by bashing herself off the door or the rear to get her bearings. She finds water and feed fine now and even roosts on her bar. I am seeing a deffinate eye moving so am confident it will come good in the end. Long job though so be prepared. I took my girl off Tylon when she started to lay. I fingured she must be ok if she is giving me eggs!

The swelling is still up though not as bad. Long road sorry but worth it in the end if the bird gets well or even a blind girl that can navigate her own pen and be a pet for the kids. Do not leave her with other hens they will attack and kill her eventually. At best they will bully her and prevent her from getting feed and water. Good luck with her.

Oes

 

[JSWiabay]

I also use mentholatum and I have used half an allergy tablet in a bucket of water. Along with electrolytes .I make them drink at least 10 drinks twice a day. I have found that they quit drinking because their throats are sore from breathing through their mouths. The mentholatum is very soothing to their eyes and on the nose opening will help open the sinuses and give relief. If the eyes are open and they stay hydrated, they will begin to eat. They run fever about 3 days then it is up and down. It takes about a week to run the whole cycle. But you have to catch it early when you notice any type of symptoms. wheezing, mouth open breathing, sneezing, starting to sleep in the daytime. JoAnn