Turkey with swollen cheeks

[wolfie115]

Our BBW's dealt with this for a short while in the summer. We gave them shots of Tylan 50 every couple of days, and I picked the boogies out of their noses every time I noticed they were clogged up really bad so they could breathe. I know it sounds gross but it seemed to help relieve them. You could use the end of a needle or a small hard piece of hay to get the boogies out.

 

[CakePrincess21]

ya i have been getting the boogers off. She's still the same though but it's only been 3 days.

 

[chickenlady08]

My 2 white turkeys have had the same problems for the past couple of weeks. I started them on the Tylan 50 and had to take the hen to the vet for a foot issue. She is all better but the male is not, his cheeks are still swollen. I noticed this morning that one of my older hens had like bubbles in the corner of her eye does this mean they have sinus issues as well or is it something else.

My beautiful Bourbon Red died suddenly and most certainly unexpectedly yesterday. He did not have any swelling in his face and was fine in all other ways.

Does this sound like I have something bad in my flock or just maybe with the crazy weather I have some with colds?

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

I have had that before and can go into pneumonia without swollen sinuses. I will put terramycin in eyes and that helps when bubbling at corners of eyes. It is tough bug. I give 1 cc of penicillin with tylan injection and then I will put terramycin ointment in eyes. I will take clean syringe drain sinuses and have needle loose on syringe not just mad tight so i can undo syringe and put on syringe after sinus is drained of fluid and inject 1/2cc of penicillin into sinus. For some reason that helps that swelling a ton. I like to have 2 people one hold the other drain. The turkeys usually aren't as bad as you think when you do it. I think the first time was more traumatic for me than the turkey.
I can get pretty obssessive with doctoring them too I will feel their crop if it is empty. I take rubber tube you can get it at vet supply

or order it from kv vet supply, or valley vet supply (it is baby sheep savor) and i put the tube in their mouth and gently push it down their throat and into their crop. I can feel it through their skin and feel where tip of tube is to know it is in their crop then i push all 60cc of ensure into their crop. Unhook syringe and fill it again and push another 60cc of ensure.That gives them some nutrition when they are not eating.

 

[CakePrincess21]

I tried draining the sinuses but this is my first time. The skin seemed think since i kept pushing it in. Her eyes started to water a little and i thought i was hurting her and i stopped. Her cheeks felt soft and were squishy not hard.

 

[Frosty]

I tried draining the sinuses but this is my first time. The skin seemed think since i kept pushing it in. Her eyes started to water a little and i thought i was hurting her and i stopped. Her cheeks felt soft and were squishy not hard.

I use about an 18 guage needle, then sit on the floor with the turkey held between my knees. I hold the head with one hand and pust the needle in with the other. The eyes did water a little when I pushed if I recall, it's been a few years. Once the needle is in, they tend to hold really still so I have both hands free and slowly pull on the plunger (the stuff feels thick when sucking it out). When I'm done with that I get a clean syringe and shoot Tylan right into the sinus. I then wait two days to see if the swelling comes back. It never did so I just did one shot. (I only did 3 birds total since I started raising them in '94). Don't shoot Tylan into the muscle unless it's an emergency, it will do muscle damage.

 

[CakePrincess21]

ok i'll get that number gauge. The skin seems thick because i pushed the needle in and it didnt want to go in.

 

[CakePrincess21]

Well the cheeks got worse

 

[Frosty]

If you can get the needle to go in, my experience has always been that they quit struggling at that point so I am free to hold the barrel of the syringe with one hand and pull on the plunger SLOWLY with the other. It's slow going because the stuff in there is thick. You'll feel the suction. I like to think they know we're helping, but more than likely they are afraid to move or their face would get ripped. If nothing comes out, it could mean that the stuff solidified. If you want to surgically remove it, I can find the post where Yoda did that to a pea. In all three of four cases that I did in the last 15 or so years, I always injected right into the sinus. Way before BYC existed, I got those instructions from somebody in a turkey group that I belong to.

 

[CakePrincess21]

ya she holds still. I'll try it out. and inject. I touched her cheeks and they're squishy